Congressman is found hiding under his desk, and is outraged at having been discovered.

>Whenever Colonel W. L. Terry, Democrat of Arkansas, didn’t want a quorum to be present, he didn’t bother to leave the chamber; he simply crouched down behind his desk so he couldn’t be seen. One morning, [Speaker Reed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Thomas_Brackett_Reed_-_Brady-Handy.jpg), wanting to count a quorum, told the clerk: “Count Mr. Terry. He is hiding under his desk.” >Furious, Terry rushed down the aisle shaking his fist, and cried: “Mr. Speaker, it is strange to me that you can see me under my desk, but when I am wanting to make a speech and yelling to you at the top of my voice, you never know I am on the place. Sir, I want you to know that I am a Democrat and a gentleman.” >Reed leaned back in his chair and said calmly: “Well, you needn’t blame me for the peculiar combination in your makeup!” __________________________ **Source:** Boller, Paul F. “In the Chair.” *Congressional Anecdotes*. New York: Oxford UP, 1991. 238. Print. **Original Source Listed:** Alexander Wiley, *Laughing with Congress* (New York, 1947), 120-21. __________________________ **Further Reading:** [William Leake Terry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_L._Terry) [Thomas Brackett Reed / “Czar Reed”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Brackett_Reed)