Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

[speaking on the radio] Half of official Washington is here to see democracy's finest show, the filibuster, the right to talk your head off, the American privilege of free speech in its most dramatic form. The least man in that chamber, once he gets and holds that floor by the rules, can hold it and talk as long as he can stand on his feet providing always, first, that he does not sit down, second, that he does not leave the chamber or stop talking. The galleries are packed. In the diplomatic gallery are the envoys of two dictator powers. They have come here to see what they can't see at home. DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. [Speaking on the radio] Senator Smith, has now talked for 23 hours and 16 minutes. It is the most unusual and spectacular thing in the Senate annals. One alone and simple American, holding the greatest floor in the land. What he lacked in experience, he's made up in fight. But those tired Boy Ranger legs are buckling. Bleary eyed, voice gone, he cannot go on much longer. And

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0

Jefferson Smith: Did you ever have so much to say about something, you just couldn't say it? Clarissa Saunders: Try sitting down. Jefferson Smith: I did - I got right back up again. Clarissa Saunders: Now look. Let's get down to particulars. How big is this thing? Where's it gonna be? How many boys will it accommodate? You've got to have all of that in it, you know. Jefferson Smith: Yeah, yeah, and something else, Miss Saunders. The uh, the spirit of it. The idea - the - [He snaps his fingers] How do ya say it? [He walks to the window in which the lighted Capitol Dome is seen. He points out at the Dome] That's what's got to be in it! Clarissa Saunders: What? Jefferson Smith: The Capitol Dome. Clarissa Saunders: On paper? [She lifts her eyebrows a little] Jefferson Smith: I want to make that come to life for every boy in this land. Yes, and all lighted up like that too! You see, you see, boys forget what their country means by just reading 'the land of the free' in history books. And th

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0

James Taylor: What did you mean "count me out"? Joseph Paine: You can't pull that steamroller stuff. Your methods won't do here. However it happened, this boy's a Senator. This is Washington, Jim! James Taylor: My steamroller methods don't go here? They've done pretty well by you. Joseph Paine: This boy is different. He's honest. He thinks the world of me. We can't do this to him! James Taylor: Should I just stand around and let that drooling infant wrap that Willet Creek dam appropriation around my neck? Not me. Either he falls in line or I'll break him so open they won't find the pieces. Joseph Paine: Jim, I won't stand for it. James Taylor: You won't stand for it? Joseph Paine: I don't want any part of crucifying this boy. James Taylor: Our steamroller methods are getting too hard for your sensitive soul? The Silver Knight is getting too big for us. My methods have been all right for the past twenty years. Since I picked you out of a hole in the wall and blew you up to look like a s

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0

Jefferson Smith: You sure had the right idea about me, Saunders. You told me to go back home, keep fillin' those kids full of hooey. Yeah. Just a simple guy you said was still wet behind the ears. A lot of junk about American ideals. Yeah, that's certainly a lot of junk, all right...I don't know. This is a whole new world to me. What are you gonna believe in? And a man like Paine, Senator Joseph Paine gets up and swears that I've been robbing kids of nickels and dimes. A man I've admired and worshiped all my life. There are a lot of fancy words here. Some of them are carved in stone, some of them men like Taylor put up there. So suckers like me could read them. Then you find out what those men actually do. I'm getting out of this town so fast. Away from all the words, the monuments, the whole rotten show. Clarissa Saunders: I see. When you get home, what are you gonna tell those kids? Jefferson Smith: I'll tell 'em the truth. Might as well find it out now as later. Clarissa Saunders: I

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0

President of Senate: The Chair recognizes... Senator Smith! Jefferson Smith: Thank you, sir. Clarissa Saunders: Diz, here we go. Jefferson Smith: Well, I guess the gentlemen are in a pretty tall hurry to get me out of here. The way the evidence has piled up against me, I can't say I blame them much. And I'm quite willing to go, sir, when they vote it that way - but before that happens I've got a few things I want to say to this body. I tried to say them once before, and I got stopped colder than a mackerel. Well, I'd like to get them said this time, sir. And as a matter of fact, I'm not going to leave this body until I do get them said. Senator Joseph Paine: Mr. President, will the Senator yield? President of Senate: Will the Senator yield? Jefferson Smith: No, sir, I'm afraid not, no sir. I yielded the floor once before, if you can remember, and I was practically never heard of again. No sir. And we might as well all get together on this yielding business right off the bat, now. Jeffe

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0

Senator Joseph Paine: I wish to ask my distinguished colleague, has he one scrap of evidence to add now to the defense he did not give and could not give at that same hearing? Jefferson Smith: I have no defense against forged papers! Senator Joseph Paine: The Committee ruled otherwise! The gentleman stands guilty, as charged. And I believe I speak for every member when I say that no one cares to hear what a man of his condemned character has to say about any section of any legislation before this House. President of Senate: Order, order, gentlemen. Jefferson Smith: Mr. President, I stand guilty as FRAMED! Because section 40 is graft! And I was ready to say so, I was ready to tell you that a certain man in my state, a Mr. James Taylor, wanted to put through this dam for his own profit. A man who controls a political machine! And controls everything else worth controlling in my state. Yes, and a man even powerful enough to control Congressmen - and I saw three of them in his room the day

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, CC BY-SA 4.0