The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-23
S P & A G. U z.
Don Piatt Bids Him be Coutenr

From the Cincinnati Commercial
There is, admit, a strong temptation to dish
up the little Senator He has many good
things, we like to note the ugly ones. While we
of the press are floating about on spars, he is
captain of big three-decker He hNs fifteen
millions gold He has his seat in the Senate
Chief Justice Chase il his father-in-law, and his
wife Is large-brained, graceful, accomplished,
and lovely. By Jove, We are forced to balance
the account or go mad. And so we say to him.
when he appeals to us, as the Jove | sworo by
said 10 the peacock, when that gay bird prayed
for the voice of the nightingale, 'Be content
with your tail, old bird. 1t is splended tail;
be proud of 1t, and don't attempt to sing, and
people won't discover that you have no voice."
That Senator Sprague is honest, earnest, and
has touched the popular heart in his wild protest
against wrong, i am ready to admit. will say
more-that he has said some good things. When
he said that nothing was more vicious and cow
ardly than five hundred thousand dollars, unless
1t was a million, he uttered great speech in one
sentence. That he feels for the unhappy condi-
ton of laborers and mechanics and deplores the
corruption of politics and society, are to his
credit, and am willing to forgive his bad de-
livery and utter lack of sense of propriety. But
l cannot forgive him for throwing away all these
years of his life. He has been no student. With
brainy people about him, and no end Of books
in his library, he has been content with his mil
lions. Millions are grand things, and we bump
our free and independent heads on the floor in
their presence. But they are not everything
When lngot comes before us, not only as a Sena-
tor and lawmaker, but rs o leader, we get up
and look at him, and listen to lin, and II he
fails to come up to respectable expectation, with
the points of little pins we pnncture him.
Only yesterday, William of Rhode Island
took to reading that duller sort Of fiction called
history; and jumping to the conclusion that
what he read was as new to Others as to himself,
he injects huge volumes into the body of his dis
course, to the great wrath OF his brother Sena-
tors and the galleries.
If William were az thOuGhIful as he ia brave
and original, would send for David A. Wells and
read my letters, he could take his millions and
make prodigious stir in the world. But then
he won't. No man ever does. What golden op-
portunities besides those OF the millions are
thrown aside, or are passed unseen and so ne
elected ID. p.
Vengeance and BuiIets-A Duel In Prospect.
There is prospect ahead Of scrimmage be-
tween Sprague and Abbott. The former in his
speech alluded to two Senators as the mastif
and the mongrel puppy dog. Abbott supposing
Sprague applied puppy" to him, has prepared
n speech, which he intends to deliver If he can
get the Senate to sit with open doors for few
minutes. In this speech he will callupon Sprague
! for an explicit explanation, and if he dis
covers that the term puppy was Intentionally
applied to him (AbbotD by Sprague, he Cab
| bott) wir then do desperate things. lie will
firstly demand a retraction, and, that being re-
fused, will insist upon the satisfaction recognized
among gentlemen. His friends say he will as
! sault Sprague, if no other method ID left him,
| ana Wallup llJjlc hnOuy HOn Iuc SdplIol W
| Georgetown Heights. The newspaper men are
on the lookout for a lively sensation.
HALF-PAsT ELEVEN O'CLOCK p. M.-Sprague,
who had been in his scat most OF the evening,
has just put on his hat and coat and gone home
! 1t appears that friend, learning of Abbottf
purpose, called Sprague out of the Senate and
| Informed him of il. Sprague said Abbott had
| just been up and asked for few minutes OF
open session in order that he might make per
sonal explanation relative TO Sprague's attack
if he was attacked any more in the
Senate he would not only read letters but h,
would let out all that was in him. Garrett
Davis went over to Sprague and advised him tC
keep cool and say nothing Sprague asked the
| advice of the friend who called him out of tn,
Senate. and he was told the best thing he coult
do would be TO go home and not ceme bacl
again during the session. Sprague took til,
advice and Immediately thereafter left th
Senate. Another version Of the story is tina
Sprague has gone in pursuit of his shooting
irons in order TO be ready for the fray.-Herdh
Wash. Cor Of yesterday.