The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-03-13
NUMBER 48.
Ben. Butler, the Terror Of Congress
siOnal NOVices.

The newspaper correspondents contin
ne their relentless war on the famous
Essex statesman" Here is one of tho
latests shots, fired by Washington let
ter writer:
The country will be frightened somt
fine morning with the tidings that Ben
Butler has been batted in the face, may
be, if the Lord is especially gracious
killed like Cesar ain the capital" Il
will be done by some new member
Brown of Calaveras, or any other wrathy
delegate from the western slope.
The seats in the house of representa-.
tives are arranged in a simi-circular
form, with allies radiating thickly from
the center. Half a pie cut in slices Of
boarding-house thickness, gives a good
idea of the general plan. There is lit
tie area in the center occupied by the
pages-and Ben. Butler. Old Strabis-
mus has seat somewhere back with the
| other Representatives, but he never sits
in it. When not lounging in the lobby
he is usually lowering in this bit of open
field directly under the speakers nose
When member, new or old, gainsays a
fsratemeni Of Buffers, the latter max es
directly up the aisles and fixes his COM
plicated stare straight into the face OF
the talker. Men who have become in
ured to this horrible phantasm, haun-
ting them in broad daylight so closely
that It's demoniac breath can almost be
felt, talk right on with astonished un-
concern. Farnsworth used to go further
He would return stare for stare, and leer
for leer. But all men are not Farms
worth's, and il is only after severe APP
premiership has been served that a man
can preserve his coherency within aver
age proximity to Buffers relentless jowl
The fearful phase Of all this matter is
that Butler grows worse as he grows old
er, in congressional sin. Five or six
years ago he could be endured if not
cured, and even a fresh representative
fish could be allowed to founder in the
shallow waters Of a maiden speech with
a modicum of annoyance. Now Butler
waits until the raw member has worried
we'll into the core of his address. Hav-
ing gradually found that his voice does
not ring a particularly different jangle
in the halls of Capitol hill from its old
time twang in the district school house
or police court, the new delegate has
partially acquired confidence in himself
and is warming into something like wig,
or. This is Buffers cue. The Essex
county fiend drives his hands into hi,
pockets and starts across the house, os
| tensibly upon a private impulse. He
contrives to take path which will bring
him face to face with the victim; ther
abruptly stops as if he had for the frs
time discovered that somebody was talk.
ing.
A look of utter amazement spreads
over his knotty features, which express
in the acme of pantomime, "Why, who
in thunder are you? How long have
you been here, anyway" Then he twirli
his twisted glare alternatively from tho
half-stranded oratorical craft to the SCI
of members around him with a painful
look of inquiry. He asks, as clearly a
the words themselves could do it: al
this all right, boys, does this fellow be
long here?" satisfied, apparently, tina
the poor devil is duly qualified; Butlei
fops into the nearest empty seat. Al
interminable ogle of hungry curiosity i
turned into the wretched beings soul
and at last he willis and ccllapses int,
servility and sinks down to his boots
Butler strolls away, tugging at a colc
cigar.
And so say that on some auspiciou
morning the national heart will be mad
glad with the news that his oblique fac
has been smashed into harmonious pulp
He will corral an arrival from centra
Colorado, who, like Macduf, will "la!
on" him.