National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-22
"WHY WE LhUaH.n

A half hour with the Hon. s. s. Cox's last
work, entitled "Why We Laugh" will prove
to the reader that his store Of wit and humor
is almost boundless. Every page of the book
is bright with the merry side Of legislative and
official life, and in reading It one ceases to
wonder that the House is so often CONFUSED
with merriment at the spontaneous and i'm
pulsiye exhibit Of philosophical, statistical,
and legislative humor by the genial member
from New York. There are times, however,
when Mr.. Cox's humor falls into coarse and
vulgar strain, as in the case OF his attack on
Mr.. Blaine, and on these occasions the injury
he does himself seems irreparable. Under the
head OF "Humor Of Statistics" we find frigid
numerals thawing into hupor in manner
that puts merry tone int the monotony Of
dry detail, Under this caption we find among
other fresh and sparkling things the following:
There was an Lillian debate. It was asserted
in 1867 that It est over six millions for regi-
ment in the Ipiian country. One Indian was
Killed, land said Senator Window, by way
of lively cohment. s'six millions for one Indian
and IL is sill doubtful whether he is dead or
alive"
Mr.. Campbell, Of Ohio, was showing the per-
ceptsge of population as to reading and writing,
aps found Buncombe county, North Carolina,
tie lowest, when Mr.. Ashe asked for the
comparative statistics of crime. This posed
the 0hioan; for moment he admitted that
Northern peniteniiaries showed the most con-
victs, and by quick turn said, "Ohi we punish
our rascals." ....-
Mr.. Corwin, showing that his political oppo-
nent had changed in eight years, proceeded to
divert the House by calculation of how many
times the Wandering Jew would have changed,
had he been as tickle as his opponent. But
49,, ha,,r hal off and
excused them! "Msn is of few days and full
of sorrow; cometh forth like flower, is cut
and Teeth away like shadow. Long may
the Democracy live, for If they were to die
suddenly, they would die in their SINS"
"You can't eat all we raise, said Western
member. 1--WE must have foreign market.
If you consume all our grain, pork and beef,
you must be able to eat barrel of pork at
single sitting, and eat six meals q day at
thatr'
sHow much land said Mr. Giddipgs, "will
reimburse US for the war, when every acre is 4
loss 2"
One member, to get hearing, pleads that
he has stood on this bill until his legs are two
inches shorter than they were a week ago.
''It is alleged" said Californian, shat we
have traded away fifteen million dollars for
Alaska and have only one millions worth ofreal
estate. Any man who can't trade within four
teen hundred per cent. of the value of an
article ought 10 De eNpeIleu. Sucn congress,
sir, no longer deserves the confidence of free
people"
In discussing the humor of statistics Mr..
Cox says "In an earlier chapter we have re-
marked that an American stops at no sacrifice
for his fun. Arithmetic, logarithms, census
returns, tabular statements, and other cold,
hard facts and figures fall before his irresisti-
BILE attack when inspired with his laughing
demon. Redundancy of words, establishment
of style, principles and reasons, major and
minor premises, validity or fallacy in argu-
ment, all bow before this genius. He will
have his fun in season and out of season. He
has Bottoms ambition. He would play many
parts. 1t is recorded of Sol Smith that he
played the high priest of the sun, the blind
man, the sentinel, Rolla and the Spanish army
at once in the play of 'Pizarro.' So the
American legislator, with his infinite mercu-
rialities, does not scruple to laugh atnumera-
ton, and would not hesitate to gufsw at the
integral calculus. His humor plays in every
role known to human inquiry, and recks little
how much moral Indignation he excites." Not
all the pumice of the polished town can smooth
down this native tendency.