The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-03-09
The Leaders of the House.
Washington Correspondence of the St. LOU
Dispatch.l

Washington Correspondence of the St. Louis
Dispatch.l
/ wonder if the men who are to-day
prominent will ever loom SO grandly
through the vista of history as those who
are gone? The enchantment of distance
is strangely effective, but it is difficult
to believe that we shall ever accord to
our political leaders of to-day the honor
we SO willingly have given to Webster,
Clay and Calhoun. Take the gentlemen
now conspicuous in the House, Randall,
Cox, Blaine and Garfield. Randall is
willy, adroit, and sudden in all his move
ments. His speeches are rarely calm
statements: they are passionate ha-
rangues, for his temperament is by far too
excitable to admit the cool arguing OF
any topic that interests him. His nasal
tones ring through the chamber, his face
grows white, his thin lips compress
themselves firmly after every sentence,
and those wonderfully luminous eyes
grow darker and darker while they CLEAN
with intensity of emotion. Don't you
know it is from the blackest cloud that
the most vivid lightning leaps
Cox, too, can never speak without in
tense excitement, but be manifests it in
different way. His fine head is SC
poised on slender neck that his mods
are almost as conclusive as those Of
Olympian Jeye. He can not possibly
stand still, but rising with his own en-.
thusiasm he backs up the ascending aisles
all the while he speaks, coming sud.
denly down at intervals to inspect docu-
ments catching the desired data at Q
glance and then booming again. Mr.
Cox is never at loss for an expression
should the ordinary resources of Language
fail he instantly coins some word which
astonishes with its fitness, while his wide
knowledge of both ancient and modern
literature, his practical experience o
travel, and his ability to seize the absurd
points in any opponents statement rem
der him formidable antagonist. Very
likely in stand-up fight he would b.
utterly foored, but he hops around (
bigger adversary, goading him with LITTLE
stabs that bring blood every time, till
worried out, he yields.
Blaine is the acknowledged champion
of the minority; and doesn't he magnif,
his ofices Let one OF his rank and FL,
dare to think independently and tn,
wrath of their chieftain is quickly felt
His speech on the financial question th,
other day was received with the creates
Difference. Frederick Fraley, of Phila
delphia, President of the National Boar
of Trade, declared that Mr., Blaine ha,
presented the cream of the fnancia
| situation unembarrassed by statistics
! but this ocular sentiment is so queer al
example of mixed metaphor that one
tempted to wonder whether Mr.. Fraley'
ideas were not equally uncertain. " Un
/ embarrassed cream P' Think of il
granger Yet Mr.. Blaine will live il
history if no greater distinction shoul
come to him than that already his, an
those heavy hdded eyes have trick {
seeing into the future much farther tina
eyes that look keener. He is making th
most of every inch he gains, winning bi
way where fighting would not be adyiss
BILE, yet quite ready to try weapons wit
any one.
Garfield doesn't enjoy being in th
minority one bit, but I can't help az
knowledging how admirably he is trim
ming his sails to meet the heavy ten
pests he can not avoid. He is a fin
orator, but he rarely succeeds in stirrin
the hearts of the people SO strongly ths
they will care to rank him among th
great men of the century, and he new
will be rid of the incongruity in whic
his various pursuits have clothed hin
Priest, soldier and politicianl An cd
combination.