The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-06-02
Congressional Scholarship.

When FIlznugh was arraigned and
dismissed on account OF his gasconading
letter, and much fun was made Of his
orthography, he made the remark that
"there needn't be SO much fuss made
about the spelling, for there are lots Of
members of Congress who can't spell
any better than can" And the Joke OF
the thing is that i'll this statement poor
Fitzhugh was exactly right. For, GER
tainly, good many Congressman do not
count correct orthography among thoir
numerous accomplishments.
On this subject correspondent of the
Inter-Ocean presents some laughable
instances of Congressional orthography
which really show u want OF scholarship
that out-hughs Fitzhugh. The writer
says:
IL may be said that one doesn't need
to be good speler to be good Con-
gressman any more than one need to b.
Il good swimmer to be good Baptist. /
have seen bills and resolutions that have
been introduced in the House that i'll
spelling and syntaX would not even do
Justice TO the Chicago Common Council.
A local wit tells Il story of Senator
who once adorned the capital, and bore
with ease the highest honors Of great
statesman. He was poor speller, but
realized as well as any one the defect in
his education, aud made vigorous efforts
to correct it. He purchased a dictionary
and AZ used to study it faithfully. "But
MS no use,n be remarked one day to q
friend; II have spent half an hour trying
to lind ont how to spell physician, but
Che cussed word isu't there"
"W mere did you l0okT inquired a
friend; and taking the dictionary from
the puzzled Senator's hands he found
that he mad been hunting for the word
among the "Hs," as if it was spelled
"iiZ-." .u
Quite as funny thing occurred the
other day. A prominent Democratic
member Of Congress, representing one
OF the largest States in the Union; and
one OF the largest cities; who is Chair.
man of one of the most important com.
mittees in the House, and has had
charge Of some of the most important
bills, wrote a note OF recommendation
tor the appointment OF a young man TO
an office. And the note began with
the following clause. spelled in this
way:
Il corgially recommend Mr.--,' ?
etc. w
This is no freak Of the Imagination
! but an actual fact. l would print the
Congressman's name if he hadn't more
than enough good qualities to outweigh
his defective spelling.
| saw, the other day, note written
by Southern gentleman, who is now
serving Ills second term in Congress, to
Lhe Congressional Printer. 1t read as
follows:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, I
WASHINGTON, d. o., April II, 1876
DIR, sIk-W ould you Bee kind enougt
to send lhe Cong. Record to the Edter Of
| the - for the balence OF the
cessbun sesshun cesshun. Enclosed
please fnd postage as is it too mucl
trouble to frank. Yours, Resply,
This literary Congressman first wrote
| the word session "cesshun," but il
,lidn't look right to his eye; SO he eras ed
lit and wrote "sesshun," using an $50
| for ''c"' to commence with, but thai
didn't look right either; and not dream
ing that there was still another way t6
spellit, he wroie 1t "cesshunv agaiu, bu
somehow this didn't exactly meet his
remembrance OF the way the WQrC