Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-07


Senator Edmunds. Of Vermont,
heads the Senate five of the commits
sion. lie is the shrewdest lawyer, the
most facile debater, and possesses
more resources, kecner wit. and
quicker perception than any man in
Congress. He is the Butler of the
Senate. His resemblance to Titian's
picture of st. jerome is remarked by
every one familiar with it. He is a
Jcsuit-cold, ascctic and tricky; a.
master of the black art in oratory and
legislation. Any Senator in the Sem
ate would rather meet dozen others
in debate than Edmunds alone. lie is
cruel, tireless and vindictivc. Since
this compromise bill has been in
preparation he and Conkling, for the
first time in their lives have become
friends. Hitherto they have been
mercilcss enemies. Edmunds has been
in the Senate eleven years, being
elected in the first place to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of Solo
mon Foote. Previous to this, he was
for twelve years member of the
Vermont Legislature. lie is only 40,
but looks to be 149. His head is
as bald as if it had been shaved, with
a gray fringe of hair across his ears,
His skin is the color of parchment,
and gray patriarchal beard falls
from his chin his eyes are situated in
such a position that he can see every
thing without moving muscle, and
when he looks the most indifferent he
is the most interested. The old COM
parison Of catching weasel asleep
does not apply to Edmunds it is too
feeble. Socially he is genial, COM
panionable man, careless of forms and
independent of society laws, yet hold
ing a high social position. He lives
by the side of Judge Miller, of the
Supreme Court, on Highland place,
in a fine house, which he has filled
with rare trophies Of literature and
art. He entertains a great deal, but
without show, but never invites any
one he does not wish to see. He gave
4 dinner the other evening to several
Senators, and wrote the invitations
on slips of paper at his desk, and sent
them by pages. They read:
"Dine with me Tuesday evening at
4. ED-DS."
The chirography was very obscure,
as it always is, and several of the
gentlemen who received them were
obliged to go to his desk and inquire
the purport of the message.
FRELINGIIUYsEN is THE BEAU IDEAL. OF
A SENATOR.
He looks like the profiles of Roman
cmpcrors you see on old Roman coins
and bas-relicfs. Tall, straight and
slender, though perfectly moulded,
with an aristocratic hand and foot, a
smoothly shaven face, and manners
that are inherited, he is every inch a
statesman, and every inch Freling-
huysen. His family are to New Jcr-
scy what the Bayards arc to Delaware
An old Knickcrbocker family with
blood as blue as ever ran in royal
veins. His grandfather was MEM
Der of the Continental Congress at its
first meeting, and remained in the
Senate until his son took his place
his son was followed by the grand
son, and each one was named Frcder-
lex Theodore. His time expires on
March 3, and cattle drover named
Mcpherson, man of sordid tastes, a
lump of clay, clod, an earthly Mars,
will sit six years in the hereditary
seat Of the Frelinghuysens. March 4
will be the first day that the Senate
has been without q Frelinghuyscn.
Respectable, Presbyterian, wealthy, he
has represented more nearly than any
other man the aristocracy of the re-
public. lie is a man of abilities, but
too digniiicd and wcll-brcd to be OF
much use in these days of lobbyists
and log-rolling. A lobbyist would as
soon think of appealing to the marble
paraphrasc of Ethan Allen in the ro-
tunda as to approach Frelinghuysen
in behalf of job.
MORTON - THE BULwARK BETWEEN
HAYES AND DEFEAT.
Morton is too we'll known to re-
quire description. He is to be the
bulwark between Hayes and defeat
The democrats knew great stride
was made by the republicans when
Morton was selected as one of the
commission. The longer Oliver Per.
ry Morton remains before the public
the greater will his greatness grow.
Morton is the Titan, the Behcmoth,
Of American politics. If this coun-
try ever tottcrs while Morton is liv-
ing he will stay its fall. Since this
bill was reported he has been des-
pondcnt and discouraged; he saw in
it surrender, and Morton never sur
renders. He wanted TO be member
of the commission; and if human ef-
fort will save Hayes Morton will
save him.
is to the democrats what Frelinghuy-
sen is to the republicans, an aristo-
crat Of blue blood, whose family for
three generations have been in the
Senate, but he is man of lower tastes
than his friend from New Jersey !;
handsome, shrcwd, able, eloquent, he
is popular and appreciated.
THURMAN is soGGY AND OLD FASHION,
ED:
wears ill-fitting clothes, and blows
his nose with a red handkerchief
with sound like that of the rams
horns around Jericho. They tell a
story of Senator Davis, of West Vir.
GINA, who used to be brakeman on
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
He sits near Thurman, goes to sleep
in his chair sometimes. Once when
awakened suddenly by the blast from
Thurman's nose he seized his desl;
and twisted it around. Dreaming
that he was on train once more, he
supposed Humans trumpet TO be
the signal for down brakes.
MEMBERS OF THE HoUsE-PAYNE.
Payne, of Ohio, is tall, spare
man, smoothly shaver, and wears
glasses. He looks like a Prcsbyte.
rian minister. lie is president of 9
bank, a railroad company, and an in,
surance company; owns several Goa
and iron mines, and pays Il man $20,.
GOO year to attend to his investments
while he sits in Congress. lie mar.
ricd daughter of Commodore Per.
ny, the hero of Lake Erie, and lives
in the old Perry homestead on Euclid
avenue, Cleveland. He has been in
and out of politics for forty years
was presidential elector on the Cass
ticket in 1913; was the democratic
candidate for United States Senator
in the protracted contest of 1851 !; was
defeated by Chase for Governor in
1857; led the Douglass faction in the
Charleston convention in 1860, and
was Chairman of the Committee or
Resolutions. Atthe beginning Of the
war he dropped out of politics, to re.
appear in 1874 as a candidate fol
Congress was defeated last fall
Mr.. Payne is compromiscr by ma
turc and practice. Quarrcls, politi
cal or otherwise are distasteful Il
him.
HUTTON, OF VIRGINIA,
is an unrcconstructed Confederate
cold, cruel, and uncompromising
He was the last member Of the com
promise committee to agree to tho
bill, and then only succumbed to tho
pressure of Tilden's friends, who
wanted the republicans to bear al
the odium of defeating the bill. III
is slow, argumcntative,and obstinate
has no sympathy; his heart is a!
stony as the heart of Ethan Brand
1 A.. IL ~