Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-02-15
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 1877.


this week-the probable result of the
debates before the Electoral Tribunal.
Every man and woman in Washington
has disappeared. The bipeds that
look like them are only Interrogation
Points-mere 2? divided into males
and females-cunningly disguised in
dress-or -overcoats or else carrying
hair-pins and the rest of the costumes
usually worn by women. The Repub
lican Interrogation Points for the
most part guess that Hayes will
win; and the Democratic Interroga-
ton Points generally "reckon p" that
Tilden will be counted in. The pres
ent outlook anquestionably is that
Hayes will be declared elected. But
although the prospects favor him, the
result is not yet sure. Florida does
not decide the dispute beyond
doubt, although nine out of every ten
Republicans believe that the first de-
cision given practically ends the case.
[ have spoken with some of the best
lawyers on our side of the Senate, and
ind that they are hopeful but not
confident The telegraph will tell you
the rest.
Congress is making believe" that
it is doing business, but it is only
"marking time." Nobody cares about
it and it and its members can hardly
be kept in their seats. The Supreme
Court for the time being is dissolved
The Legislative and Judicial "branh-
esq of the Government are withered
limbs. Only the Executive Branch is
left in healthy state. 1t is still run
without calling for outside help. "Let
the dead bury the dead" Let us wait
until it's suspended animation" is re
stored to vigor before noticing Con-
gress again. / shall speak about the
live Department of the Government
this week, and leave the graveyard
and hospital department in peace.
bad long talk with tie President
last Saturday-that is to say, be did
the long talking and | did the long
listening.
The Silent Man," the Sphynx Of
the White House" when he does
speak, is one of the best takers have
ever met; and for seven weary years
| sampled :" the best takers in the
country every week Of my life, and
for several hours of every day of every
week. As other men deal in hogs oil
whiskey, dealt in orators and au
thors. | was wholesale merchant
of eloquence, 80 to speak; and some.
times [ did brisk retail business in
Talk that could rot be called clio
quence with any loyalty to truth
There are very few famous orators in
the land-outsde of the strictly pro
fessional whom | have not
listened to by the hour in their private
as well as public talk. If "practice
makes perfect" ought to be pretty
fair Judge of tongue-goods, for serv
ed full apprenticeship to the art o
listening critically TO conversation, II
order TO decide whether the talkel
would succeed on the platform, and te
understand, for practical business
purposes, the grasp, scope and com
plexion of his mind. The habit thus
formed has become a second nature
I listen critically to every one. If
were in the dock and doomed to dit
on the scaffold, the terrors of the hou
could not overcome this habit; for
should watch the Judges construction
of his periods and pass literary sen
tence on him while he was passing
judicial sentence on me.
Grants talk is noteworthy for it
clearness, its Saxon simplicity, iii
terseness, its grasp of facts, and 1T
strong massing Of statements. HI
talks rapidly, never pausing for
word, never using word more thar
is needed to make his meaning clear
never uttering a word that tells of ;
doubt in his mind No man that
have ever met obeyed Goethe's advice
SO faithfully -"Tell me what yot
think; ] have doubts enough OF m,
own" He never once said perhaps,
or possibly OF lit may be" altho
he spoke of South Carolina politics
and of the financial problems that ar
thick with chances to use them. Hi
verbal style has one charm very rare
now, and daily growing rar among
our public men, because, fear, The
mental soil that it springs from is less
priced by the people. He alway'
chooses the shortest words. A chile
would not have been able to grasp hi
argument, because it dealt with al
abstract question; bot it would have
known the meaning of every word hi
said. For five minutes once his tall
was as rugged as Carlyie's in the foru
of his thought; but he was as clear
and simple as Bunyan in his words
1t is only the sham great minds tina
wallow III long words. The pages
that thrill us in English oratory; The
poems that have scared highest in The
pure air of song; the hymns that have
stirred for ages the souls of the pure
in heart; the prayers, the blessings
and the curses, that have moulded
the life of hundred generations
| each of then, aud all Of tlruI AT,
clothed in the words that the children
prattle in their play grounds. Lin
coins Gettysburg speech, Butler
farewell address to the army of thu
James, Grants everyday talk are
specimens Of the purest Saxon tina
America has given to the literature o
the century. There are pages 0
Grants War Reports that will b.
quoted some day as models eff officia
rhetoric They have all the grea
qualities that such writings should
embody; clearness, brevity, modest.
and, above all, they have the rar'
merit of stopping when the story il
told.
Grants tone is as decisive as hi
words. He speaks with an earnest
ness and power that leaves no doub
that he sees his points clearly, and
so seeing, believes that the one duty
left is 10 make them 4 base of opera.
tons against all who assail them. Hi'
mode of stating his views is so strong