The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-30
DAY, MARCH 80, 1878.
Then and Now.

aforrespondence New York Times.
te personnel of the Senate is more
lkliiy changed than that of the
fHse. Yet it is more familiar to
ap PIC hadittte of Washington. The
re OF Linceln's time is thorough
fepfgaIlized, but the Senate of to
he's m it no less than. ten lnen
were prominent in the House
H1g that era. Only Hamlin, of
we, Another, of Rode Island, ana
's'Ye, OF Wisconsin,, I ow remain in
SENATE as survivors of the body
was during Lincoln's admins
HpA. Howe'and Anthony, indeed,
the onlXfxrelics of the Senate of
'nhsl first term, for Iamlin was
4 q Vice President and President OF
~ Sci Ss& I see ais1e,ira isisl
fseat on the floor, grayer and balder
than Of old, but swallow-tailed as
ever, and franking documents with
all ismight and main. OF the old
time Representatives who have been
/ promoted to the Senate since | was
here before l recognize Sargent, of
California; Voorhees,, Of Indiana;
/ Allison, of Iowa; Blaine, Of Main,
Dawes, Of Massachusetts; Window,
ofMinn'sota; Rollins, OF New Hamp-
shire; Jpnkling and Herman, of New
York, and Justin S. Morrill,, of Ver-
mont.
Let US try to believe that all these
were promoted for good conduct; but
If the attempt is too severe a trial to
our credllity we may cheerfully ad-
NIT thai they used to make things
lively in the House, and that the
dignities of the Senate seem to sit
lightly on them now. There is no
leader in the Senate, any more than
there iSin the House. There has been
no leader, in fact, since Henry Clay's
time. During Lincoln's administra-
tion Fessenden. by virtue of his be-
ing at the head of the Finance Com
mittee. and therefore having charge
of What was the most important
legislation Of the time, came nearest
to being leader; but he was not
strong enc ugh to be what Thad Ste
vens was in the House-a real leader.
Conkling affects to lead, just as he
affected to lead in the House. He is
thoroughly self conscious, never for
gets that the galleries may be look
ing at him, and he tries to run the
Senate by stage "asides," intended
to guide, admonish, repr0ye and
counsel Senators, reach the ear of the
admiring gallery, and escape the
Record. People laugh at Represen-
tadve w. ID. Keley's affected and
tragic manner of speech, but Conk-
ling says "terrick" for trick" Just
as Kelley does; and he frequently in
forms the galleries that he is "per
roud' of something or another. and
that this is a ger reat country" If
| linger over COnkling it is because
his is the most conspicuous figure in
in the Senate. Bnt Blaine is more
influential, and David Davis as bic
as both of them rolled into one. 1t
is impossible to caricature Davis
From behing he reminds one of a
turtle walking on his hind legs, and
when he sits down the likeness is not
lost; but you cannot help thinking
that he ought to have on his ample
waistcOat a label-"Greent turtle SOUP
served tomorrow and the next day."
McCraery, Of Kentucky, is another
noticeable man about whom the
gallery always asks, "Who is that
hugethighed man with the top of
his head shaved ?" He reminds me
Of the salisbury Of the old Senate,
except that he has a great bald place
in the midst Of his shock of straight
black hair. Dawes, who has been in
Congress ever since the foundation of
the Government, really shows marks
of age. He does not talk much, and
seems out of his element. He is,
perhaps, like a wealth beaten hulk
toWed into slack water and left to
tranquil decay. Sargent, of Califor-
MIA, another of the old liners, is
grown portly, calm and white head
ed. He is a "woman's rightser,"
species of reformer unknown when
he used to punch up the Copperheads
in the House with frightfully sharp
stick. VOORHEES, looks uncomfortable
and out of place, revolving about the
outer periphery of the Senate. When
he was "the Tall Sycamore Of the
Wabash" and used to unloose his
thunders in the House, he was much
more of Il man. Next to Henry Win
ter Dayis, he was the most fascinat-
ing speaker in the House of the
Thirty-eight Congress. But what
brigade Of Senators .tave gone since
then! Hale, Fessenden, Wilson,
~