The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-11-14
THE CONFESSIONAL LEADERS.
Interesting Interview with an Indiana
COngressman.-.srom Browne" GOssips
with His Friends.
From the Cincinnati Gazette


with His Friends.
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
| INDIANAPOLIS, Oct 30-Hon. Thomas
| NJ. Browne, congressman from the fifth
district dropped IN upon us this week and
| became the center of several pleasant
circles. He is slightly grayer and per-
| haps alittle heavier than when he left here
four years ago, but otherwise he is the
same quiet, companionable fellow whom
his acquaintance, young and-old, insist
upon addressing as tom" General"
would seem to comport better with his
age and position, although such militia
nv titles are stripped of significance by
their commonness; but for the quick,
hearty greeting, tom" is more express
sive, and, therefore, more often used.
| One can get better grip on ii. Besides
it sort of hides the congressional part OF
| the man, making the contact closer and
the greeting warmer.
| | found the general in the Office OF Mar
shall Dudley. He is a good talker-not
quick to form acquaintance, perhaps,
and cares little for what is called "socIe-
| ty." But he is q student OF character,
and, as quiet, accurate observer notes
whatever is passing. AS | entered, he
was talking of southern members OF con-
| gress, expressing himself positively, and
| thought with some warmth l became
interested at once and drew up a chair
into the circle.
ALEXANDER II. STEPHENS.
"Of whom are you speaking, gener-
alp asked, begging his pardon for the
interruption as well as the intrusion.
Alexander II. Stephens, he replied,
''and | was saying that Of all the men in
congress or out of it, for that matter
believe he is the most Overrated.
have never heard him make Il speech
that would rank as an ordinary effort OF
a man of moderate ability. In CONVEX
satioa he is quite as commonplace. He
assumes to know a great deal, speaking
positively, and at times, dOgmatically
but he never advances anything new.
nor is the old presented in any way to
attract or impress. He ought not to be
in congress. About one in eight or ten
days he is wheeled in ON his chair, and
remainS perhaps an hour-never Longer
at any one time In Difference to his age
and physical condition, the speaker usu
ally recognizes him at once. He sits
with his hat and gloves on, and after
submitting reports on such matters as ht
has at hand, he is wheeled out, and we
may not see him again for two weeks
If the weather is bad he may not come
for month. l suppose he passes less
than week in the house during an en-
tire session"
INFLUENCE AND REPUTATION.
but he is man of large influence
and wide acquaintance with men and at
fairs, is he not? ?" suggested one of the
company.
undoubtedly He has been in pub
lie life more than forty yeaTs-twenty
two of them as member of congress
This of itself must give man influence
: as well as reputation, Indeed, of the
con gresSInen who are known generally
and intimately throughout the country
all have seen long service Garfield, for
instance, has been there sixteen years
So have speaker Randall and Fernando
Wood. Cox is beginning his tenth term
Kelley is entering upon his nineteenth
year, and Frye and Proctor Knott anC
Conger of Michigan, have served ten OF
twelve years each. 1t matters little how
able a man may be, it seems to take :
long time for his name to permeate the
I, country
How do you account for it ~ asked ;
little fellow ut the generals left.
'rhe reason IS obvious. Older mem
bers are given prominence on the NOR,
important committees, giving them bet
ter opportunities. They secure the floOl
more readily, they lead in debates, anC
others are seldom seen or heard In less
than six hours after the debate on APP
preparations began this spring, / sought
the speaker for the purpose of adding
my name to the list, and found ninety
nine in advance OF me. After twenty
five or thirty of them had spoken, thu
house as we'll rs the country became
tired, and the previous question cut the
rest of lis Off.
JOHN @. CARLISLE.
This is usually the case in matters o
national interest. Members of commit
tees being first entitled to the floor, new
members only now and then have IN op
poftunity to show what's in them. | re
gard John c. Carlisle, of Cavington, Ky.
as one of the ablest southern members II,
Is an exceedingly close lawyer. During
the debate on the election laws, | thinE
he made the strongest, most compac
and vigorous speech on the unconstitu
tionality of these laws. 1t attracted tn,
attention of the house, and he was thu
recipient of many compliments. We
his name is not familiar to the country
and | doubt if anything is known of hls
life outside his own state, and perhaps
southern Ohio and Indiana"
The little company corrobOrated thu
! statement by pleading ignorance, anC
was 4AiOi liiftb lisAi SGINCu III b1lt
legislature, had been lieutenant govern
or of the state, and was now serving hi;
second term in congress.
"But give him time and he will b;
known" added the general.
DE LA IATYR.
"Oncc in a while a new member OBJ
talns nOtoriety by being the special
champion of a theory, and going to
Washington well advertised by the news
papers. DE La Matyr became known IL
/, this way, But like froth, his reputation
had no substance. Speaker Randall gave
him rare opportunities to assert himself
He received him as the exponent Of
Greenbackism, placed him on the com
mittee on coinage, weights and measures
|. and recognized him whenever he showed
his head. But the character and number
of his bills made him ridiculous the first
week, and OF course stripped HIM of IN
fluence. Carlisle, comparatively un
known outside of Washington, commands
the attention of the house always, while
De La Matyr is no longer heard, or, had
almost said, respected"
THE ABLEST MEN
whom do you regard Us the ablest
members of the house ?" | asked.
Garfield Is by far the ablest man in
the house. Among the northern Demo
| 1870 'iAStiADSiS nAlOulO Stil NOA anu
Fernando Wood stand foremost, and on
the Republican side after Garfield would
follow Kelley, Frye and Tom Reed, OF
Maine; Conger, of Michigan, is promi-
nent, but not so able as many whose
names are less known. With the exception
of Reed, these gentlemen have been in
congress for years, and sustain themselves
because oftheir industry. l always know
when Cox is TO make a great speech by
his absence. He prepares himself with
great care, often remaining away for two
weeks. He usually reads from printed
slips, and ten minutes after lac has fin
ished speech places on the desk of each
member a pamphlet of il. II is safe to
say that the ablest men of the house are
the most industrious, and the member
who presumes TO speak without having
made the most careful preparation will
very soon lose his influence and stand
| ing"
"Out of the 293 members how MANY
can always command the attention of the
house 80
Not to exceed twenty, l should say ~
SOUTHERN MEMBERS
The name of John Randolph Tucker
being mentioned, the conversation was
again directed TO the southern mem
bers, and the general was asked who, in
his opinion was the ablest man in the
house from the south.