The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-11-06
-. nnowSes pEasoNAI.s.
r.a,nua Conxressman Teflin,
The ans vnrlosas Great Men.
,c,nc,npat, Gazette Iu,ervsew.j

- ssnsrs Of Congress, expressing himself
raen,Sair and, / thought, with some,
posWa,h I becams interested at once, and
wa,nn chair into the circle.
G,nt whom are you speaking. GeneralP"
,,ts6. begging his pardon for the inter-:
is,ion as well as the Intrusion.
Tup's Alexander Fl. Stephens" be replied,
,.,bIwas saying that OF all tho men in Con-
.ass--or out o! it for that matter-I believe
s. the most oycrratet. Ihave never heard
s,,n nnaye speech that would rank an ordi-
nus sffori OF a man OF mediocre ability. In
pnn!.orsation he IS quite as commonplace.
c1n'ues TO know great deal, speaking
n"as,tiyelv, and at times dramatically; but
~ never advances anything new, nor IS the
~ presented 10 a way either to attract or
;r,nrcss. He ought not 10 De IN congress.
IN In, once in eight or ten days he is wheel
AZ nm his chair, and remains perhaps an
'r never longer at any ono time. In de-
, a'a,, 20 his age and physicist condition,
~ Snc,ker usually recognizes him ut once.
M nv cts with bis hat and gloves on, and az
49, submitting reports. or such matters as
=. &C. hos 4, hand, he is wheeled out, and We
,n.r moi see him again for two weeks. II
.Ss weather is bad, he may not come for
nth. suppose he passes less than
rsrk in the House during an entire ses-
SON."
.But be is a man OF large influence and
,,s5a acquaintance with men and affairs, is
tonn,s" suggested one OF the company.
"Undoubtedlv. He bas been in public
lie more than forty years-twenty-two OF
,bsm as member Of Congress. This OF t.
saIf must give man influence as we'll as
,snpta.ion. Indeed, OF the congressman
who are known generally and Intimately
throughout the country all have seen long
s,ryice Garfield, for instance. has been
thrre for sixteen years. SO have Speaker
Randall and Fernando Wood. Cox is be-
ginning his tenth term. Kelley Is entering
mon bis nineteenth year, and Frye and
proctor Knott and Conger, OF Michigan,
have served ten or twelve years each. 1t
matters little how able man may be, it
seems to take long time Tor bis name to
permeate the country.
How do you account Tor lt?' asked
little fellow al the Generals left.
,VThe reason is obvious. Older members
~, riven prominence on the more impor-
,snt committees, giving them better oDpor
tupitics. They secure the floor more read
;,v they lead in debates, and In discussions
oi national importance others are seldom
seen or heard. In less than six hours after
the debate on appropriations began this
snriur sought the Speaker for the purpose
ri adding my name to the list, and found
ninetv-nine in advance OF me. After TWEEN
ty.fye oY thirty Of them bad spoken the
House as we'll Is the country became tired,
and The previous question cut tho rest OF
lis Of.
JOHN G. CARLISLE.
"Tbis is usually the case IN matters Of
national intere,t. Members OF committees
being first entitled to the floor, new mem
bers only now and then have an opportu-
nitv to show what'sin them. Iregard John
&. Carlisle. OF Covington, kv., one Of the
very abeSt southern members. He is an
exceedingly close lawyer. During the de-
bate on the election laws I think he made
the strongest, most compact, and vigorous
speech en- the uncoustitutionality OF these
laws. 1t attracted the attention of the
House, and he was the recipient OF many
compliments. Yet his name is not familiar
10 the country. and doubt il anything is
perhaps Southern Ohio and Indiana"
The little company corroborated the
statement by pleading ignorance, and was
informed that be had served in the Legisla
ture, had been Lieutenant Governor OF the
State, and was now serving his second tern
in Congress.
"But give him time and he will b,
known" added the General.
DE LA MATYR.
"Once n awhile new member obtains
a no'orety By being the special champion
OF q theory and going to Washington well
advertised by The newspapers. De La Ma.
irr became known in this way. But, like
haI e,,Hy
Speaker Randall gave him rare opportuni
ties to assert himself. lie received him as
the exponent Of Greenbackism, placed him
on the Committee on Coinage, Weights,
and Measures, and recognized him when
ever be showed his head. But the charac-
ter and number Of his bills made him ri.
diculOuS the hrst week, and OF course
stripped him OF influence. Carlisle, com.
paratiyely unknown outside OF Washing.
ton, commands the attention of the House
always, while De La Matvr Is no longer
heard or, had almost SAID, respected"
THE ABLEsT MEN.
"Whom do you regard the ablest mem.
bers of the House," l asked.
"Garfeld is by far the lbIest man In the
House. Among The northern Democratic
u members l should say Cox and Fernando
2 Wood stand foremost, and on the Republi.
can side after Garfield would follow Kelley,
Frye, and Tom Reed, of Maine. Conger,
Of Michigan, is prominent, but not so able
as many whose names are less known.
With the exception OF Reed, these gentle
men have all been in Congress many years,
and sustain themselves because Of their in
dustry. I always know when Cox, is to
make speech by his absence. BE prepares
himself with great care, often remaining
away fortwo weeks. He usually reads from
printed slips, and within ten minutes after
De has finished a page places on the desk OF
each member pamphlet copy OF it. Ii is
sale 10 say that the a5lest men OF the House
are the most Industrious, and the member
VINO pgesumes to speak without having
MADE the most careful preparat ION will
very soon lose bis influence and standing.''
"Out OF the 293 members, how many cen
always command the attention OF the
house:' asked the little fellow at the left.
Not to exceed twenty, should say"
SOUTHERN MEMBERS. ...
lhe name Of John Randolph Tucker be-
i,!s mentioned, the conversation was again
Guec:ed 20 the southern members, and the
general was asked who, 10 his opinion,
South.
=, he smiled complacently, chewed the end
, ". cigar for minute or two, and made
, aps"er that be didn't regard any one OF
'hem as The abIest.
o. Joe Blackburn, or Kentucky, Is one OF
,ue lead'est takers. He has a fine voice, a
4 80 vocabulary, and is never at loss for