The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-01-02
PERILS OF A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
What Making a Great Speech Subjects
Man To.

Washington Cor. Chicago Times.l
The member in question, who was
talking upon the subject the other
evening, said that any man who makes
q speech in Congress that was the sub
ject of any sort of attention was sure to
be made the subject of an attack from
some feminine hero-worshiper. Said
he: uThere is nothing In Gods world
that women 80 much admire as a man
who can make speech"
To continue quoting his own Ian
guage: "I never met woman in my
life who could tell what is sfree trade
or what is sprotection,' or who under
stood, in the slightest degree, the issues
of the two contending parties of this
country. But all the same, whenever
a man who has the reputation Of an
orator gets off anything in Congress,
the female ehero-worshipers in the gal
leries sit and drink in the sound cf his
voice, catch here and there fowery
sentence, and rave with delight over
what they call such a b-e-a.u-t-i-f-u-l
Speech without apprehending, per-
haps, a single one of his main thoughts
or underlying suggestions"
"Why," said the Congressional ora
tor, sI made speech in the House
which myself considered something
in the way of a hit. At any rate it re-
ceived the attention and approval of a
large number of my associates. That
night I received one of the longest and
most ardent love-letters that was per-
haps ever penned to any man. The
full name of the writer was signed to
it. The subscriber said that she was in
the gallery when I made my speech,
and that it's influence had caused her
to fall madly in love with me. She
knew nothing of me, whether I was
married or not. She was just swept
away by sthe mad impetuosity of love
kindled by my fiery eloquence.' 1
think that was the expression she
used. And she placed herself at my
disposal, granting in advance any
thing I might demand, for 'the small
favor of loving me unchecked and un-
fool, such a note is devilish embar-
raising. 1t is not fattering at all to a
mans vanity, for I knew perfectly
we'll that she was an absolute stranger
to me, knew nothing about me, one
way or the other; and that it was just
a feminine craze, peculiar to, perhaps,
a not very strong mind, occasioned by
a speech that seemed to command at
tention. I paid no attention to the
matter for a day or two. The notes
then began to rain in on me from her
to such an extent that made up my
mind to find out who she was, at least,
and acuuaint her friends of the fact in
a quiet way, if she had any, as had
no idea of playing Paul to 1acka-
daisical Virginia. I found that she
was a young lady of a very good fami-
ly. Her people live in the interior OF
New York. They are rich weif-to-do
people. The girl had been we'll brought
up and we'll educated. So now I was
put in still more embarrassing posi-
ton, because could not go to these
people and say that their daughter
was making violent love to me, so
just adopted the policy of totally ig-
noring the whole thing. But have
had more trouble than I ever had in
my life in just trying to get rid of this
woman. And l can not say that am
yet clear of the matter, for I still con-
| tinue to receive notes; and only this
session I have heard through her thai
she has a rival in town, and will never
renounce her pursuit of me. She says
she loves me more than any one elst
can, and she knows she can make mt
love her. She keeps up her amorou
bombardments; but, up to the presen
time, the Congressional fort hold
firm.'
ESQUIRE w. C. Martin has held tn
Office of justice of the peace in Webste
parish for just thirty-four years. III