Smyrna times., 1881-11-09
Senatorial Orators.

script to MI Murphy, the Senate StenOg-
rapher who sends it to the Government
printing Office. The cOmpOsitOrs never
have any anathemas for the Judges wri-
ting which is large, distinct and full of
character.
Edmunds never uses notes, and once
speech is out of his mouth, he doesn't
bother his head about it. During ali the
years he has been in the Senate, he has
not revised single speech. He turns
everything in his mind beforehand, and
never rises to address the Senate without
having weighed in the scales of his great
mind what he intends saying.
Ben Hill will speak for three hours
without Il scrap of paper. The only prep
aratiOn he makes is making references
and passages in this book or that. have
seen him time and again thunder away for
hours without stopping even for a glass of
water. He revises his speeches, however,
makes additions and corrections in a clear
hand, much like that of college boy,
and gives the printers little trouble with
his proof Hill has an astounding memory,
and no man in public life, except Edmunds,
has such imperturbability The only man
who could we'll worry Hill or excite his
wrath in debate was the late Matt Car
penter How it tickled Carpenter to put
some adroit question at the Georgian and
get him confused IA hard thing to DO at
any time, but Carpenter often succeeded.
And it was more the result Of an irrosisti-
ole propensity for fun than anything else,
for never was man who had less malice
than Matt Carpenter.
Another Senator who. like Edmunds
never revised q speech, was Thurman.
Occasionally he spoke from manuscript,
but the stenographer took down every
word he said, as the old gentleman forgot
his manuscript and drifted into extern
pOrary eloquence. Thurman, though never
a graceful speaker, was always forcible.
lie was beyond all doubt the ablest of the
Democrats, and their leader from the time
he entered the Senate.
Bayard works hard at his speeches, and
though he writes them out and follows
| mis- manuscript closely, he reyises after
proof is taken. He makes few changes,
however, but holds the proof very often
until ? O'Clock in the morning, as he
spends his evenings generally in social
circles. He is good penman, writing a
medium sized running hand.
Lamar is a great reviser, cuts proof into
tatters, writes horrible hand, and tries
the soul of printer. Occasionally he
goes down to the Government Printing
Office to look after his speeches, which,
when published, are vastly different from
the stenographer's report of them.
Senator Conkling seldom made COR
rection of his utterances in the Senate
Chamber. He is perhaps the most extern
pOraneous speaker in the United States,
and even his remarks i'll running debate
are spleadid indices of great ability.
During the extra session of the Forty
Sixth Congress he delivered speech upon
the Army Appropriation bill without note,
papers, book or reference of any kind.
When the Vice-President announced "the
Senator from New York" up rose the
stately form of Roscoe Conklng. Never
before or since had a Senator such an
audience. He spoke for four hours. Be
! fore the adjournment of the Senate 1900
copies of his speech had been subscribed
for. Every printing establishment in
! Washington sent to the Senator its lowest
estimate. In a very short time, Oyster,
one of the best living typos, and foreman
of the Congressional Globe, had the proof
of the great speech ready. He took it up
to WOrmley's about o'clock in the morn
ing and asked for Senator Conkling "He
is not up yet" said the private secretary ;
1.-The Senator breakfasts about II; how
ever as you are in hurry and want to
see after the speech, shall call him. j."
Tell Mr.. Oyster to come in-ah! how do
you do, Mr.. Oyster?" and Lord Chester
field never was more polite than was
Conkling in his nightshirt. After rub
bing his eyes he looked at the proof, made
a few changes aad struck out the Hon. "
before Roscoe Conkling." You will
never find it preixed to his name in any
speech intended for general distribution.
After he received the speech he wrote his
thanks very kindly, to Foreman Oyster
as follows:
q