The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-11-03
SENATORIAL ORATORS.
a Description of the Methods of Some
of Our Distinguished Senators.
Washington Republican.

w
The senate is soon to meet again, and
the expected presence of the solons here
inspires us to say that there are very few
men in either house of congress who
speak upon any important measure with
out having made the most elaborate
preparation. The library is ransacked
for books, old newspapers files are
brought from their hooks, and cords of
paper are used in taking notes. These
notes are filed out, put in order, and
then you have set speech.
David Davis, perhaps, more than any
other senator, INDUCES in manuscript,
preparing even a five-minutes' speech
| with great care. This is his infiexible
rule, and has been since he entered pub
lie life. After he delivers his speeches,
or, rather, after he reads them, he hands
his manuscript to Mr.. Murphy, the SEN
atOrlal stenograRher, who sends it to the
government printing office. The cgm-
positors never have any anathemas for
the judges writing, which is large, dis
tinct and full of character.
EdmundS never uses notes, and once
a speech is out of his mouth he doesn't
bother his head about it. During all the
years he has been in the senate he has
never 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 lie intends saying.
Ben Hill will speak for three hours
without scrap of paper. The only
preparation he makes is marking refer
enceS and passages in this book and that.
have seen him time and again thunder
| away for hours without stopping even
for 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.
He has an astounding memory, and no
man in public life, except Edmunds, has
such impertuFbability. The only man
| in debate was the late Matt. Carpenter.
How it tickled Carpenter to put some
adroit question at the Georgian and get
him cdnfused-a hard thing to do at
| any time, but Carpenter often succeeded.
And it was more the result of an ire
sistable propensity for fun than any
| thing else, for never was man who had
less malice than Matt Carpenter.
He had heart as big as a mountain.
| He was exceedingly particular about his
speeches when they were upon legal
questions. After he got the proof from
| the foreman of the Record he would
|
proof back, get q second, and treat 1t in
| like manner. His writing was charac-
| teristic, hard to read-a rOilicking, ha-
rum-scarum sort of fist-and n study
| to printers. He used to say: "rhe short
est road is the best road when you're in
a hurry" and though he could never
write fine, full, round hand, he dashed
off everything at lightning speed.
| Another senator, who, like Edmunds,
never revised speech, was Thurman.
Occasionally he spoke from manuscript,
but the stsnQgrapher took down every
word he said, rs the old gentleman
would forget his manuscript and drift
into extempOrary elOqucnce. Thurman,
though never a graceful speaker, was al
| WAYS forcible. He 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 fol:
lows his manuscript closely, he revises
! after proof is taken. He makes few
changes, however, but holds the proof
| very often until O'Clock in the MORN
| ing, as he spends his evenings generally
in social circles. He is a 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. Occasional
" he goes down to the government print
ing office to look afteF his speeches,
which, when published, are vastly DIFF.
ferent from the stenographer's report OF
them.
Senator Conkling seldom makes cor
rection of his utterances in the senate
chamber. He is perhaps the best ex-
temporaneOus speaker in the United
States, and even his remarks in running
debates are splendid induces of great
ability During the extra session of the
Forty-siXth congress he delivered a
speech upon the army appropriation
bill without note, papers, books or ref
erence of any kind. When the vice.
president announced "the senaror from
New York" up rose the stately form OF
Roscoe ConklIng. Never before or
since had senator such an audience.
He spoke for four hours. Before the ad'
journment of the senate 0,OOO copies
of his speech had been subscribed for
Every printing establishment in Wash
ington sent TO the,senate its lowest esti
mate. In a very short time, Oyster, one
: of the best living typos, and foreman oil
the Congressional Record, had the proof
of the great speech ready. He took il
up to Wormley's about 0 O'Clock in the
morning and asked for Senator Conk
. ling. HE is not up yet" said the pri
vate secretary; The senator breakfasts
, about IL; however, as you are in hur.
~ and want to see after the speech, ]
: shall call him." Tell Mr.. Oyster &c
come in-ah how do you do, Mr.. Oys
tefe and Lord Chesterfield never was
more polite than was Mr.. Conkling IL
t his night shirt. After rubbing his eyes
he looked at the proof, made a few
changes and struck out the "Hon." be
fore Roscoe Conkling." You vii
never find it prefixed to his name in any
speech intended for general distribution
/, Affer he received the speech he wrote
: his thanks very kindly, ie;forcman 0ys
ter as follows:
UNITED STATES senate CHAxREE.j
MrD SIR. 1 beg yoa 20 receive m,
thanks FOR the bound speech. and for you
kindness throughout. 1 am glad have mad
you better in the future. Cordially yours.
i Ew oYsTKR. Esq
Al OF all the senator's, Cnnkling writes
the best hand-large, easy, graceful an(
legible. His signature, however, woult
be study to any one not acquainted
: with it
' The present secretary of state, when
member of the senate, used to look care
fully AFTER his speeches, which, for tbs
most part, were made from ''headings'
{ Probably there never was in the Unftee
States senate man who needed less pre-
paEatiOn than James g. Blame He i
> infallible in history and impregnabie il
8 debate. His memory of facts and face
v is absolutely wonderful. He can begiI
> with William the Conqueror and Civ
you the name of every sovereign OF Ems
) land down to Victoria with the dates q