The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-10-13
SENATORIAL oRAToRY.
A Description Of the Methods Of
Our Distinguished Senators.

gres5 who speak upon any important
measure without having made the most
elaborate preparation. The library is
ransacked for books, old newspaper
| files are brought from their hooks, and
cords of paper are used in taking notes.
| These notes are filled out, put in order,
and then you have sst speech.
David Davis, perhaps, more than any
| other senator, indulges in manuscript,
preparing even a five-minute speech
with great care. This is his inf1exible
rule, and has been since he entered
public life. After he delivers his
speeches, or rather after he reads them,
he hands his manuscript to Mr.. Murphy,
the senate stenographer, who sends it
to the government printing office. The
compositOrs never have any anRthemas
for the Judges writing, which is large,
distinct, and full of characterxzzCs-zssss
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 not revised a single speech. He
turns everything in his mind before
hand, 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 scrap of paper. The only
preparation he makes is marking refer
ences and passages in this book or that.
have seen him time and again thunder
away Ior two hours without stopping
even for glass of water. He reYises
his speeches, however; makes additions
and corrections In clear hand, much
like that of a 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 well Rorry Hill or ex-
cite his wrath in debate was tho late
Matt Carpenter. How it tickled Car
penter to put some adroit question at
the Georgian and get him confused Ia
hard thing to do at any time, but Car
penter Of:en succeeded. And it was
more the result of an irresistible pro-
pensity for fun than anything else, for
never was man who had less malice than
Matt Carpenter
lie had heart as big as 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
hack it TO pieces, send the corrected
like manner. His writing was charac-
teristic, hard To read-a rollicking,
harum-scarum sort of a tist-and d
study to the printers. He used TO say,
''The shortest road is the best ROAD when
you're in hurry" and though he
could write fine, full, round hand, ne
dashed off everything at a lightning
speed.
Another senator VINO, like Edmunds,
never revised speech, was Thurman.
Occasionally he spoke from manuscript,
but the photographer took down every
word he said, as the old gentleman
would forget his manuscript and DRIFT
into extemporary elequence. Thur
man, though never a graceful speaker,
was always forcible. He was beyond
all doubt, the ablest of the democrats,
and their leader from the time he en-
tered the senate.
Bayard wo ks hard at his speeches, |
and though he writes them out and fol- |
lows his manuscript closely, he revises |
after proof is taken. Hell 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. Occasionally |
he goes down to the government print |
ing office to look after his speeches, |
which, when published, are vastly diff
ferent from the stenographer's report |
of them.
Senator COnkling seldom made cor |
rection of his utterances in the senate |
chamber. He is perhaps the best ex-
speaker in the United |
States, and even his remarks in running |
debate are splendid indices of great |
ability. During the extra session OF the |
forty-sixth Congress he delivered a |
speech upon the Army Appropriation |
bill without note, papers, book, or refer |
ence of any kind. When the Vice |
President announced "the senator 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 1901 copies |
of his speech had been subscribed for. |
Every printing establishment in Wash |
ington sent to the senator its lowest |
es innate. In a very short time, Oyster,
one of the best living typos, and fore
man of the Congressional Record, had |
the proof of the great speech ready. he |
took 1t up to Wormley's about O'Clock |
in the morning and asked for Senator |
Conkling. "He is not up yet" said the |
private secretary; ''the senator break |
lasts about IL however, as you are in |
q hurry and want to see after the speech, |
shall call him" "Tell Mr.. Oyster to |
come in-shl how do you do, Mr..
Oyster? ?" and Lord Chesterfield never |
was more polite than was Conkling in |
his nightshirt. After rubbing his eyes |
be looked at the proof, made a few |
changes, and struck out the "HOn." be- |
fore "Roscoe Conkling." You will |
never lind it prefixed TO his name in |
any speech intended for general distri-
button. After he received the speech, |
he wrote his thanks, very kindly to |
Foreman Oyster, as follows:
u. s. SENATE CHAMBER, May Z. '79. |
My DEAR SIR: beg you TO receive
nv thaDks Tor the bound speech, and |
Tor your kindness throughout. am
glad to have made your acquaintance,
and trust L may know you better in
future. Cordially yours,
RosCoE CoNKLING.
E. w. OYSTER, Esq.
Ofall the senators, Conkling writes |
the best hand--large, easy, graceful, |
and legible. His signature, however,
would be study 80 any one not ac-
Quainted with it.
The present secretary OF state, when |
a member of the senate, used to look |
after his speeches, which, for /
the most part, were made from "head- |
ings." Probably there never was III |
the United States senate a man who |
needed less preparation than James g.
Blaine. He Is inialliable in history and |
in debate. His memory of
facts and faces is absolutely wonderful.
He can begin with William the Con-
queror and give you the name of every |
sovereign of England down to Victoria,
with the dates OF their reigns. Now |
and then the senator would give his
personal attention to the printing of a
speech. One morning Oyster found
him busily at work "cutting up copy"
for the printers. "Hello, Oyster, I'm
ahead of you. See, I'm dividing copy"
''Yes, Senator, see you're ahead OF
me; but ] went home only six hours"
"Well, know its hard work, Oyster.
I've been at it, and know what night
work means"
voorhees, prepares his speeches care |
fully and revises moderately. He Is |
one of the few, very few, men who use
n. AkAA