The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-02-22
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
ofPersonaI sketch
es Of Prominent West Virginia
Legislators Speaker Wilson,
Judge Ferguson, VIM. II. HUB
bard. James Morrow, Jr., VIM.
il. Quarter, &C.
NUMBER III.

Civilization, my son, is blowing your
enemy to pieces with bombshelI, at a
range of four niles Barbarism is knock
Ing his brains out at arms length with a
brutal clubl"-T The Grantrilie CIV. va.l Gal
iniper-Hm. George Lynch, H. Of D., Editor.
Dear Register: Legislative oratory
in some respects resembles army ord
nance. The brief dialogue, between
father and son, that heads this COM
mubication, is suggestive of two
kinds of parliamentary debates.
We have examples of both in the
West Virginia House Of Delegates
OF the civilized class, we have Nor
row, of Marion, Quarter, Of Kan
awha and Monroe Of Hampshire,
who blow their "enemy to pieces
with a bombshell, at a range of four
miles," whilst of the barbarians, We
have striking examples in Ferguson,
of Kanawha, and Hubbard, of Ohio,
"who knock their enemy's brains out
at arms length with a brutal club"
or rather what appears to him as
brutal. Both classes are equally for.
chile in debate, and each has its
special admirers.
There is a third class Of legislative
speakers, more elaborate, more rhet
orical, yet hardly so forcible as either
Of the other two. Asarule, they are
young men, whohave made Webster,
or Clay, or Haynes, their model, and
would receive, what perhaps might,
without violence be called, an aesthetic
taste in oratory. They seem to for
get that the age is an intensely prac-
teal, cui bono one, with a spirit of
go-aheadativeness that regards time
of the greatest value. Some of these
young men possess talent of the
highest order, but SO long as they
persist in carrying, Ia Oscar Wilde,
rhetorical lilies and sun,flowers, into
debates, they must expect to WELD
less influence, than their talents
really entitle them to.
At the head of this class is the
present Speaker Of the House,
HON. E. W. WILSON,
of Kanawha. Withoutexception, he
is the most eloquent man in the Leg
islature. Thirty years ago, he would
have been the unquestioned leader Of
his party. But times are changed,
and elaborate eloquence is no longer
a mighty engine of parliamentary
power. Henry Clay's speech on the
Greek question, delivered, as Clay
only could deliver it, in the United
States Senate tomorrow, would be
received with jeers and contemptu:
Gus smiles. Statistics, solid facts,
and mathematical demonstrations are
the order of the day.
Mr.. Wilson is a splendid presiding
officer-quick and accurate. From
the speakers chair, he manages the
House with ease, dignity and grace.
In debate, he is much too elaborate
for the times. He has deep pen,
etrating voice, capable of every
species of meditation. As stump
orator, on the hastings before the
people, he has no superior in the
State. But the very elements, name.
ly: Fluency, rich Imagination and
power of celebrating thought, that
enable him to captivate the masses,
render his speeches in the House less
effective. His reasoning is cogent,
but so surrounded by the scintilla.
lions of his fancy, as to destroy in a
measure its power.
But thirty-six years of age, we may
fairly infer that his active mind.
nervous patriotism and exalted am.
bitlon will yet make him a leader
among leaders. His natural good
sense will enable him, in time, to
curb his rich imagination and tone
down his verbose rhetoric, into a
more practical and condensed style Of
speaking. In his intellectually, he
possesses the elements of great pub.
lie man, and it will be his own fault
if he wantonly fritters them away.
Our attention is now drawn to the
most striking figure in the House.
lie deserves more than a passing no.
tice. 1t is impossible, in the brief
space OF a newspaper sketch, to do
full justice TO the public character
istics of