The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-30

fective, deprive me of my most fu-
tile amusement. Whether that
great tariff explosion was
as stupenduous a speech
Gs Mr.. Coke and his newspaper or
gan imagines, is for his constituents
to judge. The majority of your
readers are, fear, benighted
enough to insist that my sex makes
it impossible for me to be a compe-
tent judge, no matter how long /
might study tariff, or how much
midnight oil l might burn seeking
out the mysteries of protection !"
but be the speech good, bad, or in
different, no one can deny that the
astonishing and athletic style of its
delivery
RAISED MORE LAUGHTER
than either Billy Emerson or John
L. Raymond ever did on single oc-
casion. However, to be ignorant of
the graces of oratory, though incon-
venient, is assuredly not criminal,
and if the senator's constituents
like that kind of thing, the senate
ought to be able to stand it. MIR.
Coke is a harmless, affable old gen.
tlemaD, kindly, and even conscien-
tious, as far as thorough pOliti-
clan can be; to know him is to love
him, but his blindest admirer can
not accuse him of being a statesman,
an orator, or an able party
leader. The only possible use
he serves here is to give the
delegation a venerable appearance
by reason of his white beard.
Ii this affable and truly respectable
old gentleman is of any other use
some one else will have to find it
out. AS already pointed out, he is
not an orator; as everybody knows,
he is not brave party leader, an
astute lawyer, or a great statesman.
In those other requisite character
istics, which go to make up the mod
FERN congressman, he is quite as con-
spicuously deficient He is not a
millionaire, which is fatal fault in
senator nowadays; as a dinner
giYer, he is unknown, by reason OF
an empty pocket, or else an inhospi-
table soul and as social power, he
is positively nowhere. He can't
dance the racquet, like General
Sherman he can't turn a compli-
ment to woman, like Ferry; he
won't even get up an occasional
theatre party. He is working wild
ly, however, in order to finish up
his term in a
BLAZE OF LEGISLATIVE FIREWORKS,
that will dazzle the Texans into
sending him back here for six years
more. If you do so, why, at least
you will have the comfort of know
ing that if your choice does not
honor you by his brilliancy, he will
hardly disgrace you by conspicuous
corruption. If that kind of negative
virtue counts for anything, you can
have it by the bushel free of charge.
It's very cheap here, best to go from
the senate to the other end of the
capital. An hour spent in contem-
plating the house of representative
is, at present, what might be termed
purely lenten diversion. There is
much mild amusement to be found
in 1T by any one who knows some
thing of its inside workings. The
present house is one of the most con-
spicuously mediocre that has ever
sat in congress. There is not in the
whole two hundred and ninety-three,
what might be termed an
UNDENIABLY BRILLIANT MAN.
The battles fought there are
quite as fierce and lively,
however, as though the wits
were greater. small dogs fight for
bone just as fiercely, considering
their age, az large ones. On the
Republican side, Robeson, OF New
Jersey, rotund as hogshead, rubi-
cund as a jacqueminot rose and
pompous. as peacock with its tail
spread out in the sunlight, struts
about the aisles, spreading himself
proudly and putting in word on
every imaginable subject. in dog
matte, offensive way that raises
the old Adam in his OPP
ponent every time. In
spite of his infallible air he seldom
says anything very able or original.
II is an open secret that
RoBEsON ASPIREs TO LEAD
the Republican side OF the house,
Mr.. Kasson to the contrary notwith-
standing. The latter gentleman of
course considers himself pre-emi-
nently and par-excellence the leader
of the Republican congressional CO.
hort, and very naturally does not
relish the pretensions of his rubi-
cund and rotund rival. If brute
force counts for anything in this
congress, Robson is going to come
off victor.
On the Democratic side there are
little chickering's and private jealous
les too. Ostensibly
MR. SAMUEL RANDALL
is the avowed and unopposed leader.
He is to be seen continually wander
ing from one members desk to an
other, always stopped of figure and
saturDine of visage, giving "points"
to his less able followers in battle
with the other side, and rising to a
"point of order, Mr.. Speaker p
whenever the smallest opportunity
for the display of his undeniably
fine parliamentary knowledge offers.
He too is dogmatic, and in his own
estimation infallible; and he has to
be reminded ironically few dozen
times a week by the other side of
the house that he is no longer
| speaker. fact which he has not yet
realized. He holds the leadership
with determined grip in spite of
much restiveness and many threat
ening mutterings of discomfort from
men who feel themselves quite as
able as he TO do some of the lead
ing. That veteran old statesman
and truly typical southern.
ALEXANDER STEPHENS,
is keeping close eye ON the work.
ings of the.house this winter, and in
spite of the ills and infirmities that
would overwbelm less burning
spirit, he manages 10 have some
thing to do with most of the impor-
tant measures. He seems deter
mined that Mr.. Randall shall not run
matters entirely to suit himself. He
inspires an immense respect in the
house and one word from him is
worth a whole speech from another.
He is rare old man; and when he
retires from public life we shall not
soon see his IKE again. T.