Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-08-08
READING THEIR SPEECHES.

It seems impossible for Senators to
make speeches any more. They are i'm
PEELED by some horrible and resistless
force to write essays The idea that
any one can be convinced by speech has
gone out of fashion.
The essays are intended for publication
In the newspapers and the Record, In
order that the authors constituents may
know that he remains true to hls "prin-
ciples." Many vigorous men have been
deluded into adopting the vicious habit.
Even Blaine was gradually becoming
captive, and his best friends were wish
ing that he could be taken back into the
House by some fortunate freak of poll
f1cs, in order that he might again as
sumo his place among the strong men Of
Congress.
The absence of Conkling leaves Ed
munds about the only strong man on
either side who has enough confidence
in himself to get on his legs and talk an
hour or two as though he really were
talking to the Senate and not to the
country. The loss of Conkling is sad
one In this respect. He certainly added
to the vigor of the Senate, and visitors
to the gallery, who all dislike written
speeches, will miss the entertainment
which the New York Senator was accus-
5omed to provide for them. Even Beck
has fallen into the practice, and reads
his speeches. 1t is impossible for him,
however, to suppress his jealous Scotch
nature, and it is very funny to see him
bouncing up and down and gesticulating
with his clenched fist, while he is bent
almost double in the attempt to decipher
his manuscript. Beck can not help the
gesticulation, but he can help the manu-
script, and he ought to throw it away.
At present his performances are very
much like those Of the dumb orator. A
placid man, in whose face there is no ex-
preston Cbecause nothing is in view but
the face and top of his head and whose
the accompaniment of poundings and
contortions that apparently have no
connection whatever with the speaker.
1t don't do to have a gentleman get ex-
cited over manuscript that he can not
read very well.
Imagine a man leaning down so that
his head almost touches his desk, wetting
his thumb and tearing over page after
page to find the lost one in which is writ
ten the sentence he had begun, while all
the while the disengaged hand, closely
clenched, is pounding the circumam-
bient air. 81 say, sir, etc., etc. say,
sir, etc., etc. Sir, I say, ETC., etc" J"
Why do Senators who are members of
this Legislative body, for the purpose,
presumably, of attending to the public
business, waste themselves in this alb
surd way? Senator Vest was just saved
by timely advice from abandoning ora
tory to become an essayist. He had an
| nounced his intention of making
speech on certain morning, and then,
for the first time in his life, wrote out
what he had to say. He privately con-
fessed afterward that, though the essay
was charming piece of literary work,
it would have been dead failure. Some
Senator who happened to know the Mis-
souri, Senator's gift for speaking, passed
behind his desk and noticed the huge
pile of manuscript.
"Vest, are you going to be such fool
as to read your speech? }" said he.
"Well, l find it's the CUSTOM" an-
swered Vest, "and don't want to insul.
the Senate by breaking into the estab
lished order of things"
"Custom be blowed," said the rude
| but wise man; "give me that manu-
script, and then stand up on your legs
and talk to 'em like man" Upon this
IL otner Senator snatched up Vests
eqan~script and carried it of, leaving
tAe M'ssourian to make an extemporane-
osss speech.
"Was it as good as the written one.
Senator 2"
GA sight better" was the confession.
- Washington letter.