Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-03-26
JOHN RANDOLPH IN CON-
GRESS.

d1sA1ASos
Ben Perley Poore contributes to
the April Century an anecdotal, rich
ly illustrated, paper on 1.-THE Capt.
tol at Washington" from which we
quote the following
The despot of the debates for many
years was the eccentric John Ran
dolph, who would ride on horseback
from his lodgings in Georgetown to
the Capitol and enter the House,
wearing fur cap with large visor,
a heavy great-coat over suit of Vir-
ginia homespun, and white topped
boots with jlngling silver spurs.
Striding down the main aisle, follow
ed by his brace of pointer-dogs, he
would deliberately place his cap, his
gloves, and his riding-whip, listening
meanwhile to the debate. If he took
any interest in it, he would begin to
speak at the first opportunity, with
out any regard to what had previous
ly been said After he had uttered
few sentences (and had drunk a
glass of porter, which an assistant
door-keeper had orders to bring
whenever he rose to speak), his tall,
meager form would writhe with pas
sion; his long, bony index-finger
would be pointed at those on whom
he poured his wrath and the express
sion of his beardless, highcheeked,
and sallow countenance would give
| additional force to the brilliant and
beautiful sentences which he would
rapidly utter, full of stinging With
cisms and angry sarcasm. So dis
tinct was his enunciation, that his
shrill voice could be heard in every
part of the hall his words were Sc
lect and strictly grammatical, and
the arrangement of his remarks was
always harmonious and effective.
Randolph, having had a dinner
table difficulty with Willis Aston, of
North Carolina, never let an appor-
tunity for alluding to him in the most
bitter and contemptuous manner.
Aston, enraged one day by some
language used by Randolph in de-
bate, said, as the Representatives were
leaving the hall, and Randolph was
passing him; The puppy has still
some respect shown him." Whether
the allusion referred to Randolph OF
to one of his pointer-dogs, which was
following him, was afterward q
question, but Randolph Immediately
began beating Aston over the head
with the handle of his heavy riding.
whip, infictlng several wounds. The
next day the Grand Jury, which was
in session, indicted Randolph for {
breach of the peace, but the court
allowed him to offer the remark about
the puppy as evidence in extenuation
and inflicted a fine of twenty dollars.
During the debate on the Missouri
question, Mr.. Philemon Beecher, ;
native of Connecticut who had emf
grated to Ohio, and had there beer
elected representative, became
somewhat impatient as his dinner
hour approached, and at last, wher
Randolph made n somewhat lengthy
pause, moved ''the previous ques
ton The Speaker said, "ThC
gentlemen from Virginia has the
floor" and Randolph proceeded, tt
be again interrupted when he pauseC
again to collect his thoughts, by ;
demand for 1.-THE previous question"
nor was it long before the demand
was made for the third time Ran
dolph could stand it no longer, bu
said, in voice as shrill as the or,
of peacock: "Mr. Speaker, in th
Netherlands, a man of small capacity
with bits of wood and leather, will il
a few moments construct that which
with the pressure of the finger AM
thumb, will cry Cuckoo! cuckoo
With less ingenuity and with inferio
materials, the people of Ohio hav
made a toy that will, without niue
pressure, cry, Previous question
previous question ?" and, as b
spoke, Randolph pointed with hi
attenuated index-inger at Beechel
who did not attempt reply.