The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-27
GOSSIP OF THE CAPITAL.
Pen Pictures of the Principal Candi-
dates for the Speakership.
Primitive Habits of Kentucky Congress-
man EIect-Ex-Senator Spencer Admit
ted to BaiI-Capital Notes.
THE sPEAKERsHIP CONTEST.
Pen Pictures of the Four Principal Compel
itors-RandaII and Carlisle.

high although a slight stoop in the shoulder
makes him look shorter He is compactly
built. His face, which is full and round, is
always smooth shaven. His eyes are jet
black, and are his most striking feature. He
is short-sighted, and does not like to wear
glasses. His hair, which is black and curly,
has few silver lines Mr. Randall nearly
always dresses in black, and not always in
the latest style of the tailor's art. Mr.. Ran
dali is not an orator, as his opponents are.
His style in debate is not pleasant. 1t is of
the sledge-hammer order. In the vigor Of
debate Mr.. Randall more nearly resem-
bles Oliver P. Morton than any of the Demo-
cratic congressman, but he is not the
orator that Morton was, and is not so well
equipped in the art IF debate. 1t is as a
leader on the floor that Mr. Randall ACHE we'd
his reputation. There he was always enough
of an orator to command attention, and was
always the master of the arts OF the tactician.
In the great fight upon the Force bill and
upon the civil-rights bill he easily took the
leadership among the Democrats and secured
place in the front.rank of his party which,
although he represented a tariffschool which
was in violent contradiction to that in which
most OF his followers were believers, he has
been able to maintain. His leadership
markable. He was always the earliest in
his seat, and never left it but for few mo-
ments at time. He never seemed to sleep
or eat. His only nourishment appeared to
be some crackers and black tea. The teapot,
which often stood upon his desk, became
traditional, and the teapot contest will
never be forgotten by the older members of
the House. The continuous sessions in
vitiated atmosphere and the endless roll
calls brought more than one member to his
grave-among them Mr. Burlington, of Mass
achusetts.
Mr. Randall is a poor man and simple in
his habits He has never been accused of
living beyond his means, and his means,
outside OF his salary, are not ample.
Although Speaker for two terms, he
never moved from the modest little house,
in an questionable locality on Capitol Hill
which he purchased long before the Demo
Gratis secured control of Congress, and he has
not enlarged his social borders. He has not
always kept carriage, and when he has it
has been d coupe which generally needed to
go to the painters, and q horse which could
have been bought cheap at the bazaar. He
gave his formal entertainments as Speaker in
his little box of house without display, and
liquors were absent from his table.
Mr.. Randall is a taciturn man. He has
learned the art, rare in Washington, of keep
ing secrets. No one ever knows his plans
until he cares to have them. OF his
Il
of great physical energy, unquestioned
personal courage and of iron will. If he
should be elected Speaker as he maintains
that he will, he would be formidable can
didate before the Democratic national con.
vention for the presidency. His friends are
so confident of his popularity in Pennsylva-
mia, and OF his Soundness on the tariff queS-
zion, that they confidently assert that many
Pennsylvania Republican manufacturers
satisfied that tariff interests would be safe in
his hands, might be disposed to vote for him
for President. This is one of the Randall
dreams. He says, however 81 am candidate
for but one Office, the speakershp, and l
shall be elected" Mr.. Randall is probably
fifty-six years OF age.
John G. Carlisle, of Kentucky, is a very
different type of man from Mr.. Randall. Mr.
Carlisle confessedly is the strongest man IN
debate upon the Democratic side. He is an
orator and logcan, neither of which Mr..
Randall is. a Mr. Carlisle is a later conner in
Congress than either Mr. Randall or Mr.
Cox. Mr.. Cox patronizinglv speaks of him
as "the young man." Mr.. Carlisle speedily
put himself at the front of parliamentary
debates, and none has yet arisen in the
Democratic ranks to be his peer Mr..
Carlisle is younger thar Mr.. Randall, having
not yet reached fifty, and he has been in
Congress but three terms. The
first Congress he devoted him
self apparently to becoming familiar
with the methods and usages of the body, as
Mr. Robinson, of Massachusetts, did, and he
was very little heard of. In the second ses-
sion his notable ability as a lawyer and skill
as debater soon brought him into prom-
hence. 1t was speedily discovered that he
was a political student, and that when he
rose to speak he rose because he had some
thing to say and knew how to say it we'll
In speeches upon constitutional law he
showed great familiarity with his country's
history, and soon took the leadership in dis
cussions OF that sort from Mr.. Randolph
Tucker of Virginia, who political doc
trinaire general y rose whenever any old time
debate was threatened, with the constitution
on his shoulders. A striking characteristic
of Mr. Carlisle's method is his fairness in
debate. Although an earnest partisan, his
opponents never accuse him of miSstating
their position, or of being unwilling to ac-
cord them an opportunity to reply. His
speeches from thatt time upon constitutional
and political questions and the tariff have
formed sort of textbook for young Demo-
cratic orators. Mr. Carlisle has come to he
regarded as a safe pilot for his party in time
OF storm, and as the man to be put forward
to cope with the great Republican leaders.
Mr.. Carlisle is about six feet high, with
q slight stoop in his shoulders, and also
has his face smooth shaven. He dresses
in black, cut in the old conventional
style and generally wears black silk hat
which is seldom brushed. There is always a
pallor about his face which creates the i'm
preston that he is an invalid or a sufferer
from pain. He has not the physique of Mr..
Randall, but appears generally in good
health. He has few magnetic" qualities.
He is studious and retiring in his habits, and
one can well believe him when he SAYS that
he has resorted to- none OF the tricks of wire
pulling:so often characteristic of speaker
ship campaigns. Whatever work of that
sort has been done has been through
his friends. Mr.. Carlysle is
thorough student, is awas at his books He
has been accused OF being too much devoted
to them to pay the proper attention to the
details presumed to be necessary in a canvass.
In private life he is one of the most genial of
men, and has the rare Kentucky art of story
telling. Mr.. Carlisle has no house in Wash