The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-08
PEN-PICTUREs IN THE HOUSE
Speaker Carlisle and His Opponents-Luke
Poland and Phelps.
Washington Letter in Cleveland Leader.

Washington Letter In Cleveland Leader
Mr.. John G. Carlisle understands his bust
ness, and his hoarse, cultural tones, aided by
the continuous rapping of his ivory gavel,
keep pretty good order. He fully appreci-
ates the dignity of his position, and when he
took his seat on Monday, led thereto by ex-
Speaker Keller and Randall, his face was as
pale as the blank paper on which this letter
is printed, and know his heart was in his
throat when he took the oath. Still, he
enunciated we'll the speech you have already
read as delivered at that time, and, looking
the House bravely in the eye, swore to DO
the best for God and his country. John Z.
Carlisle is a heightened, noble man, and
whatever be his views OIL certain economical
questions the cause of right has gained by
his election.
AS he spoke on Monday I had a good
chance to watch Samuel ]. Randall, the man
who two weeks ago, it was generally conced-
ed would occupy the Speakers chair Dur
ing the whole Of Carlisle's speech he watched
him with keen eyes and firmly closed lips,
his rigid face moving hardly muscle during
the speech Toward its close he folded his
arms, and 1 thought l could see in his face
the iron that must have gone into his soul at
the cheering of his opponent. During that
speech l doubt not Randall went over his
contest and cursed his self-confdence when
all seemed to be in his favor, and the news
papers from one end of the land to the other
were assuring him of his easy election
Little Sunset Cox took his medicine much
more philosophically. His jaws moved ner-
vously while the Speaker was addressing the
House, but smile now and then fitted across
his cheeks ofruddy brown, and atits close he
turned it from his mind with a jest to Ran
dolph Tucker. of Virginia, who was sitting
beside him:
A., ~
the minority vote. He evidently thinks he
has won victory over his enemies, but am
wrongly informed if he will not find it rough
sailing before the session is over To-day he
took his place on the floor and assumed the
leadership of the minority. There is class
of men among the minority, however, who
do not feel at all friendly to Mr.. Keller, and
his leadership if he holds it, will be by
struggle greater than think he has the power
to make. Reed. of Maine; Hiscock, of New
York, and Calkins, of Indiana, will contest
his place with him, and few fights will show
who the coming leader is to be.
Judge Luke P. Poland, of Vermont, is per-.
haps the most striking of the new congress
men. He has a slender well-built form OF
full six feet, and though now nearly seventy
years of age he stands as straight as tele-
graph pole in his old time uniform of navy
blue broadcloth and gilt buttons. He has
large and noble head covered with the finest
of hair whittier than newly-washed wool and
his brown, benevolent face ornamented with
well-combed side-whiskers of the same hue,
gives him the appearance of the typical grand
father of the story-boOk, the personihcatiOn
of all that is good, kind and manly. A no
ble-looking fellow is this Judge Poland, of
Vermont, and he is to all appearances, not
day older than when he sat here ten years
ago examining Schuyler Colfax and Others as
to their acquaintance with the Credit Mobi-
lier. Judge Poland has a high forehead,
which hangs out over pair of very bright
eyes of dark brown. His nose is large
and straight, and his mouth grave but pleas
ing He has full cheeks of ruddy brown,
and face free from the wrinkles and raw
ages of time. He will contend with Judge
Kelley as being the grandfather OF the House,
and he already looks around with fatherly
airupon the younger men on all sides of him.
Judge Polands career has been one Of long
ofice-h holding. At the age of eighteen, when
Jackson began to serve his second term, he was
admitted to the bar in Vermont village.
Three years later he Obtained minor office
about the county courthouse, and he has
kept in office pretty much ever since. For
seventeen continuous years he was elected
Judge of the Supreme bench OF Vermont,
and this he left to take a seat in the United
States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by
Senator Cellamer's death, in 1865. Twoy years
sitter he left the Senate he was sent
to the lower house, and served there for four
terms, during the second of which he was
chairman OF the Credit MoDlller lnveStlga-
ton, as above stated.
Another noted one of the new congress
men is William Walter Phelps. Mr.. Phelps
came to Washington from New Jersey as
congressman in 1875. He was not prepos-
sessing fellow, and his la-de-dah manners did
not help him. He wore different-colored
neckties, and a variety of clothes that called
his character into question as to whether he
was eccen trio or fool. There was differ
ence of opinion about this for some time
until Mr. Phelps arose one day when an i'm
portant issue was being discussed in the
House and made one of the most eloquent
speeches of the session. The question was
settled. Mr. Phelps was denominated eccen-
trio, and the assertion was made that he was
also brany. Some even went SO far as to call
him O singed cat and he rose in favor. He
soon took stand as one of the Republican
leaders, and he will again come to the front
as such tifis session. After his last session in
Congress- Mr.. Phelps ira yeed in Europe for
his health, and while there he was appointed
Minister to Austria by President Hayes. He
returned from Vienna several years ago, and
since then has been living in his elegant resi-
dence in the New Jersey suburbs of New
York Mr.. Phelps is very wealthy and I am
told he is to be classed with the millionaires
of Congress. He is native OF New York,
and is a graduate of Yale College He is
very proud of his family and about year
ago, in connection with his brother, he
lies buried i'll Switzerland, having been exiled
there for assisting in the trial of Charles 1.
of England.