Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-23
ALadx Lawyer in washLngton

Joaquin Niiier ia Boston Jg0be.
She came with a whirr, a snap, cOnsc-
business and self-assertiOn that at once
was a sort Of challenge to battle. Oh. wO-
man. woman Don't you know that the
day YOU succeed in making q soldier of
yourself, you viii have to fight for every
inch Of ground you get, instead of having
the whole earth given YOU, as it is now
she ran around among the chairs and
tables and men. like a little speckled hen
that had lost her last little chicken.
Then she fluttered down beside the
clerk, slammed down some books and
saying, Il am here to make a speech this
morning" proceeded to UnrOll papers and
write luriOusly.
The committee was not vet in session,
and / I'm conversation with a member, in
cideutaliy remarked, that we had in early
days coined gold in Oregon. She shot up,
and not even deigning 10 look on nae, she
shouted: ''And that in the face of the con-
stitutiOn, which says, no state shall coin
money or issue bills Of credit" Then the
head dropped, the def hand flew, and the
pen ratified over the paper.
The chairman called to order, the lady
lawyer was at once on her feet, and shout
Ing out her purpose to be heard on the mo-
ment0Us Mormon question, on motion Of
some one fifteen minutes was allotted for
her speech. Catching up her books, bag
and manuscript, Fastening to the far end
Of the room, she took position Just under
the fox and rattlesnake and laying down
the papers she crossed her pretty hands
and looked at us TRANQUILITY, triumphant
iy, a long time, under her gOld-rimmed
glasses. This woman, famous in the an
nails of this city, standing there with
folded hands. under the ferOciOus fox of
Oregon, had it all her own way az once.
She was pretty to begin with. No bangs;
no friZZles; no fOOlishness at all in dress
or address. Her heavy gray hair was
cOmbed back III the old chaste fashion,
and showed a splendid brow and fine,
earnest face. All leaned forward and lis
tened eagerly as she began, and as she
went on for the first few minutes. Her
English, her articulation, her elocutiOn,
all seemed perfect. / doubt if any man
IN Congress could use better language or
use II with more grace and precision. For
the first fifteen minutes no man moved or
spoke. but at twenty minutes she began
10 fail, founder about, to bIuuder. She had
forgotten her piece. And then, poor dear,
she had undertaken to settle the whole
stupendOus Mormon question, the mOrali-
" and immortality Of 1t; to eXpOund the
constitution, compare Congress to King
George, all in tfteen minutes. No wonder
she got beyond her depth. Men got impa-
tient; they began to talk; some giggleG
as she scared and scared to her final an
ElCAis anu ssbb ~ AAA=n tAetb oAAG UiGllSl lLe
wax Of her wings and fell to the ground
there under the gentle Tattlesnake and the
fer0ciOus fox Of the far-Otf oregon. Evil
identity the old member, who had muttered
something not complimentary as she first
entered, was like myself, thinking OF old
Rome. For, as she gathered up her pa
pers after forty minutes OF able defense of
the Mormons, and fluttersd TO her seat, he
settled back and said to himself, "GTeat
Cesar
AS a faithful chronicler of unique
things here at our cOuntry's capital, l am
free to admit that there are many men,
myself among the number, who could not
have made, To save their lives, such a
speech! The only real trouble about il
all was in not knowing when to stop. At
the end Of twenty-five minutes the chair
man had to call her to order. She, woman
like, wanted TO have the last word. She
was allowed five minutes more, and took
fifteen to end.