Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-05-29
THE STATESMEN WHO TALK.
PecuIiAritles of Some of the Congress
sional Debaters.

Ane LpuUOn ruin mas Deen anus
ing itself and readers by noting some
of the peculiarities of prominent men
in public life in England. The great
men in this country have their peculi-
arities as well as those in other coun-
tries. An hour in the House win
demonstrate that fact to any clos on
server. For instance, it is not IN un.
common thing to see a member Of
the House, while in his seat. scratch
his head, clean and pare his nails run
his hands through his hair, tickle his
ear with feather. or do any other
discontinued trife which might
seem out of place elsewhere. REAGAN.
of Texas, for instance, the ex Post
master General of the Confederacy.
is never at his best unless he has a
short string, with the ends tied to-
gether, with which he may employ
his hands, pulling and twisting and
working it after the cat's-cradle"
fashion. If he does not have the
string, his next choice is some loose
pieces of paper which ne tears INTO
bits, scattering them about him until
the floor in his vicinity looks as
though sort of blizzard had struck
it, Hewitt, of New York, has a queer
habit Of crossing his legs when he
talks. He usually gets into am aisle
between the seats. and, putting his
hands on desk at each side of him,
crosses his legs as he stands When
he gets warmed up he can stand with
his legs crossed without holding on to
the desk. Judge Kelly, who is the
central figure on the Republican
side, does not talk much nova
days He is getting pretty
old, and recognizes this fact The last
time he made a set speech in the house
he began by saying that he did not
know whether or not his strength
would be sufficient to carry him
through. He has wonderfully strong
voice for one of his slight physique,
and can make himself heard in every
corner of the great hall tom"
Reed, of Maine, who sits near Kelley,
has very inclsive manner, and is
probably as much at home on his feet
as any other man in the h.use He
is never Hurried. He is not an orator
and does not indulge much in gestures
when he speaks; but his antagonist is
usually glad when he sits down. He
has a way Of saying cutting things,
and can be severe as well as witty
when occasion requires. Frank Hurd,
of Ohio, has a curious manner of
Ringing his arms out at right angles
with his body, giving him the appear
ance of flying machine. He walks
with a cane usually, one leg being
considerably shorter than its fellow,
and finds difficulty in standing with
out it ON any other occasion than that
of speeeh-maling. When he gets
warmed up in his speech, however, he
forgets cane and leg and everything
else, and the way his arms fly is
caution to those within reach of
them. Holman, ''the objector,n sell
dom strikes out from the shoulder in
making his gestures. as do most ora
tors. Nearly all his gestures are
simply by the motion OF his hand, or
at least of ise arm, from the elbow
down. He has very funny way of
checking up his sentences, sPectacles IN
hand, with a choppIng motion Of the
right hand, which is rather amusing
to the observer, but quiet annoying
to the sentleEDan who want to get
little bill through aud cannot because
of Holman's objection"
Hewitt, Of Alabama is a queer-look
ing man at best, but when he is MAX
ing a speech he certainly presents a
very peculiar appearance. He has
way of pinchiug up his hand as if it
were half full OF salt, and of stretch
ing it out in making gestures, as if
he were trying to drop some of the
salt on the birds tail, and of then
drawing it back quickly as if his
fingers had been pricRed General
Tom Brown, of Indiana, never began
a speech in his life unless both hands
were rammed down in his breeches
pockets, and he never takes more
than one of them out at time for
purpose OF gesticulatiOn But it is
the greatest and only Bedford who has
the most particular way of his own in
addressing the House He was never
known TO staud by his own desk. He
always takes possession of the aisle
adjoining, and sometimes he traverse5
two or three aisles in the course of his
remarks. Bedford uses arms, legs,
lungs coat tails, and, in fact, every
available adjunct to oratory and thus
1t is, perhaps, that he attracts so much
attention. 1t has so often been re
marked that his speeches sound
much better tsan they read. In the
Senate there are quite as many peculi-
aritjes, comparatively, as in the
Hosse A visitor to the gallery of
the Senate may often hear the rat
ding Of bunch OF keys on the floor.
He may be sure that either Ben. Har-
rison, of Indiana, or Senator Hoar, Of
Massachusetts, are sitting entirely IN
their seats Both of these gentlemen
seem TO be best able to unlock their
thoughts by rafting their keys in a
listless way. Senator Groome, OF
Maryland, has a great way of whirl-
ing his chair around so that his back
is toward the presiding officer; thus
he will sit and read or talk, or ponder
for half an hour at a time. Senator
Ransom, a handsome man, by the
way Turns his chair sideways and