Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-04-24
The Statesmen who Talk.
orsome ofshs congregational

Peeultarattes or some of The Congressional
Dsbatsrs.
Ewashington Letter to the Baltimore Americana
The London Truth has bsen amusing itself
and its readers by noting come of the pecu-
1iarities of prominent men in public life in
England. The great men in this country
have their peculiarities as we'll as those of
other countries An hour in tie House viii
demonstrate that fact to any close observer.
For instance, Ii is NOT an uncommon thing to
see member of the House. while in his seat,
scratch his head, clean and pare his nails,
ran his hands through his hair, tickle his ear
with feather, or do any other absent-minded
trifls which might seem out OF place else
where Reagan, of Texas. for instance, the
x-Postmaster-G General of ths Confederac7, is
never at his best unless he has short string,
with the ends tied together, with which he
may employ his hands, pulling and twisting
and working it after the ''cat's cradle" FASH
ion IF he does not have the string, his next
choice is some loose pieces of paper, which he
tears into bits, scattering them about until
the floor in his vicinity looks as though a sort
of blizzard had struck it. Hewitt of New
York, has q queer habit of crossing his legs
when he talks. He usually gets into the aisle
between two seats, and putting his hands on
a desk on each side of him, crosses his legs
as he stands When he gets warmed up he
can stand with his legs crossed, without hold
ing on TO the desk. Judge Kelley, who Is the
central figure on the Republican side, does
not talk much nowadays. He Is getting pref
ty old, and recognizes this fact. The last
time he made set speech IN the House he
began by saying that he did not know wheth-
er or not his strength would be sufficient to
carry him through. He has a wonderfully
strong voice for one of his slight physique,
and can make himself heard in every corner
of the great hail ssTom" Reed, of Maine,
who sits near Kelley, has very incisive man
ner, and is probably as much at home on his
feet as any other man in the House. He is never
furrisd. He is not an orator, and Goes not
indulge much in gestures when he speaks;
but his antagonist ia usually glad when ne sits j
down. He has way of saying cutting things,
and can be severe as well as witty, when oc-
casion requires. Frank Hurd, of Ohio, has
a curious manner Of dinging his arms out at
right angles with his body, giving him the
appearance of hying-machine. He walks
with cane usurlly, one leg being CONSIDER
ably shorter than its fellow, and finds dlh-
Guilty in standing without it on any occasion
than that of speech-makiDR. When he gets
warmed up in his spssch, however, he forgets
cane and leg and everything else and the
way his arms fly is a caution to those within
reach of them Holman, 1.-THE objector, sell
dom strikes out from the shoulder in making
his gestures, as do most orators. Nearly all
his gestures are simply by the motion OF the
hand, or at least of the arm, from the elbow
down. He has very funny way of checking
up his sentences, spectacles in hand, with
chopping motion of the right hand, which is
rather amusing to the observer but quite an
noying to the gentleman who wants to get
little bill through and cannot because or Hol-
mans 5'obiection.
Hewitt of Alabama, is queer-lookiDg
man at best, but when he is making speech
he certainly presents very peculiar appear
anoe. He has way of pinching sp h1s hands
as if it were half full of salt, and of stretch
ing it out, in making gestures. as il he were
trying to drop some salt on the birds tail,
and of then drawing it back quickly as If his
fingers had been pricked. Gen. Tom
Browne, of Indiana, never began speech in
his life unless both hands were rammed down
in his breeohes pockets, and he never takes
more than one of them out at a s1me for pur-
poses of gesticulation- Bu it Is the great
est and only Bedford who has the MOST par
ticular way of his own in addressing the
House. He was never known to stand by his
own desk. He always takes possession of the
aisle adjoining, and sometimes he traverses
two or three aisles in the course of his re-
marks. Belford uses arms, logs, lungs, coatr
tails, and, in fact, every available adjunct to
oratory; nd thus it is, perhaps, that he at
tracts SO much attention. II has oftsn bean
remarked that his speeches sound much bet
ter than they read. In the Senate there are
quito az many PARTICULARS, com PaFStATely1 as
in the House. A visitor to the gallery of the
Senate may often hear the rafting of a bunch
of keys on ths floor. He may then be sure
that either Ben Harrison, of Indiana, or Sen
ator Hoar, of Massachusetts, are sitting quiet
ly in their seats Both of these gentlemen
seem to be best able to unlock their thoughts
by rafting their keys in a listless way. Sen
ator Grooms of Maryland, has great way
of whirling his chair around so that his back
is to ward the presiding officer;thus he will sit
and read or talk, or ponder for half an hour
at time Senator Ransom, handsome man,
by the way, turns his chair sideways and keeps
his eye on the ladies' gallery. Senator Saw
yer, of Wisconsin, presses his rotund figure
against the door-j smb and drums on the sides
of the walls when he is heBitating between
his duties on the floor and comforts in the
cloak-room. Logan is kept pretty busy soms-
times pushing his raevn hair back out of his
eyes, and Edmunds, when occupying the
chair and in the slow progress of a dull de-
bate, trims his nails to keep from going to
sleep, and then scarcely succeeds.