The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-16
A NEW STEERING COMMITTEE.
A Sort of Senatorial Cabinet which Is ia
Have Charge of Southern Affairs.


Sort of Senatorial Cabinet which Is ia
Have Charge of Southern Affairs,
Washington Letter in New York World.
Through mutual suggestion there has been es
tablished in the Senate Southern Advisory
Board, whose business it is to confer with Pres.
ident-elect Cleveland upon all matters relating
to the South. The selection of this committee
is for the purpose Of simplifying matters. 1t
embraces the representative elements of the
South, and will doubtless save much time to the
President-elect. This committee, have heard
from confidential source, is made up Of the
following senators: Lamar, of Mississippi; Cock
rell, of Missouri; Harris, of Tennessee; Vance,
OF North Carolina, and Coke, of Texas.
Lamar is the head of the committee. He has
himself been given to understand that he could
enter the Cabinet if he wished Hehas no desire
to leave the Senate, as has been stated before in
this correspondence. His physical health would
not permit his Undertaking the labor of any Cab
met position. He is obliged at the present time
to avoid everything in the way of excitement
lie, through his great knowledge of public
affairs and his excellent Judgment, has gradually
grown into the position of general counsellor to
his party in the South. His advice is not always
followed, but there are few men in tile
South who would undertake any political act Of
Importance without consulting with him. His
health does not permit the amount of reading
which has hitherto occupied the leisure of his
studious life. He therefore gives up more OF
his time to talking with his friends than he has
upon First street he is nearly always surround.
ed by crowd He wraps himself up in a red
Oriental dressing gown, and with black silk
mandarin shoes upon his feet for slippers, this
eccentric looking man will sit as a teacher at
the head of a class in political philosophy was
in his room one day last winter when there were
number of Mississippians about him. The Sem
ator sat with great name of hair falling thickly
across his face, nearly hiding it, twisting his
fierce long mustache as the lower part of his
face sank down into his long beard He sal
listening and talking to those about him until
the room darkened Suddenly the ESenator
paused in the midst of his discourse, jumped UP
and said ''Why, really, gentlemen,
you must excuse me. have engaged
to dine. have only. twenty minutes to
dress and get up town." He began tearing Oft
his red dressng-gown as he flew across the roona
and disappeared behind a curtain which inclose6
a recess opening into his front parlor. In ex-
actiy six minutes by the watch the Senator re-
turned in full evening dress, and with the sim
negro servant to light the gas so that the COM
pany could inspect him In his resplendent attire
and see if ne would pass muster
The shrewdest member of the committee iS
Cockrell His common sense amounts almost to
genius. He was one of the most successful cav
airy officers in the confederacy. He fought fair
ly and honorably during the war, and when il
was over he accepted its results without quea3
ton He has never asked Congress to removG
his political disabilities.
Senator Harris, the third member gf 1870
visory board, is over sixty years of/age He
like Cockrel was bred and educFsed in his ma
tive State of Tennessee. He has had large ex-
perience in public life. He was member Of
Congress at one of the most stirring periods Of
our history--in l849-and was re- elected in 1851.
He was figure in the debates of that period
which res ulted after his retirement in the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise by Congress. He is
a man of slight figure. and of medium height
He is quito round shouldered. His face Is regu-
lar featured, and smooth shayen, with the ex-
ception Of long white mustaehe, which he
wakes in military fashion. During the war he
served upon the staff of the Confederate COM
mander of the Army of the Tennessee. He is q
man of moderate means
Senator Coke is man of enormous figure.
Everything about him appears to have beer con-
structed upon large scale. He is very large
boned and these large bones are thickly covered
with great layers of flesh. His hands are thickly
covered with hair, and he has to struggle with a
razor to keep space clean around his eyes and
mouth. His great beard and his enormous shock
of hair are still dark brown in color, almost I'M
touched with gray, although he is in his fifty
sixth year. He was in the Confederate army,
but not as a leader He is one of the few South
ern men in public life to day who entered the
Confederate army as a private. He rose to the
rank of captain he is a man of intense con-
victions, with a very high sense of per-
sonal honor, and an extraordinary sense
of his own personal dignity He has a strong
hold upon the confidence of his people. He was
elected judge of the State Supreme Court Of
Texas in 1866 and was removed therefrom by
General Sheridan as IAN impediment to recon
struction.' This one act made Coke Governor in
1873. He was elected then by majority Of
5000O and was re elected by majority Of
LOG, 200. He has been in the Senate ever since.
Re is not an orator who is appreciated in the
Senate, his voice is the roar of the giant that
he is. Yet his Democratic associates are fond Of
him, and have great respect for his Judgment
Senator Vance is a tall, shambling-f figured,
carelessly- dressed man, in his fifty fifth year.
He was born in North Carolina, and educated in
that State and Tennessee He was a colonel in
the Confederate service. He has round, full
head, set low upon short, thick neck. 1t ia
surmounted by mass of straight, iron-gray
hair. His red, fat, doube-chinned face is smooth,
shaven, with the exception of thick mcustache.
He is lawyer by profession. and has a great
local reputation as a wag. He is what is called
an alleged humorist. His style of wit and
humor is much better appreciated however.
upon the stump than in the Senate. To do him
full justice though, it should be said that he
makes few efforts in that direction in the Senate
He is the least important of the FIVE senators.
1t is his geographical situation which gives him
Importance as a counsellor
Mustn't Annoy Mr.. Cooper.