The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-03-25
SENATORIAL oRAroRY.
een-Pictares of n Few of the Men Whose
Voices Are Often Heard.

1t is safe to assert that few persons have
attended three consecutive sessions of the
Senate during this or the last Congress with
out hearing from Senator Beck, the horny
handed, big-brained member from Ken
lucky. have heard it said that by actual
count his speeches occupy as much space in
the Record as those of any other five Sena
sors combined-always excepting Ingalls,,
who talks for the sake of talking. Mr.. Beck
is not eloquent, nor is there any consider
able number of his listeners who can be
said to hang upon his words; still his
speeches bear the impress of hardy intel
lect and wide reading. When he rises to
speak he always has formidable array of
documents in his hand, but as he seldom
refers to them it is said that his object is to
dishearten the enemy by exhibiting his
strong Notifications. His voice is rather
monotonous, and his only gesture is q swing
ing, left-handed one, which is anything but
impressive.
Senator Edmunds is confessedly the ables,
civil lawyer in the Senate, but fancy that
he would cut poor figure before jury.
BE lacks nearly every attribute of eloquence.
His voice is so weak that the reporters can
with difficulty catch his words; his delivery
resembles that of q schoolboy, and the clos
est observer can seldom detect change in
his immobile face, no matter what may be
the tenor of his remarks. The Vermont
Senator's words look we'll ON paper, but
coming from his lips have q remarkably
soporiic influence. 1t is impossible to in
duce him to engage in o debate, for the
reason, rs many think, that he considers
himself SO vastly superior to his associates.
The standard authority on constitutional
questions is Senator Garland. With grace
of person, a brain full of ideas, q clear, ring
ing voice and forcible gestures, the Senator
from Arkansas ranks among the first speak
ers of the Senate.
1t is generally conceded that the two most
eloquent men in the higher branch of Con.
gress are Ingalls, and Vest. They are as diff
ferent in person as in their manners of clio.
quence. Ingalls,, tall angular, with silvery
voice, finely modulated and rare COM
mind of beautiful language, pleases the ear
while he convinces the mind. Vest, short,
with rounded shoulders which are almost
deformed, lacks the natural gifts of the
Senator from Kansas. His voice is ludi
orously thin, his gestures awkward, his per.
son unprepossessing but his fiery elo
quence browns these defects and carries the
mind of listeners along in its torrent. In.
gals is cold, polished, and seems to weigh
the effect of each word before uttering it.
Vest, hot, impatient and careless of the nice
distinction of words, makes language only
vent to his feelings. ingalls, is the Cicero
of the Senate, Vest the Demosthenes. Both
are men of cultivated intellect both some-
what of poets and both at times not at all
practical in their ideas of legislation. Sena-
tor Hawley is calm, business-like speaker
seldom grows excited, and shows eminently
practical ideas on the subjects he discus
ses. He is q ready debater and bitter par.
tisan.
. Tho most miserable-lo man in the
Senate is Allison, of Iowa, on whose face is
always observable look of ennui or dis
ton as Senator he had tho reputation of be-
ing brilliant and Woodworking man. His
peculiar domestic troubles during the past
few years have banished the light from his
eyes and much of the vigor from his intel
lect. Whenever he attends the sessions of
the Senate he spends most of his time sitting
quietly in his chair, with both hands in his
pockets, far-away look in his eyes and
general attitude of extreme weariness
Senators Coke and Morgan, though men
of recognized ability, are famous for their
skill in emptying the galleries and causing
general stampede even from the floor.
Like Edmund Burke, they can make able
speeches, but they have not the taste to
adopt them to the mental calibre of their
hearers.
When Mr.. Coke takes the floor q panic OF
once spreads through the galleries, members
suddenly recall engagements in the lobby
and in five minutes only half dozen devot.
cd friends are left to hear the columns OF
printed matter from which the Senator from
Texas usually reads his speeches His voice
Is q monotonous roar and his delivery the
perfection of dullness but doubt if the
words of any other Senator read better in
same description, though he is not quite so
long-winded and has weaker voice.
The bloody-shirt man from Maine, Sena-
tor Frye, is the bitterest-looking man in the
Senate nor do his looks belle his feelings.
He seems to hate everybody and everything
from the South and loses no occasion to in.
suit that much-traduced section. But, what
ever his faults and prejudices, he is certain
ly powerful talker. His mind is as cleaI
as rock-crystal, his diction rough but strong
and his voice can be heard distinctly in the
remotest nook of the lobby. He generally
keeps his left hand in his pocket while
speaking and when very excited he has
often been seen TO cram both hands into
the receptacles Of his breeches" Mr..
Frye's features wear continual .scowl,
which deepens as he grows warmer. He ia
the mouthpiece of tho few inveterate bloody.
shirt wavers of the Senate.
Senator Hoar is a master of good English,
though not at all forcibie in expressing it.
Mr.. Pendleton, Ohio's Democratic Sena-
tor, is not much given to talking, but he
can be eloquent in his quiet way. His words
Always excite interest on the Democratic
side ON account of his long connection and
prominence in that party, but the Republi
cans affect perfect Indifference to his opin.
ions. Mr.. Pendleton's Republican col
league, Senator Sherman, would make slight
impression on q popular audience. His
tall, ungainly figure, dog in the-manger ex-
preston and harsh voice would create O
prejudice against him at the outset. In the
Senate, however, he has attentive listeners.
His successful resumption of specie pay.
ments and generally wise administration Of
the Treasury Department while Secretary
mades him somewhat Of an ora Gle on ques
| lions of finance.
OF the Senatorial Joneses-two at present
md three in prospect-the man from Flori-
Ia alone raises his voice in the Capitol. His
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