The Washington critic., 1886-07-23
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


William H. Barnum reminds Carpen-
Ter of the Cleveland Leader of a story
he heard not long ago in regard to Bar
NUNS first interview with William II.
English, which was published about
the time that English was made Vice
Presidential candidate on the ticket
with Hancock. The ground of Eng
lish's nomination lay solely in the fact
that he was supposed to have barrel,
and 1t was said that he would give
100000 to the campaign fund. Bar.
nun was, | think, chairman Of the
Democratic committee and he went
west to indianapolis to get acquainted
with English ana have talk with him.
Mr.. English invited Blrnum to his
house to dinner. They dined alone aud
had long chat about political matters.
Now, Barnum Is as close as clam and
he seldom gives anything to newspaper
men. He would say nothing about his
talk with English, and he took the train
out OF indianapolis shortly after it. On
this train he met an old friend. The
two took seats together, and Barnum
began at once to tell his friend his i'm
preston of Candidate English. He said
that he thought English a mighty mean
man, and that he had no confidence in
the report that he would give 100000
for the campaign. He went into details,
and described the conversation. He
told how English had danced
around the table at dinner waiting
upon it himself, and az the
story Is told me, Barnum said that
English acted as waiter because he
was too mean TO hire one. 1t hap.
pened that an INSCRIPTIONS short hand
reporter with newspaper instincts sat
in the seat just behind Barnum lie
took down the conversation word for
word as 1t was uttered, and the next
day 1t was published almost verbatim.
Since then Barnum has been shyer
than ever of ofnewspaper men, and when
he sits down for chat he looks care.
fully to see who are his neighbors.
~
The term of Senator Jones of
Florida ends with this Congress, says
Austin in the Memphis Acalanche. 1t
practically ended a year ago as far as
Jones was concerned, except as to
salary, for although he has not been
near his seat this session, he goes on
drawing his salary with promptness
and efficiency. There are number of
aspirants for his seat, for of course,
nobody expects that he will be re.
elected from Florida, at least. He is
credited with having an ambition of
coming to the Senate again, but from
some other State. 1t is understood
that Ex-Governor Boxham of Florida
has an ambition in that line. lie is a
man of considerable ability, of ex-
tremely pleasing presence, and would
be credit to the State. Governor
Perry, the present occupant of the
gubernatorial chair, is also mentioned
in this connection. He is younger
man than BloXham, very bright,
and is proving one of the best
gubernatorial officials that Florida
has had. 1t would not
be at all surprising to see him succeed
Jones. Mr.. Davidson, who has been n
decade the representative of the South
ern district of Florida in the House, Is
also spoken of as n possible, and per-
haps probable, candidate. Davidson is
n quiet, conscientious, hard working
Member of the House, and in the Senate
would be faithful representative of
the interests of the State
~.
Says the Washington correspondent
CT the Cincinnati TimeSpStdr: Gen
orally the members of the House do
not permit their personal animosities to
carry them quite so far as to resort to
force to settle their differences, but
such things have happened. And in
fact the wonder is that they do not
happen oftencr. Your average Con-
gresham is generally quartered in a
boarding house or hotel, aud fed upon
indigestible food until his stomach be-
comes so irritable that he is pretty
nearly an irresponsible creature Go
into the little toilet room just by the
House floor, where there is marble
fountain running hot and cold water,
and you will find Congressman
gathered around it swigging hot water
by the gallon TO try to fight off the
dyspepsia that gathers upon them in
spite of every effort. Not content with
this they have recently had an extra
heating apparatus put into this room,
so that they may have the water just
as hot as they can possibly drink it..
They are full of cranky notions about
their stomachs, and you may hear of
more dyspepsia cures which never
cure among them than in the most
promising doctors shop. Not only
are they the victims of dyspepsia, but
they sit in hot, badly ventilated room
in the hall of the House or Senate for
hours, until they are in an almost ire
sponsible condition. The halls of the
House and Senate are badly
ventilated, hot, iron rooms,
with hugo glass skylights,
through which the sun comes down
with terrific force, IF you hal q
dog that you cared anything for" said
Ben; Perley Poorc, the veteran corre-
spondent, talking OF this subject, "you
would not shut him up in an iron box
with glass cover and set him out in
the sun these hot days Aud yet this
is just the condition Of these House
and Senate chambers. They are merely
iron boxes with glass roofs, badly
ventilated and very uncomfortable gen
orally and the wonder is that m9mber,
stand it as well as they do"
81"
In a New York special to the Gin
cinnati EaQuiroy, Cath has mucl
that is interesting to say about tn
great SPECTATORS and money kings o
the day, OF which the following is N
excerpt; That youth is the only idea
time of life can be confirmed by Tho
fact that all our foremost Spectator.
were of literary beginning, ] hold II
my hand Jay Gould's history of Della