New-York tribune., 1886-05-30
CONGRESSIONAL NICK-N1 MES.

CONGRESSIONHL AICn- " Il >UL
APT CHARACTERlZATIONSO OF PUBLIC MEN.
rtyoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSEi
WAsHINGToN, May 29.-Outsidc the pre-
cjncts OF school there is place, suppose. where
nick-names are mole literally aud may say moro ap-
propriately bestowed than in Congress. Otcn tis
acetious member who In the OF debate Will call
colleague by that will cling to him ever after
Moro frequently, however it is in tho reporters gal
lery that the successful nickname is coined physi-
cal pecuarltv In q man, hobbey OF his, perhaps,
or manner OF talking will suggest the 'namc by which
he is to be known to the opposition press
OF to tho world at large. The nickname
is not by any intended as reproaeh always on
the contrary apt to designate very frequently the
good qualities most prominent in public man. Thus
John Sherman is known as Honest John Sherman"
Edmunds as st. Jerome" Judge Kelley rs Protection
Kelley" etc Among those whose outward appearance
has suggested for them is Congressman Barnes
OF Georgia, who is known as Brsr Terrapn, because
Of his ample pouch. his jolly ways and general dis
inclination to move about In the XLVlllth
Congress there WAS Beford, OF Colorado.
whose fiery locks and impetuous manner
demanding that the doors Of the Treasury be opened
earned for him the soDriquet Of Redheaded Rooster
OF the Rockies only instance, Ibeeve. on record
where "allterations artfu aid " WAS invoked to be-
stow nickname on Congressman. Everybody re-
members Weller. OF Iowa" Calamity Weller who
saw IN every measure ruin and disaster II he happened
dsapprove it, and that often so often In fact
that for his and happiness OF mind the con-
sttuerts Of his district decided to retain him
at home, instead of casting him adrift again
upon the turbulent waves of Congressional debate.
Then there Is Bill" Morrison. the Colonel the author
OF the horizontal tariff oil in the XLVIIIth
Congress- who has been known since as "Horzonal
Bill" Not far from him sits Iolman OF Indiana " The
Suns Candidate, ordinarily known " The Great OBJ
jector" by of his desire to object to everything
which he doesn't approve and which, therefore, he
thinks wicked hurtf and raught with danger to the
Republic. Senator Van Wyck IA known as Crazy
Horse" he shocks the dignity OF the Senate.
treads the toes OF people USuratiyely speakngl,
goes the warpat like the great Indian chief after
whom ne named. and scalps his adversares acain
using figure Of speech only, while he shreks with
delight and his hands through his hair which stands
on end like the name of Indian pony. HIS colleague
from Georgia. old jos Brown is frequently referred
to the senator from Alaska,a name given to him
by sarcastic Ingalls, In the OF famous de-
bate to which is not necessary perhaps to alluie fur
ther Tho senior Senator from Indiana goes By the
name OF the Tall Sycamore Of heWabash" though why
"DaD Voorhees, should ever have been named so is
thing able to find ont. The time when the
is lost apparently in tho miss OF Indiana
antiquity. One Of tho best fitting names given 10
Burlegh who represents the Whitehall N " District
in the House. II yon ever have seen him at work in
Washington the floor OF convention. any
where else for that matter will recognize the justice
OF calling him Perpetual Mot Burlegh." active
restless and energetic he. Ia Massachusetts they call
their sensors-and frivolous 1t Is for them 10 do it
-" Grandfather Hoar" ana "Grandmother Dawes" OF
"Our Own Evarts" everybody. OF course. has heard
And Vice.President Wilson is gone the title Of
"The Lone Fisherman" seems about to DO bestowed on
Senator Frye. of Maine account of his propensties
for fishing ard telling FISH stories. The
name OF Goal Oil Payne" is given
Senator Payne account Of his connection with thc
Standard Oil Company. Butler of South Carolina, hates
to be called Hamburg Bitlcr" but the
him spite the fact that he has denied all respon
bility for the Hamburg massacre "Whisperng Jimmy"
is the name by which General Ketcham. OF New
York. is known and he got 1t because OF a
habit he has of always whispering into every
body's car what he .aas to say. lie himself Is as
deaf adder and thinks everybody else is tho same
There Is certain class of men are nevor SPOKEN
OF Thomas, Richard Henry but always
as "Tom," "Dick" and Harry" Why this should be so
Is difficult TO say. some of them are certainly the
dignIhed men. and CIV OF them from
being iowa the well-met ellows the abbrev
name would indicate. But who ever heard the follow
yoornoes, Joe Brown, joe Hawiey. Jos" Biack-
Nick" Muller. Jack" Adams, Tim" Campbell.
Archie Bliss, "Tom Reed ABE Hewitt, " BIN
ScSi, neH T%wnshsRG sam Ea%d% Ben
There are other Josephs, and Tnomsses. and
woald. think Of calling them joe or Tom" or
BILL" or Dan; for instance, General J oseph
Wheeler. OF Alabama, or william - Kelley, OF PennsyE
wanna, Joseph Lyman OF Iowa There are few ick
names. however which ought not 10 omit 10 ment
There Is " Go Oh and Finish Your Ticket Spr ggs, or
"spriggs OF Utica, and everybody knows now lie got
those names. There Is Bonanza JONES', for Senator
Jones, OF Nevada but 1t is not so now as
was, for the Bonanza has gone, and only the Jones
mains 1t Is an old story how the present Minister at
COustaut.nOple got to be called "Slnset Cox from
writing glowing account of ct for paper he
was editing IN ONO Also how General Logan Is faDil
iary called " Black Jack from the color of his hair
and eyes aud swarthy complexion In Iowa yb ody
knows "IIenpepn Murphy" the Congressman whose
>
calls Congressman Lawler "Our FranE' McAdOO'
name il frequently pronounced 30 as to s0uni like
MikaiO." though there is the CHEST rcsemD
between the ruler of Japan AMI the statesman from
New-Jersey. klOiZ who sat IN the XLNIth
Congress- by the OF "-an la
kiotZ." he rotnnd and jolly
loOkiuo. Uestand. OF Pennsylvania, IA known as the
Du CHI II sh lin," because Is G. by descent
and In lie most uproarions fashion celebrated st.
Patrlck's / ay In the House last March