The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-30

81 - --AlF+f'A - Will fAu ~ Ng44N
and tell me how you liked it, Iremem-
Der that debate very well. Such scene
have never since witnessed in the senate.
The chamber was so full It would have
been impossible 10 crowd another man or
woman into It, / say woman because IN
those DAYS thcladies Of the senators were
admitted % the floor, chairs being placed
for them between the desks. On this
day they were crowded in so thick that
in going in front Of some Of the ladies ]
stepped on the toe Of a senator's wife
and hurt her corn 50 that she cried aloud
in pain. All the people IN that part OF
hall looked around at her and at me, and
you may imagine how sorry | was, and
what an impression the incident made
on my mind. ] must have hurt the poor
woman dreadfuily, for whenever went
near her during the day she looked al
me reproachfully, and there was an ex-
preston Of pain on her face; but she
would not leave the hall while Mr. Web
ster was speaking, nor did any one else.
OF course / was not old enough to DO a
Judge Of oratory, but 1t seems TO mo ]
have never heard such speaking since.
Il was in the senate all that winter
and the next December Mr.. Webster
took me on his lap one day and asked
me how would like to be page. That
was about the happiest moment of my
life, but l remember that | made great
effort and tried not 10 appear too eager
At that time there was but one page IN
tho senate, and Mr.. Webster had some
difficulty in convincing the other sena-
tors that another one was needed. lie
told them a page was needed on each
side Of the hall, one for the Wing sena-
tors and one for the Democrats, and fin
ally carried his point. The pay Of page
was then $50 day, and some of the
senator's thought it little extrayagant
TO hire another, but finally yielded Now
we have sixteen pages at S2.50 q day, be-
sides the private secretaries for each
senator -
Then you are not 50 very old, after
ALP
"No, am not as old as look That
Is on account Of my gray hair / am
only G9, and expect to stay in the senate
at least ten or a dozen years yet, unless
they turn me out | don't believe they
will if | behave myself, and | am now
too old TO learn any new tricks. Ny haiI
has been gray a good many years, and
blame Mr.. Webster for that One even.
ing about dark, while ! was still a page,
he called me 10 him in the senate and
told me to get q carriage for him. vent
out and looked al around for q carriage.
but there was not one in sight. There
were not so many carriages Ia Washing
ton then as there are now. / went down
to Pennsylvania avenue. bat not q car
riage could see. So | went back and
said: Dir. Webster, | can't find a car
RACE anywhere. lie raised bis two arms
high in the cir, looked at me in an awful
way, took hold of my shoulders and
gave me q shove which nearly sent me
oil my feet. Go and get me a carriage
he Numbered, and don't show your face
~ me again unless you have one, even ii
you have to 90 10 Georgetown for it.
ran away, crying, as fast as my little
legs could carry me. l was never 80
frightened in my life, and have always
believed that fright FASTENED the turning
OF my hair. =.
"iow do the senator's Of the present
Compare with the great men who were
here when you were a boyY
"Wel, it IS not right for me TO make /
comparisons. | make il rule never 10 /
say anything about senators. But | can /
say that there has been a change in the !
manners of our public men. They used /
TO be more dignified and courtly than I.
they are now. Perhaps we had greater |
senators in those days--it seems so 70 /
me-but we have two or three now who /
would compare favorably with the best |
OF them. think Senators sherman and |
Edmunds arc more like the old time 1
senator's. Dir. Calhoun was like Web |
ster, in that lie WIS sometimes very
cross and at other times very affection. /
ate. Andrew johnson was one of the 1
most uniformly kind and considerate men /
we ever had in the senate. So was Dir. /
Conkling, Notwithstanding his general /
reputation for austerity | never saw
Mr. Conkling anything but polite and
courteous 20 everybody, and he was
particularly 50 in his demeanor to-
ward tho employees Of the sen.
ate. In ms book Of "reminiscences
| mean 10. do justice to Mr. Conkling
Mr.. Toomba wa3 another senator used
TO DO a little afrind OF, though, Of course,
| was o man grown when he came b the
senate. think the most sensational
incident / ever saw IN the senate was
when at the outbreak OF the civil
war sGr Toonahz inpe hia aynl' wildly