Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-11
VICE At THE CAPITAL
HaBy Legislators Harely Tempfed-New
!Aenib RS OF sbiiI'y, Systematically
suubb ID, srs qusnlg Driven
BY Chsgrin to tffs solece OF The Wins
Cap and the Gambling
fsbie
zEhic go Herald.

l E]6hic 4go Herald.
! Wxss7oN, Jan. 2.-There Is no de-
lying the unwelcome fact that, as at pres
ent constituted and governed, the House
of Representatives is no longer the au-
spicious ampnithea.er wherein to acquire
! oraloricsl lsurels or attain even fairly
elevated niche IN the pantheon Of national
/ fame. There was q time wnen the new
member was hedged with species Ct d.
public eye, social and political, snd there
tOre, if he were possessed OF the reason
able accomplishments Of elCqueIca, il
| sd ton to the attributes Of Industry and
| intelligence, he experienced bnt little
difficulty in attaining eminence and secur-
ing foothold from which to ascend to q
higher altitude IN public estimation.
Though there are Congresses and Con
fgrrsses,th general average is rarely dis
sfurbed, SO far as ability, personal worth
#snd the elements of distinction are con-
cerned. Instances are by no means rare,
0owever, IN the history of Congressional
Ife at Washingt on, where the most brill
liant minds have been clouded and repu-
satioGs ruined by indulgence in the
wire cup, pursuit of ficble fortune at the
gaming ts0le, or participation in other
vices That attend the "sllent crimes of
capitals" Almf st every Congress has
it's victims In those who falter and fall by
the Wayefde into the slough OF despond,
As F7eii Senator'S, rs Representatives, land.
Sad to relate, there is. no Giminuti0n of
the record.
1t is asserted by the philosophers VINO
diagnose public events and it is by no
meaps denied in interested quarters that
10 small proportion OF Congressional for
Wardness snd dissipation originates from
re chsgrin and annoyance consequent
UPON failure to press to the front rank.
especially with new members who haFes
not acquired the amount of patience nee
| essary 20 tarTy until their parliamentary
beard is grown. Tie Congressional tyro
comes to Washington pregnant with high
intentions and hopeful Of great results
The eyes OF his constituents are upon
him and he Is likewise confronted with
he Jealousy or malice of the competitors
from whom he has snatched the victories
OF nomination and election. Enem ca
look hopefully for the fall of their Luci-
fer, to the end that they msy administer
upon his political estste. Possibly the
newcomer may secure the crown
Of success, but the probabilities
are against such contamination
The case of Senator Riddle oerger eo5
Virginia, presents fsir sample of roalfng
he Ssyphian stone in the forumeM the
Senate. Surnamed the "Gamecos9 Of the
Shenandoah Valley" very Rupert or
the post-bs Hum hustings OF ths sncien4
commonwealth, Harry Riddleberger Yes
precIpitated into the Senate like a meteor
falling from the political heavensSe He
asd hardly been settled in his chair before
the suspicion d&wned upon his mind that
the atmosphere of that pretorlan body
vas by no means so iuspiriliDp as that
permeating and invigoratioe the Virginia
nils and valleys. Upon fitting opportu
nifty, he essayed a speech and became
>elf-disgusted at his own failure, His
friends Vsinly sought TO comfort him with
juleps ana cocktails, but the Virginia pro-
totype of Gsllus could go no further than
protest that speech at the CROSSROADS
and speech in the Senste chamber W. re
essentially different commodities, and
hat the cold, unimpsssioned presence OF
bis colleagues, and the Indifferent atten-
ton Of the galleries frCz3 the very mar
row in his rhetorical bones.
Four years haye passed and yet the Vir-
GINA Senator has never fully recovered
| his splomo. The Senatorial array, Re-
puolicsn'as well as Democrat, has lost no
opportunity to sit down on him. The
valley bred gamecOck, nevertheless, con-
tinues to make #. quent rushes with wing
and spur only TO be beaten off, and with
the expiration Of the Fiftieth Congress
Mr. Riddleberger surreuders to ex-Con-
gresham Barbour and will retire minus 8
single leaf OF laurel binding his senatorial
brow. And yet he is maa above the
average in both intelligence and educs-
ton, cnivalric end kind-hearted, even if
conVivially inclined. "Rlc dlebergeI is
not s bad fellow" observed On old Sena-
tor. "We were obliged to cut his comb
just little because he was too fresh."
This tells the Riddleberger story.
; All Legislative bodies boast their useful
me- mbers, their bright members, their
oflclous members and their stupid
members. TIE first class is that
| which by well directed efforts contributed
to the usefulness law mekjng. The
bright Glass comprises the fluent takers
The rhetoricians who play the part OF
action in nicely &c iusted sentences of
praise Or co6demI a ION The Cificious
CLAsS IS 'HSl WHICH OoIeCtS Gnu ENTERPRISES,
eppar antly weGd7d to the idol Of p1teciole
from which there IS no exception to vary
the rule. Tie stupid category EN- oraess
those who exhibit little if any interess in
affairs, and who are necessarily cQH6ens
10 trust to others to perform duties of
which they are mentally aud physically
incapable. The Senate and House can
easily be scheduled by the cognocenti
under these respective heads.
"Tne average new membrr has hard
road to travel" observed Congressional
| freshman to coterie CT colleagues re-
Gently gathered together in the House
| pestoffice, which establishment is q
fsvorite rendezvous for comparison OF
| ideEs and the confessional among the
membership. 81 have been a member of
both bran ches Of our state Legislature, q
delegate to siate and nation 81 conven-
lions, sDd on one occasion was accorded
the honor of placing Presidential candi-
date in nomination, for which efort re-
ceiyed endless smconiums, At home I
am reckoned among the flrst-class orators
| was chosen to the Fiftieth Congress,