St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-19
ABOUT CONGRESSMAN.

Washington Post.
An epidemic of red necktieS seems to
have broken out in congress. Hitherto
Representative TownShend, of Illinois,
has basked alone in the gorgeous color
ing of a crimson bow, but now Repre-
sentativeS O'Neill, of Pennsylvania,
William Walter Phelps. of New Jersey,
and half dozen others appear on the
floor OF the house almost daily, adorned
with scarlet neckwear. There are many
Ongressmen, however, who do not affect
loud styles. Mr.. Bingham, of Pennsyl-
vapia for instance, would not be content
unless he wore light silk scarf, deli
cate both in texture and color, and Mr..
Anderson, OF Kansas, wears drab tie,
with an opal scarf pin. Mr.. McCOmaS,
OF Maryland, who is fOrty-tWO years of
age and does not look thirty-tO, COM
promises Oil scarf of red and black.
Many unique pins are worn. Mr.. Hemp
hill, of South Carolina, who, as chair
man of the district committee, is making
hosts of friends in Washington, wears,
for instance, a pretty gold pilot wheel,
with diamond pivot.
1t is interesting to observe the per-
sOnal peculiaritieS of congressman.
and warm weather, Representative
Sowden, of Pennsylvania, comes to the
capitol with broad eXpanse of shirt
bosom laid bare by lOw-cut vest, and a
white tie heightenS the effect. No one
ever saw him wear watch and chain.
Representative s'Tim" Campbell's white
necktie has long since passed into a
prOverb, with Representatives Buchan-
an,1 of New Jersey, and Crisp, of
Georgia, who always wear lOw-cut vests,
afford the eye some relief with black
ties. MIR. Springer's pet hobby is a
flower in the buttOn-hOle, carnatiOn
pink being his favorite. Representatives
Cutcheon, of Michigan, Baker of
New York, and Lyman, of Iowa,
are never without the little red-whi te-
and-blue button which atteSts their
membership in the Loyal Legion.
In the matter of clothes there is great
divergence from Judge Martin, of Texas,
with his long, ill-fitting coat, catelessly
tied old-fashiOned neckerchief and to-
baccO-stained shirt front, to ex-Gov.
Long, of Massachusetts,, who has no
one knows how many pairs of light
trousers and neatly-made, tight-fitting
fOur-buttOned cutaway coats, all bear
ing the stamp of good tailoring. Beriah
Wilkins, who has had some prominence
on the floor as the chairman of the
banking and currency committee. de-
lights in the ease of loose sack coat,
in the pockets of which he can place his
hands and parade up and down the
space in front of his desk, while Mr..
Belmont's spare figure is inclOsed in a
Prince Albert coat, which is always
buttoned, as becomes the dignity of the
chairman Of the foreign affairs COM
mittee.
of New York, who has had enough
journalistic experience to make him a
good congressman, has literally come to
the front in this congress. He now Oc-
cupies Gen. Spinola's seat in the first
row dirctly under the speaker. but he
amuSes himself most of the time with
reading papers. A good story is going
the rounds regarding him. He had eX-
pressed desire to meet Judge Martin,
of Texas. and in due course of time the
two gentlemen met. Mr.. Cummings was
friendly and cheerful, Mr.. Martin was
cold and reserved. He met the New
with mOnosyllableS. Finally MIR. Cum
mings gave it up. Later in the day one
OF his joking colleagues explained the
trouble to him. ''You see, Cummings"
he said, 1--WE told Martin that you were
"a buncO Steerer. He believed us, of
course, and we don't think that you.will
be able to get within forty feet of him
until you make him think otherwise
This same Mr.. Martin has had more
stories told about him since his advent
in Washington than any other member.
Everybody has read how he blew out the
gas at Wizards hotel one night, and
still more recently he has been charged
with declining to attend state receptions
because the dresses of the ladies were
entirely too low in the neck. Any rural
congressman, however, might be charged
with such resolve and plead guilty.
AS matter of fact those congressman
who have penetrated Judge Martins re-
serve find him to be good fellow at
heart, and with many excellent quail
ties. One of these congressman is Mr..
Vance, of the New Haven, Conn.,, dis
trict, genial, sunny New Englander.
His seat is near Martins, and the two
are now such intimate friends that all
OF Vance'S constituents are introduced
to Martin as matter of course. Mr..
Vance takes especial delight when
these introductions include an ex-Fed-
eral soldier. for Judge Martin was a
gallant officer and likes to talk over war
times with the men who were once his
enemies