Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-06-01
Bill Nye Sees the Capital.

W nile l sat IN tne cNdiT L ucdIu
man. who seemed TO he in about the
third chair from me, saying that GER
tain bill numbered so and so has been
referred to a certain committee and
would undoubtedly be reported favor
ably. If so. il would in its regular or
der come up for discussion and reach
vote Soaud so. was charmed with
the mans knowledge Of the condition
of affairs in both houses and the exact
status Of al threatened legislation.
because | always have 10 stop and
think a good while before | can tell
whether bill originates on the floor
of the House or in the rotunda.
could not see this man, but |
Judged that he was a Senator or Ser
geant at-Aims. He talked for some
time about the condition Of national
affairs. and finally some one said some
thing about evolution. | was perfect
ly wrapped up in what he was saying,
and remember distinctly how he re-
ferred 10 Herbert Spencer's definition
OF evolution a a change from iEdefi-
mite incoherent homogeneity 10 def
mite coherent hettrogeneity through
continuous diirerentiations and inte-
grations.
When ! rose from my chair and
looked over that way saw that the
gentleman who had been talking on
the condition of Congressional legisla
ton was "A colored hotel porter of
Washington. who was getting shaved
in the third chair, and the man who
was discussing the merits Of evolution
was the colored man who was shay
ing him.
Here in Washington the colored
man has the air Ci one wEoiS holding
up one corner Of the great national
structure. Whether he is opening
your soft-boiled eggs for you in the
morning, or putting bay rum on your
nose, or checking your umbrella, or
brushing you with n wilted whisk
broom, his thoughts are mostly upon
national affairs He Is naturally an
imitator wherever he goes, and this.
old resident of Washington has
watched and studied the air and Ian
guage of eminent statesmen SO care
fully that when he goes forth in the
morning with his whitewashing port
folio on his arm. he walks like Sena-
tor Evarts or John James lngaIls.
saw colorod man at perpendicular
lunch at the depot yesterday, and cy-
identity the veteran Georgia Senator
i his model, for he cut his cusiard pie
into large rectangular hunks and
pushed it back behind his glottis with
II case-knife after which he drew in IA
saucerful Of tea with loud and vio-
lent Ways-and- Mcans-Comrnittee re.
port which reminded me Of the noise
made by an unwearied cyclone trying
TO suck cisiern dry. ! think that
the colored man exaggerated the imi-
tation somewhat. but he was evident
lv striving TO assume the table man
ncrs of Senator Brown, Of Georgia.
For this reason, if for no other,
members Of the Cabinet, Senators,
Representatives, Judges and heads of
departments cannot be too careful in
their daily walk and conversation.
Unconsciously they are moulding the
customs, and manners and the styles
Of dress which are TO become the Gus
toms and manners and the dress Of
whole race. If could today take
our statesmen all apart, not so much
for the purpose Of examining their
works but so that we could be alone
and talk this matter over by ourselves,
/ would strive in my poor, weak, fall
tering way TO impress upon them the
awful responsibility which rests upon
them not only a. polite and fluent
conversationalistS, classical and court
eous debaters, speaking pieces for the
benefit of future conventions, OF re-
ferring 10 each other n liars, tailOrs,
thieves. deserters. bummers, beats
and great moral abscesses on the body
polite; rehearsing campaign speeches
in Congress At all expense OF so per
dav each. and meantime Obstructing
wholesome tariff legislation, but as
the conservators Of etiquette, states
manship and morality for race OF
people the great responsibility Tor
whose welfare still rests upon us as n
nation.
Only the day before yesterday saw
a thin, wiry and colored gentleman
paving around in an ash barrel for
something, and waited 10 see what
he was after. He resurrected sad
and detected plug hat, and though 1t
was not half 30 good a. the one he
wore, he seemed very much pleased
with il and put il on. | yentured TO
ask him why he had done 30 without
his appearance, and he
said that for long time he had been
looking for hat which would height
en- the resemblance which people had
often noticed and remarked in days
gone by, both in person, sab, and
general carriage, walk and conversa-
ton, sab. also in the matter Of clear
cut and logical life sentences, a. exist
ing between himself. sah, and Senator
Evarts, sah. He.believed that he had
struck it, sah.