The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-29
OF GREAT MEMS F0IBLES.
WALTER WELLMAN WRITES ON AN
TERTAINING TOPIC.
Stories That win Interest n Number Of
:ac Men who Make Uncle Sans Laws mt
Ills Capital City, washington-The Citi-
sens Nickname Public Men.
Especial Correspondence

sens Nickname Public Men.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-lt strikes me
AS somewhat extraordinary that IN this
CITY of great men the little fcibles Of per
sons of note, their eccentricities and pc
culiarities, should be more talked about
than their abilities as statesmen or their
eloquonce as orators. Here. where IA
nous men are so plentiful rs to be almost
commonplace, there is an obvious general
effort to reduce their rank and impor-
lance In the popular mind. The demo
-cratic phase of Americanism cones for
chilly to the front, suggesting that though
Mr.. SO and 50 10 a great senator, or Mr..
Such and Such member Of the cabinet.
he is not so very much above the rest of
us after all 1t is not exactly that famil-
iarity breeds contempt. for, as "A rule, our
public men endure acquaintance surpris-
incIy well-but chat it begets, well, IA
miliarity. The average Washingtonian
has a habit of speaking Of the highest Of
licers Of the government in a familiar
way. The president Of the United States
is '.thc old man" The speaker of the
house is called tom" Reed.
Vice President Morton is not mention
ed as levi" for biblical names never
fostered nicknaming. but he is irrev,
erently referred to by the young persons
about the senate chamber as "the boss
In such an atmosphere rs this it is only
natural that the little things about big
men should be most in the popular mind.
There is fad here for undertaking, for
deprecating real craftsmanship. Respect
for that sort of thing is lef. 10 the prov
inces. The capital judges a man by his
house, his horses, his family standing in
society, his success in getting Offices for
his friends, and by a sort Of personal
standard that is not 50 much statesman.
ship or ability as it is force Of character.
individuality, some sort of picturesque
ness.
Take, for example, Chief Justice Full
Ter He is better known in Washington
for his short stature, his youthful face
and pleasing manners, than for his
ability as iurist. Senator Stanford, o.
California, the richest man in the senate
and one of the richest in the country, j.
more talked about in the capital as q
plain, democratic sort Of a man than NJ
senator or millionaire. In both OF these
cases the reputation is deserved. On q
street car on the Metropolitan line
which runs from the Capitol to the fash
ionable northwestern part Of the city, ]
saw both Stanford and Fuller one after
noon last week. The former was out on
the front platform. standing beside the
driver, and with that worthy carrying
on conversation about street car
horses. Senator Stanford is such lover
Of horses that he has curiosity abou,
them wherever he finds them, and the
street car horse, struggling along with
his load. is such an object Of interest t.
the millionaire that he often rides on
the front platform. or dash, as he has
learned to call it from the drivers, and
he has visited the car barns here two OF
three times The picture Of thrifty
millionaire and senator standing
alongside n car driver whose salary j.
Sl2 a week, carrying on a conversation
ike two equals, and with as much de
ference on the senator's part as on the
other mans, was one full of striking
contrast.
As if to emphasize the idea which J
have in mind, the chief justice jumped
up from his seat at the patent Office
corner and gave way to young lady.
who neglected to offer thanks for the
courtesy, and occupied the vacant space
as if by the right of conquest or divine
superiority, as | have no doubt many
young Lilies had done before. II was
lute obvious that she did not know the
white haired little man who had been so
Kind, and took keen delight, a moment
lr two later, in pointing out the chief
Justice TO a friend Of mine from New
York, and that in tones loud enough for
the young woman to oyerhear. The look
on her face. when she discovered she had
been rude TO the head Of the greatest
court in America, was worth watching.
The little chief Justice, all unconscious of
what was going on inside the car, had
taken upa standing position on the rear
platform. and was there talking about
the weather and some other things with
number of clerks from the pension
office and colored man who had CHANGED
to make some inquiry about the streets.
This is one Of the peculiarities Of the CHIEF