St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-23
Men of Mark Forgotten Sooner
in Washington Than Al
most Anywhere Else.
A Word About Mason, Payson,
Henderson and Senator
Cockrell.
The Giants Who Put the Om-
nibus Bill Through the
Two Houses.


this afternoon, looking down from the
press gallery upon the scene below,
upon the floor Of the house. Every
two years, for the past quarter of a CEN
tury, almost, have been bidding good
bye to splendid fellows and making the
acquaintance of their successors. When
you like fellow once, don't you know,
it is not SO easy to like the fellow who
knocks him out or elbows him out OF
public life. That is the reason l don't
like to see an old congress go out and q
new congress come in. For example.
there is Knute Nelson, of Minnesota,
who has been here for half dozen
years. He's good fellow. and l don't
like to feel that he won't be here next
year, no matter how good fellow sue
ceeds him. Then. there is Ike Stephen
son, of Wisconsin; he's going, too.
Isaac is one of your genuine big
hearted, honest lumbermen. He
makes no pretense to great
learning, but he has superior Judgment
and good common sense. He and Knute
Nelson. like Frank LaWler, of Chicago.
are always good to the newspaper men.
Pm glad, by the way, that Frank
Lawler is reelected. Look at that
handsome blonde congressman from
Iowa, Mr.. Fuller. He is going out of
congress OIL the 4tf of March. So is
Anderson, Holmes and Weaver. Iowa
has sent good men here always. and l
hope the successors of these men will
be their equals. Happy Johnny O'Neill,
<<f erfn ,,f fnn tn
see johnny go. never called him out
for an item without getting something
good for print. Then there is red
headed, fiery, warm-hearteG Bob Vance,
of Connecticut. | don't want to lose
him, but he's going"
Turning to my friend, I asked: sHow
long Will these men and their influence
be remembered and felt?''
Judging from experience" he re-
sponded, ''they will be forgotten in
Washington on the 5th of March. Their
influence will never be felt at all. Who
ever now thinks of Garfield, Conkling,
Kirkwood, Stevens, Hill. or any of those
great giants who made these halls echo
and re-echo with wit, wisdom and ring
ing utterances of craftsmanship? Men
drop out of sight and out Of memory
faster here in Washington than any
where else i'll the country. Who stops
to think Of Col. Burnes, of Missouri?
Yet. only few weeks ago he was not
only a prominent figure on the floor, all
athlete, giant physically, but he was
the center an circumference of many
important pieces of legislation. No man
ever entered this house who was better
liked, yes. loved, than Col. Jim Burnes.
He was leading Democrat, yet the Re-
publicanS were his admirers and
friends. He was with radical Ben But
terworth when the paralytic stroke
came upon him. Every one liked him,
and all were anxious to receive his adj
vice and follow his leadership, es-
peciallyin the matter of appropriations.
But, who ever stops now to think of
Burnes? That one example will show
you how fast men drop out of memory
here"
"How is it over in the senate?"
s'Same case. You see the senate
manages to get along without Lamar,
Garland, Bayard. Blaine, Logan. Har-
Ian, Sumner. Douglas. and many others
whose names can readily be recalled.
Yet, within our own IifetimeS. those
men were leaders, and the country
seemed to think that without them ruin
would impend. In the next congress
we will get along without Bowen, of
Colorado; Salisbury. of Delaware; Palm
er, OF Michigan; Sabin, of Minnesota;
Chandler, of New HanIpshire: and Rid
dleberger, of Virginia. We will get
along without them, and yet they are
all eminent and able men, of whom any
state might be proud. Some of them
will come here occasionally: others will
reside permanently in Washington as
claim agents, using their privileges as
eX-members; still others will fade out OF
sight and out OF mind forever. | don't
like to see new congresses come in, be-
cause | have to see the old ones 20 out"
Billy Mason, of Chicago, is rotund,
Jolly. happy fellow, who knows every
body, and always greets his friends
with the most superb, effervescent good
humor. He never forgets name nor
face. With him it is not business, but
natural. He is the soul of goOd-fellow
ship. and I'll bet he was never doubled
up with dyspepsia in his.life. His jo-
vial nature detracts from his weight as
statesman. Sunset Cox has suffered
much from his exuberant witticism.
The happy soul is never accorded tnat
need of praise for solid wisdom which is
often possessed by some of our best
men. | remember having once heard
that brilliant Iowa editor and philos0-
pher, Hon. Sam Clark, of KeOkuk, say:
''It has taken years of painstaking,
heavy writing, for me to get rid OF the
sobrquet Funny Mr.. Clark started
out in journalism as funny writer,
and il took long time to convince the
papers of the state that [ could really
think sober thoughts" Yet Mr.. Clark
Is one of the most profound. scientific,
learned. careful writer's and thinkers in
Iowa. Billy Mason is strong man, but
he is regarded here principally as wit.
One of the best types of manhood on
the floor of the house of representatives
is Mr.. Payson. of Illinois. He is
happy medium between the good
natured fellow and the solid reaSoner.
He is man we'll versed in affairs. yet
always equpoised and pleasant. CD.
Henderson. of Iowa, is like him; only
Henderson is more genial and cheerful.
PaySon is oftener solemn; Henderson
is oftener smiling. Julius Caesar Bur-
rows, of Michigan, is happy medium.
too, between the extremes of statesman
ship and human nature.
Over in the senate, Mr.. CockreIl, of
Missouri, has a popularity which no
man else ever possessed. 1t is not
mannerlsm, either. 1t is his appear
ance. You have seen pictures of Brother
Jonathan, with his sharp features, long
chin whiskers and spectacles. Well,
Senator Coekrell is typical Brother
Jonathan. He looks for all the world
like the pictures we are accustomed to
see III caricatures. only he is hand
somer. And what a splendid, manly
friend he is, too. How he does bore into
a subject, like mole. He knows all
about legislation and all about the de-
partments, too. Cockrell is good man,
and able.
The most important legislation of the
Fiftieth congress, as the future will re-
cord 1t is thc admission of fnllr new