The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-05

or statesman.
Plumbis not drinking man, but l
have, 6iseoEsred that hes1las one little
weelszess It is champagne. There Is
no nanincongzess1ncre fond OF eharn-
payne than he. .Ckaaapagne Is bis PAN
acea. Whenhe9ices not fesi5 just right,
mentally or physiea1iy. he slips down to
the senate restaurant. orders a quart
bottle Of the:beet, lot Of cracked ice
and bottlseof batte-s and enjoys him
self all alone. ':Hs.sB the only man /
ever knfsw who .habitually drinks bit
terB with champagne. With or without
bis favorite tipple Senator Plumb is one
of the quickest, most independent and
forcible men in the senate. Els self re-
lance, his bauntness., his habat Of hoeing
his own row without much care what
this man or that man is going to think
Of him, make him one Of the most inter
esting of our public character.
Senator Edmunds has the reputation
Of being about theugliest customer in the
senate. In sharp debate he certainly is
formidable antagonist. Edmunds does
not drink champagne-old whisky or
brandy being good enough for hin; and
when he has had three or four nips, and
has reached the stage IN which he ap-
pears to be asleep in his chair, or if
awake, preoccupied with twfddhng his
fingers, then he is most dangerous. Then
he is most likely to thrust himself into
debate in which no one had fancied he
was taking any interest, and with his ter
ribls sarcasm, his merciless ridioule, con-
found his opponent and convu1se his
hearers. But Edmunds does not do this
out Of malice He does it simply for the
fun of the thing, simply for the sport of
impaling his victim and holding him up
for few moments before the fire. Then,
as if satisfied with himself and all the
world, the rigor relapses, his stern old
face breaks into smiles, and he settles
himself still further down in his seat to
hear and enjoy his antagonist rejoinder.
No matter how savage or personal this
may be it is all the same to Edmunds.
Even illusions to the three or four
drinks of old whisky which he is sup
posed to have taken before making his
onslaught do not ruff1e his calm exte-
rior. He has had his fun, and he is per-
fectly willing now to let some one else
have fun with him. And after it is all
over there is no ranking in his heart.
His eyes twinkle as merrily as ever, and
at the first opportunity he will shake
hands with his late combatant and ask
him to go down stairs for few moments.
One of the frankest senators is Mr..
Farwell, Of Illinois. Senator Farwell
makes fraDness one Of the rules of his
life. He has fewer secrets than any
other successful politician. 81 find it
pays in the long rum" he says. ''Once
in while get into some sort of trouble
by being frank with everybody, but l
know that ones confdenceis not so like
ly to be abused if he makes it rule to
be frank and open, as if he has the habit
Of concealment of thoughts and facts.
Logan used to tell me that didn't know
any more about keeping a secret than
woman, and not half SO much as a GER
tain woman he knew, and told me over
and over again that | would never
amount to anything in politics If didn't
learn how TO keep my mouth closed. But
I have been doing business this way all
my life, and it is too late for me to start
in now and try to change my habits"
The senator who has the driest and
most delicious sort Of humor, when he
is humorous at all, is Mr. Blair People
who are not aware that Mr.. Blair is
good deal of a joker in his quiet, digni-
fed way do not know him. A few
days ago the legislative, judicial and
executive appropriation bill was under
consideration in the senate. There had
been some talk about the employment
Of needless number of men in the
senate stables Mr. Blair astonished the
senate by rising and remarking, when
the paragraph containing appropriation
for the senate stables was read, that he
had been informed the number of hos
tiers employed in the stables was greater
than the number Of horses kept there.
An hour or two later Mr.. Blair again
rose and solen1nly said:
"Nr. President, find I was mistaken
in q statement which I made a short
time ago concerning the senate stables
and the number of men employed there
in. 1t was not my wish to overstate the
facts. l think senators viii agree with
me that am as careful about my state
ment Of facts usually as any senator
here. l very much regret that should
have been nTisled into making before the
senate a statement which was not accu-
rate, which was. IN fact, exaggerated.
The most | can 90 Is to offer a correction
here and now, and an apology as well
Having stated so the senate that l had
understood, en- what seemed to be credi-
bio authority, that the number Of hos
tiers in the senate stables exceeded the
number of horses kept there, now wish
to Withdraw that exaggerated and mac
curate statement and to substitute for
it this: The member of hestlezs employed
in the senate stables exactly equals the
number Of horses kept theTe-one hostler
to each boss" WALTER WEILHAN.
Silver jewel boxes are distinctly the
!