Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-09-25
The Kansas Senatorial Team.

Washington Letter in indianapolis Journal
Kansas is at the present time the
strongest state IN the senate. Before
the war New York had the most dis
tinguished parsonage in that body,
but Massachusetts and Ohio contest
ed for the prihary-a position which
was captured by the Bay state when
Seward and Chase were taken into
LincOln's cabinet and Sumner was
left in his seat. A few years latter
Maine and New York were rivals for
the leadership, but the petulance of
COnkIing and the ambition and pop
ularity of Blaine removed them both
from the battlefield and Vermont was
left master of the situation. This
place the little green mountains tri-
angle held for many years, until the
lnfrmities of Mr.. MOrrell dImin-
ished his activity and the Kansas sen
atOrs forged to the front, where they
now attract more public attention and
probably have a greater influence on
Legislation than the two senators from
any other state.
To this result favorable conditions
cOnspire: They are most always IN
their seats. They possess unriValed
facility in debate. Like Dawes,
Hawley and Pierce, both ingalls, and
Plumb are editors, and to this fact
some will be inclined to attribute
their Outspoken frankness and untir-
ing industry, and their perfect COM
mand Of their resources. In fact,
the people who do not like them
think they are altogether too candid,
nd t,rvTvs
manner.
Plumb has grown several cubits
since 1 first saw him on the floor of
the senate, twelve pears ago. He was
then cOnspicuously raw, Intellectually
unkempt, with a vague knowledge Of
public affairs and a dangerous prom
ptness in exhibiting it. He had au-
daclty, a crude sIang-whanging meth
cd and large fund Of misinfOrma-
ton, and thus equipped he was ready
to pitch INTO any man on either side
Of the chamber. His method is still
somewhat rude, but he has grown to
be one of the most effective alI-arOUnd
debaters in the senate-the peer of
any. The secret of it is that he is a
most persistent student. He is an
OmnivOrOus reader. He will master
the contents Of almost any book in an
hour, and will assimilate its salient
facts in such a way that they are al
ways on tap. He does not memOrize
a bOOk-he absOrbs it. And he is
fond Of newspapers.
It is a little odd that Plumb-haIf
free-trader- should find a sensation
al crOney in Mr.. MOrrell, the veneer
able father of the Himalayan tariff Of
our days. But so it is As his wife
is never in Washington, he dimes with
''the dean of the senate" every Sun
day. The admiration, indeed, is car
ried so far that his youngest son is
named Justin S. Morrill, Plumb. The
absence OF his family also gives him
time for the ardent studies and mis-
ceLaneOus reading which equip him
for the motley discussions on the
floor. He Knows something Of value
concerning every subject that arises,
and frequently surprises the senate
and the country with a mass Of accur-
ate knowledge about matters which
do not belong to his committees and
are not In the line of his personal ex-
perIence or official studies.
1 know one other senator, at least,
who studies in the same way-stud1es
like a senior in his last college month
SpOORer of Wisconsin. Thoroughly
SOCIAL in his tendencies, he persistent
ly ignores the whole social life of
Washington and sticks to his little
back room, on the second floor, like a
hermit to his cell, his gas frequently
burning past midnight. He has a
scholarly temperament, and finds
pleasure IN getting to the bottom Of
things.