The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-15
BRAINS TELL, NOT SIZE.
Great Men of Small Bodies Who
Have Carved Their Names
in History.
Little Giants OF Public Life Who
are Heard II Not
Seen.
Interesting Gossip About some Of the Best
Known Members Of the Fifty
First Congress.

!
| Especial Correspondence of THE INDEPENDENT.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9.-Henry Ward Beech
er used to make an algebraical equation be
tween bowels and fame and make the ia
vorite declaration that all great men had
what the Germans call bauck and the Anglo
Saxons termed paunch. The men who could
eat beefsteak and digest it at ia sitting
in Mr.. Beecher's opinion. had the elements
of greatness in him, though he never
achieved fame. This was once a popular
notion about our representatives in public
life. Daniel Webster Cooked vast" Clay
was ''luminously tall" Benton "stood 9
giant" and Calhoun walked king of
men according to their contemporary adj
mirers. They were perhaps all they seem
ed in physical appearance. And since their
day many of our public idols have been
blessed with stature and size of which
Apollo might be proud. Yet all the while,
great men of small bodies have run Their
pace and taken their niche in the political
valhalla. There was Douglass, who was
precisely one foot shorter than his rival,
Mr.. Lincoln. There was Aleck Stephens,
who never weighed hundred. Gen. Grant
vas not so tall as Caesar, who was small
nan, and JamesK. Polk was so thin and
small his tailors threatened to pad his
rouse rs.
The smallest man now in congress is
|ohn Henry Mccarthy. He weighs but
| ,inety-eight pounds and is four feet nine
| als He studied law under James Z.
! 3rady and has been a member of the legis-
allure and civil justice in New York City
or several years. McCarthy's seat is way
low, int 1,x,t he rail tho
peaker's desk. yet he never seems able to
latch the speakers eye. He has done little
Turing his first term, but in voting or spoil
ng quorum by leaving the house he is as
zig AS anybody. He is a genial, quick
sitted politician and likely to stay in the
'mong the little men in congress-
$ Uncle Charley O'Neill, of Phila-
lelphia, who, since the death of Judge
Kelley and Samuel j. Randall, is the '.fath-
n of the house." The boys in the press
gallery long ago dubbed him the ''chicka-
,obs up and down when he speaks. From
he waist up Uncle Charley is as big as any
body, and his face is quite massive and inn
losing. He goes smooth shaven, and looks
lot unlike James Buchanan, whom he re-
emhles also in being Pennsylvania and
bachelor in whom the ladies delight. He
8 nearly 10 years old, and has been a men,
Der of thirteen congresses sitting almost
continuously for the Second Pennsylvania
district since 1863 The only break in that
ong period of public service was in 1871.
shen he WAS not returned for one term.
Vleing with Mccarthy and O'Neill is
General Joe Wheeler of Alabama, who is so
yer passed through West Point. He is not
My short, but slender and wasted although
o is one of the most restless and hard
'orking men in Washington. He was
confederate brigadier at "a, and at % was in
ommand Of an army corps and one of the
amous cavalrymen of the war. His move
lents now as he darts back and forth,
ancing up to make short snappy speech
which his words tumble over each other
their rapid utterance. are now much diff
erent from what they were in 1854 when
9 was harassing Sherman's TANKS and
eating and twisting railroad rails around
be trees to cut of the enemy's COMMUNE
alton. No member is more popular than
len. Wheeler, and he gets what he wants
sually, even from Speaker Reed. He
axes large interest in the material vel
are of the south, and is very thoroughly
cqusinted with her natural resources, es-
ecially with those of his own state, where
9 has large landed interests, and is every,
here accepted as a millionaire. He is still
comparatively young man, Gfty-two and
as undoubtedly many years to devote to
ae upbuilding of the new south. This is
is third congress.
Another notable small man who is in the
ront rank is Billy Mason, of Illinois. He
ninks he resembles Stephen A. Douglas,
nd some of his admirers already call him
ae Little Giant, jr." The smallest thing
bout Mason is his height. He weighs 2l5
ounds. He wears his hair in shaggy mass
nd his broad, good-natured face is as
Cattaraugus county, New York, but was
rouRht up in Iowa where he studied short
and and became very fair stenographer.
% read law and was admitted in Des
ioines. In 1872 he went to Chicago and
as practiced there since. His speeches take
ke pancakes in logging camp, and bales
pon bales Of them are shipped over the
ountry every campaign
One OF the Iightest weights physically, in
ne house is r. NJ. La Toilette. Of Wiscon-
n. His intellectuale, as with these other
otable men, vary, however, inversely as
is stature and weight. He is member of
le ways and means committee, the most
otential thirteen men in all Christendom,
I'D ne Is the youngest man ever appointed
that committee with the single exception
the Ohio Napoleon, Major Mckinley.
no was few months younger than La
GILLETTE when he first served ON the WAYS
i'd means. La Toilette was born in a log
0use in Wisconsin in 1855, and has risen
his eminence by faithful work. he is a
sen lawyer and good representative.
ajor Mckinley said the other day that
a Toilette had written more Of the new
riff bill than any other man on the com |
ittee, which is doubtless the case. for Che
useless toll of the little Wisconsin mem
sr night and day is proverbial fact |
ound the house.
Over in the senate there are good many
q men who could not.see far over five
,ot fence. There is Vest, of Missouri, |
hose neck and body seemed joined by |
afer. He always looks as if he would like |
stand up in chair when he speaks, as !
ugene Hale, another senator. who sits
ross the aisle, always does in republican
ational conventions. Vest talks like q |
aife and is dreaded in debate. Another
,rmidable little man in the senate is the |
hartman of the republican national COM
ittee. Matthew Quay. He looks like a |
ipper little dry goods clerk as he slips |
bout with his five foot six of stature But |
naller than Quay is Ed. Wolcoft, the new
EnatOr from the dome of the continent. |
Is big round plump face hardly rises |
,oye his desk. where he lounges and lis
ns through the long interminable debates. |
But the champion lightweight of the sen
10 ID the gentleman that Roscoe Conklin |
ice alluded to as Little Evar.s with his |
pew0rm." His head ON his diminutiye |
,nre d as much ont Of place az the dome
the capitol would be on a r0sebush. The |
10 old Roman countenance that tops out |
. little broadcloth bag of bones seems in |
omentary danger of tumbling Of and fall
z to the noor. A lady in the gallery one
p when Mr.. Evarts first entered the sem
9 was eager to see the great man. He was |
10 fore finger Of his right hand. He looks |
q and aVful aitfpuu 6n-~ Dro.n~xv- n.