The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-25
Speaker Reed Believed to be on the
Road That Leadeth to De-
struction.
Legislators Relax Their Patriotic
Work and Tell Some Very
Good Stories.
McMillin's Funny story-Monarch OF the
Brutes-Judgs Culberson's Little
Tale.

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son. Some sit languidly at their desks and
listen abstractedly to discussions over items
in appropriation bills. The screens in the
rear of the last row of seats have been re-
moved to allow free circulation of air.
There are, also, screens in the windows of
the cloak room. The four doors leading to
the speakers lobby are left open, and the
of the house is warmed by
breezes which come up the Potomac and
sweep over the hot city. Some of the men,
bers promenade the back of the hall and
solace themselves with cigars. Others cit
in cane chairs around lemonade and water
coolers, and speculate upon their political
Many good stories are retailed.
Benton McMillin, Of Tennessee, told one
the other day which created much merri-
ment. 1t was concerning a prominent can
didate for the legislature many years ago.
He had given up his business as saddler
to enter the political field. He had arrived
at the conclusion that he was statesman
and that the people were in need Of his
services. His voice was heard in every
hamlet in the mountains and in every town
and village. He paid particular attention
to the farmers.
They were oyertaxed and he insisted that
they should be relieved from their burdens.
He wanted the dog-tax repealed and the tax
on land reduced. Railroad freights were
too high and something should be done to
he tickled the ears of the agriculturists.
At all times he waxed eloquent. In
some cases he overdid the matter. He
had read ancient and modern history, but
he rarely glanced at newspaper. As to
the living news of the day he knew COM
paratively little. One night he appeared in
town of several thousand inhabitants. Its
opera house was packed with listeners. The
speech was made while the Beecher- Tilton
trial was agitating the country. A daily
newspaper was printed in the town, and the
people were we'll versed In the news of the
day. The orator, as usual began to descant
upon agricultural grievances. He went
from one proposition to another until his
listeners became tired. His eloquence was
wasted. They understood his object and
were disposed to chaff him. Finally one
man, with q stentorian voice, shouted:
''What we want to know, and know explio
lily, is how you stand on this Beecher-Til-
ton business"
For an instant the orator was nonplussed.
He knew no more about the matter than an
Ashantee chief. He felt that critical mo-
ment in his career had arrived. 1t was nec-
essary that an answer should be made, and
ing himself to his full height he calmly
surveyed his audience, and then said:
II have not thorouahly studied the ques-
tion, but think if the people want it, they
ought to be allowed to have IT."
The answer brought down the house but
the orator failed to secure seat in the leg
islature. lssY :.
Not long ago Hon. Asher G. Caruth made
the tn e house. sa fhe thermometer was up
among the nineties and the atmosphere
very muggy. Indignant Mr.. Struble, OF
Iowa, had given Speaker Reed a dressing
Struble is 9 republican representing the
denomination. It had been lost. hs
Thought, because he had failed to secure 9
public building for Sioux City. The bill
had been left hanging by the eyelids with
thirty-five others for several weeks. The
speaker gave no one an opportunity to call
serving his fourth term in congress
Under democratic administration his public
building bill had passed both houses, and
twice been vetoed by President Cleveland.
He had evidently assured his constituent
that things would be different under re.
| publican administration.
Mr.. Caruth in his speech sympathizes
with Mr.. Struble. He said that he though
the attack upon the speaker, however. wa
unWarranted coming from the republican
side of the house. He dubbed Tom Reet
the Alexander Selkirk of American politics
The speaker could say: Il
II am monarch of all I survey,
| My right there is none to dispute, sr
From the canter all round to the sea,
am lord OF the fowl and the brute"
4 The house roared with laughter. Th
term ..brute'' seemed to suit its palate. Il
was in committee of the whole. Th
speaker stood near the door of his lobb
with twinkling eyes and an open mouth
He did not smile. Some time afterward
member asked him what he thought o
Caruth's speech.
"Well," he drawled in his broad Yanke
accent, II am trying to obliRe my friend
on that side. have been charged with al
suming almost every prominent characte
in ancient and modern history. have bee
called Caesar, and Charles the First, an
Cromwell, Danton and Robespierre. Blu
now this man Caruth accuses me of being
Robinson Crusoe. It's too much. cam
be Cesar and Robinson CrusOe, or
Charles the First and Cromwell, or Dar
ton and Robespierre all at the same tim,
Let INV democratic friends settle upon som
character and I'll be in better shape
Some time ago democrat received cliy
: ping from Texas paper. 1t alleged thi
; Roger @. Mills, in one of his speeches OF
there, had said that if Speaker Reed was j
, hell he would count the democrats in til
house to make quorum. A democrat
member showed the slip to the speake
With grave dignity MI. Reed replied: I'M
, Mills Is right. Why shouldn't count then
! If they weren't there they'd be ON the way.
One of the ahlest men in the house
!. Judge David B. Culberson, of Texas. Thel
il nothing snowy about hmm. He is q quie
dignified man. with heavy brow, broa
shoulders and great intellectual capacit
Occasionally he visits the cloak-room. III
j, other day he entered it while while sever
democratic members were commenting ul
ON the havoc made by the Farmer1s ALLAN,
; in the south. Information had Just bee
! received Of the defeat of we'll known COZ
eressman seeking a denomination. He hs
done everything that could be done to pl,
: cate the alliance early in the season. He ha
, joined it and swallowed its sub-treasul
Z scheme. He even went step further. e
|. introduced bill as far ahead OF the suI
: treasury scheme in extravagance A. tn
scheme II ahead Of the stsonesst protsoti'