The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-05
AMONG TIE SENATORS.
WALTER WEllMkftS" LETTER FRCA
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
M. Cockren. OF Missouri, the Watchdog
Of the SenaAo-aaaat0s Butler and His
smiIs-senzEOs Plumb Q Good Fighter.
Senators FaRweN and BIa6x.
tSpeciaa Correspead6aoa.l

Especial Coeresre1d6aoAl
WASHINGTON, July In the senate
we find mountaineering supsssatiEes and
contrasts. Senator CockreH, Of Missouri,
is the greatest nagger In the body. Hs
does love TO quibbfe over tenas and def,
nitions and details. Once Cockren gets
after brother senator look out for
war of words lasting whole afternoon.
The Missourian is as sisr6 as cat for
opportunities to display his peculiar
abilities. He has already become known
as the watchdog of the senate. When
an appropriation bill comes up he makes
a thorough study of it, and it is perfect
bill indeed in which Mr. CocNeu can
not find something to cTfsicise. He has
a way Of making things exceedingly IN
comfortable for the senator who may be
in charge of the bill, and who is, there
fore, looked to for explanations One of
Senator Cockrells peculiarities is that
he does not care whom he attacks. Be
his victim a Republican or one of his
fellow Democrats it is all the same to
him.
4hO IOA1, OL4nJ ni1dI y idCou, SI14A
voiced senator from Missouri is the fin
est example in congress of the genuine
old fashioned controversialist He would
rather have a word war any day than
sit down to feast He is good fighter,
too, for he never fails to give fair play.
He always yields for question, and
never permits himself to take any ad-
vantage of his opponents. He will be
stopped right in the midst Of a sentence
to answer question which is designed
to puzzle him, and if the question be-
comes an argument he does not object,
but waits patiently for the end. Then
he resumes as if nothing had happened.
It is said about the senate chamber that
if Cockrell makes a speech and no one
interrupts him he is disappointed. Like
the true controversialist that he is, an
absence Of questions and close fighting
renders him positively unhappy.
Senator Cockrel is also the most ex-
citable man in the senate. He is the Joe
Cannon of the north end of the Capitol
His gestures are studies in gymnastics.
His sharp voice scars and scars and ex-
hibits marvellous degrees of shrillness in
the effort to reach emphasis. Like Can
non he has habit Of shaking his fingers
nearly Off, and of approaching as near to
self decapitation as is prudent. In de-
bate he is flint from whom fire can
always be struck, but in committee
room he is said to be one Of the mildest
and most pleasant of men. This shows
courage, for man who will fight like
tiger in the publicity Of the chamber,
where the shorthand man is putting his
words in the record Of congress, where
the public eye is upon him and where a
score of veteran debaters and shrewd old
lawyers are waiting for chance to take
his hide off, must have courage of no
common quality. Many senator's are
totally different from Coclrell in this.
They are mild hammered or silent in the
senate chamber, where the risks are
great, but in the seclusion Of the COM
mittee rooms they become quarrelsome,
severe, sarcastic and controversial. What
they do and say there rarely reaches the
public ear, and there is less danger Of
being caught up and jacketed by one
of the veterans.
There is no doubt of Senator Cook
rells courage. He comes from family
noted for its courage and its recklessness.
One Of tho senator's brothers was dare
devil cayalryman in the Confederate
service, q man who was fond of mount
ing his horse and taking his life in his
hands. Another brother started wrong
as youth. and became one Of the des-
perste men Of Texas. He was just such
a fi~ht.r WITH gums as his senatorial
brother il with words. Jack Cockren
killed about dozen men who fell under
his displeasure or reused his ugly temper
before fate overlook him For year or
two it was his boast thai the sheriff or
marshal did not live who could take
him, bat tall, awkward Yankee ten
derfoot who dIifted into Texas and be-
came marshal of ono Of the frontier
towns undertook the job. Cocren
whipped out his gun and opened fire.,
and IN few minutes was rddled with
bullets.
There Is one senator whom Cockren
fears Senator Butler and Senator Cock
rel, though now COED friends, viii prob
ably fight q dnel some day. They sit
side by side. Whenever Cochrell gets
UP to make speech, which is as often
as he can gain recognition of the presid-
ing officer. Butler turns his chair around
looks Cockre1 straight In the eye and
smiles Occasionally he laughs outright,
and his laughter always comes at the
moment in which CockTell ia most seri-
GUS and earnest When Cockren walks
I'D and down behind his desk, shaking
his fists and rolling up his sleeves now
and then as II he were going to fight
6sticufS rather than with phrases, But
Ier's glee knows no bounds To good
natlued and popular Senator Butler
speech by Cookrel Is comedy. 1t Is an
amusing spectacle which me nsveT misses
if he is anywhere about the Capitol.
Not only does he smile to himself, but he
il so much amused that he wants TO
share his delight with others, and by
turning I'd Vest, I'd Gorhaxn, to VOORHEES,
and even 10 sober Old Reagan, the South
Carolini2a often manages 20 get up a
wave OF SniIas and filters at the expense
Of tho passionate and energetic orator
from ST Loais Some day or other, the
observing 022os are predicting, Cookren
VII lose his temper, turn on his smiling
toI-man1er and maks scene that VIII go
down 70 passaIity IN the annals OF the
senate.
Senator Plumb is another good fight
CT. He Is oao OF the few frank, blunt