The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-13

to the senate
Here he did not do as well as his friends
had expected, and Senator Jim Nye, of
Nevada, once said of him on the floor Of the
senate chamber, 1.-The senator from Cali
fornia in politics reminds me of a SQUAD
he is the biggest when first Matched" Sar-
gent served odt his term and then went to
Germany as the American minister, where
his breezy western manners or something
else offended old Emperor William, and his
recall was asked for. Sargent then re-
turned and stood for reelection TO the SEN
ate, and was defeated by Leland Stanford
Senator Stanford is in many respects the
greatest senator California ever had. Like
his late colleague, Senator Hearst, he rare
~ or never makes speech, but he exer-
cises a great deal of influence in quiet
way he is one of the most popular men
in the senate, and would be quite as pop
ular if he were the poorest instead of the
richest member of the body. When the
senators reassemble next December they
will sadly miss George Hearst, who was
also an exceedingly popular and unpreten-
tious man, and whose simple, quaint man
ners and romantic career made his one Of
the most interesting Of the scores Of inter
esting figures in the north end of the Cap
itol.
The two senators from Oregon to win
fame in the early days were Joseph Lane
and Colonel E. D. Baker. Old Joe Lane
was a Mexican war veteran from Ken
lucky, who went to Oregon just in time
to become involved in the 544 fight.
He was in the senate in the days of Pierce
and Buchanan, and was a tremendous
power in his time. Colonel Baker was a
warm friend of Abraham Lincoln's, and
was native of Lincoln's state of Illinois,
coming from q county which has given the
country many noted memo Daviess.
From this county came .. S. Grant, E.
B. Washburne, John A. Rawlins, Judge
Drummopd, Colonel Baker and many 9TH
ers Of national reputation. Baker was
killed at Balls Bluff, and his statue stands
in the Hall of Statuary in the Capitol He
was succeeded in the senate by Nesmith,
who won fame as the funny man of the
senate. It was Nesmith who, in an elo-
quent speech, gave TO literature that indy
| ing Characterization of the mule-'a crea-
ture without pride of ancestry or hope of
! posterity."
! Little Nevada has had some famous sena-
| tors, and still has Among the older
hangers on about the Capitol one may still
hear the echoes Of laughter over Jim Nye's
jokes. He sat for years at the right hand
of stately, dignified Charles Sumner, and
he was very fond of keeping up running
fire of comment in language which caused
the fastidious New Highlander to raise his
eyes in astonishment. Sumner, who was
the soul of p3:iteness, was often greatly
embarrassed by Nye's conversation, being
shocked almost beyond expression and yet
not wishing to show offense. Nye was a
sort of Falstaff of the Nineteenth century,
and everybody liked him. He had little or
no literary culture, and was not much bur-
dened with convictions. If he had any he
didn't trouble others with them. He would
rather raise a laugh than make a speech
any day. Horace Greeley once sat down
on the senator's new nat, and Nye, picking
up the crushed stovepipe, said gravely, Il
could have told you it wouldn't fit before
you tried it on"
The few speeches which he did make
were rather strings of anecdote than ar
guments on the question before the senate.
One of his stories was of the Irishman who
visited large city and the dogs took after
him. He tried to pick the paving stones
out of the street to stone the dogs, and
falling in this struck an attitude and ex-
claimed, "a dom foine country for liberty
where they turn the dogs loose and tie the
stones down."
Once Nye tried his hand at kite flying.
"The Goddess of Liberty" he exclaimed,
"has her home in the mountains of my
state of Nevada"
Quite solitary residence for the lady,"
remarked Senator Hendricks quietly.
This raised laugh at the expense of
Nevada, but Nye was equal to the emer-
gency.
Liberty" said he, "is a mountain
nymph; and when the flag goes down else
where, you will find it barricaded and pro-
tected in our mountain Businesses, where
our people inhale liberty unmingled with
the malaria of those unfortunate states
along the Ohio We breathe the pure air
of heaven, while in Indiana they have to
mix theirs with quinine and whisky"
Nye and Stewart came to the senate
about the same time, and were both from
New York, born within fifty miles of each
other. The former always called himself
Jim Nye, and liked to have others ad-
dress him in the same way. He was man
Of large frame and appetites, long, luxu
RANT hair prematurely whitened, a fat,
beardless face. He was known as the best
quick speaker in the senate. He had
Imagination, vivid description, flashes OF
wit and true Irish humor. One of the best
things he ever said was of Senator Sprague,
of Rhode Island, who is still living in Sc
clusion on his ancestral estates near New
port. Sprague had interrupted one of
Nye's flights of eloauence, whereupon the
Nevada man turned to his neighbors and
remarked loud enough TO be heard all over
the hall, 81 can't hit a canary bird like
that with a cannon ball"
Jones succeeded Nye, but Stewart has
held his place, with the exception of two
terms, from 1864 to the present time BotE
Stewart and Jones have made two or three
fortunes in their time, and probably they /
will both stay IN the senate as long as they /
live. 1t is a remarkable fact that the least (
populous and most UnImportant state in |
the Union, a mere handful Of people scat /
tered along the mountains and IN the val /
leys, sends 10 the senate TWO men who rank /
among the highest IN power and influence. !
Jones is a very rich man, and II he lives /
ten years will be one OF the richest men on 1
the coast Stewart has moderate for /
tune. of which he is taking very good care.
lie lives modestly, works hard, and is still |
almost rs energetic and forcetul as he was
in the days when he charged $50, 900 fees in 4
suits out in Nevada, for the very /
good reason that all a litigant had 70 do 10 1
win his case YVES to get Bill! Stewart On his (
SIDE ROBERT GRAVES
why Some Babies Are Swathed.
The closeswaddling and padding Of baby
is found, the more we consider it. to BE- The
fashion ar7oDy both civilized and barba-