Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-07-20
THE HoKE SMITH STARE.

So much has been said and written
of the "Hoke Smith Stare" that the
term has become a familiar by-word
in Washington and often heard out
side of the Capitol city, without, in
most instance, an adequate or clear
understanding of either the origin or
use of the term. 1t is aptly defined
as certain expression of countenance
with which congressman have become
acquainted throug frequent visits to
the interior department. Hoke Smith
stands next to Bissell in the number
of callers he receives each day, and he
has a most expeditions way ofgetting
through business. He has way Of
greeting his visitors with smile, Civ.
ing them the benefit of the doubt until
he knows they are going to bore him.
Then he hastens 10 find out what their
business is and to dispose of it as
speedily as possible. BY being smiling
and courteous ON the start he opens
the way to get through the business
loss of time in suavity during tho rest
of the interview. If the case in hand
proves to be one he does not desire
to devote any of his valuable time to
the stare follows quietly in the wake
of the smile, and the individual star
ed at soon acquires an uncomfortable
feeling, which hastens his departure.
If the matters being pressed by the
visitor are of character to command
attention the stare is later in its ar
rival upon the mobile countenance of
Hoke, but in nine cases out of ten it
arrives sooner or later during the in
terview.
The stare has individuality, but no
character whatever, for it is mere
concentration of expressionlessness.
The only qualities it has are penetra-
ton and steadfastness. Yes, one 9TH
er quality, novelty. 1t is the oblitera-
ton of expression and an exodus Of
intelligence. 1t indicates an absolute
doneness. 1t is painful, and
gives the impression Of a
demand or an appeal for
something to be done. The only
time ever saw anything like it on
another countenance than Hoke
Smiths was in travelling through the
South. An old darky, black as coal,
with white hair and sparse white
whiskers on his chin, in the thread
bare broadcloth of house servant Of
ye time befo' de wo,' and high hat Of
the black of 40 years ago, stood look
ing into the windows Of the Pullman
while the train waited for half an hour
at junction. There were fifty young
darkies standing, begging and selling
berries, or dancing for money.
They were male and female, half.
clad heathens, and the most importu-
nate the holder of a cooper ever came
across. But the old man stood apart
from the rest, and they kept from him
a respectful distance. His dignity
was impenetrabie. He was too proud
to beg. He just stood there and
stared. For twenty minutes his face
never changed expression, or, rather,
never acquired any expression. This
sort of thing could not last. Every
man, woman and child in the car
we're in fidget, conscious Of some
thing radically wrong somewhere,
when one man broke the spell by q
donation, the act being universally fol-
lowed. Whether Hoke got the stare
from the darky or the darky from him
is not known. But it is known that
with the self same stare employed by
the old negro Hoke Smith cleans out
his room without giving other indica-
ton that he would like his visitors to