The Progress., 1893-11-11

Der of days during which l did count it i,
fair to say that he engaged the attention OF
the senate, to a greater or less extent. gen
| eXaggerate when / say that on at least
500 of these occasions some one laughed out
right when Mr.. Stewart arose. Sometimes
this laughter was on the floor, sometimes
in the galleries. but more frequently in
both places together. As a rule Mr.. Stew
art was as serious and as solemn as a man
well could be, and yet the people laughed
They did not laugh at what he said, but at
him, for the veteran senator from Nevada.
wise as he always is, and sometimes elo-
quent, has had the misfortune to fall into
that rut in the regard and estimation of
his fellow senators and the occupants of
the galleries in which everything he does
sseems funny.
Possibly the fact that Mr.. Stewart rcsem-
bles Pantaloon or Santa Claus or King
Lear, as ones fancy may dictate has had
something to do with the general merri-
ment which accompanies his appearance in
the debate. He cannot help looking like
Pantaloon, Lear or Santa Claus any more
than he can help saying, "Mr. President, -
and starting off on speech at every oppor-
tunity. Neither of these things is his fault.
but his misfortune, and misfortune it sure
ly is, for nothing more surely weakens a
statesman's influence in the body wherein
he sits than to be always greeted with tit
ters whenever he rises to speak.
Senator Stewart has been an actor in
many exciting scenes of this long debate.
One day he told Senator Dolph of Oregon,
who is fond of nagging the senator from
Nevada, that he Oolph) did not know what
he was talking about. On another occa-
sion he told Senator Palmer of Illinois, who
is also exceedingly fond Of addressing the
senate, that if Mr.. Palmer could not talk
sense he had better not talk at all, where
upon Senator Palmer rejoined that the SEN
ator from Nevada did more than his share
of the talking but that what he said was
principally wind
Out of Order.
Senator Palmer had an unfortunate habit
of becoming involved in little controversies
with other senator's. Once he went too far
and was promptly called to order. 1t was
during the long speech of Mr.. Allen, when
Mr.. Palmer interjected some remarks and
of the delay and the inability
Of the senate to reach a vote, speaking of
certain senator's who made long speeches
simply for the purpose of obstruction. A
number of senators asked the Illinois sage
TO be more specific in his allegations, and
Senator Palmer, nothing loath, promptly
replied that the senator from Nebraska,
Mr.. Allen, for instance"-whereupon Mr..
Palmer was called to order and required to
AXE his seat. 1t was charged that he had
violated the rules of the senate in thus
making a charge against the good faith of
another senator. There was long debate
about the matter, in which Mr. Palmer's
colleague from Illinois, though a Repub-
ican. endeavored to excuse the offender.
Finally Mr.. Palmer made what could be
as an apology. and the subject
vas dropped.
There was an interesting controversy be-
ween Senators Butler and Hill, in which
he former was also called to order and re-
Iuired TO take his seat while the objection
Ible words were read by the official re-
'orter Mr.. Butler. in his fiery way, had