The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-03-01
ORATORS IN CONGRESS.
Who Will Wear the Nantes Of Web
ster, Clay, Conkling and
Blaine.
Senator White, OF Louisiana. AL
most the Only Orator OF
the Senate.
rh.u.h wolcott. villas and HIN Come In
for Honorable Mention-As to
tho House.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2s.-Thsrs 10 . great
deal Of curiosity in Washington AZ to
whether there will be developed in the next
congress any statesmen Of great ability, or
sny orators of unusual brilliRncy. Those
who usually make a study of men OF this
kind declare that it must necessarily follow
that in future. men of talents, similar to
those of Blaine, Conklipg. Sumner. ingalls,.
and other men of great prominence in the
past, must develop. or this country will
suffer a dearth of statesmen Ii o%ratots.
In the present congress no man has dis
tineuished himself on any great issue. but
perhaps this may be due to the fact that an
occasion has not been given TO bring out
the talents OF some OF the members. OF
course, John Sherman 10 still considered =
great statesman. but as he has become an
old man. some one must be trained to take
his place in the republican ranks.
man who stands close to Sherman. in
point OF ability where Sherman has been
conspicuous. is Senator Allison. OF Iowa.
MIR, Allison, however. ia not a Sherman.
and when considered from every possible
standpoint, cannot be clsssed as the equal
of the Ohio man. Outside Of Senator VOL
colt, Of Colorado. there hos not been
brought into prominence in the senate, any
man of great oratorical ability, except Sen
ator White. Of Louisiana. In his peculiar
way, Senator Wolcott, has been listened to
upon several occasions when making
speeches. with a great deal Of pleasure by
some. To others, the peculiar vein OF sar-
casm running through Mr.. Wolcott's re-
marks has not been pleasant, for the Colo
rsdonn has been disposed to lash some men
in official life that he does not admire with
great impetuosity.
With Senator White. however. the case ls
different. He is n lawyer of distinguished
ability and q logical talker. and from the
speeches he has made in tho senate he has
DISPLAYED talents that in an oratorical sense
are considered extremely brilliant. 'lhe
first speech he made that attracted atten-
ton was upon a very dry topic. 1t was in
opposition TO the passage OF the antl-optlon
bill and it was delivered last July. Since
that time he has taken high rank as an
orator and successful debater. Senator
White said the other day that when be began
to lead the fight against the Washbn.n-
Hatch snti-option bill in the senate there
were only five votes against il. When the
final vote was taken he had twsnty-nine
votes in opposition and only forty were IN
favor OF it. T..
Senator Hill, of New York, has surprised
a great many people by some brief and very
LOGICAL little speeches shat be has made since
he came to the senate. He talks on nearly
every subject very much rs a successful
newspaper man would handle 1T when writ
ing for publication. His ideas are CON
Gensed, his sentences are plthy, and he
makes himself clearly understood, wher
desirots of becoming 30, on any question.
He 10 Us slippery as an eel, however, wher
it is not his purpose to put himself squarslN
on record. This fact has been made plain
to everybody who has heard the speeches OF
Hill IN financial questions. and pending
laws df this kind have been handled by him
both il md outside the enate chamber.
Senator Villas, of Wisconsin,. has taken
RANK among the leaders on the democratic
Substance his advent into the senate. He
has delivered several strong speeches, one
especially that reads we'll, which was deliv-
cred against the anti-option bill this winter
1t cannot be said. however. that Senator
Villas has a pleasant way IN delivering hls
idens, for his voice is not musical and he
has an abrupt way in presenting bis fncts
For a man who has served only II tern
in tbs senate, Senator Washburn, Of Min
nesota, is considered to have made a won
derfully successful fight in getting his anti
option bill passed in that branch, consider
ing the difficulties that he labored under tc
hold the senate in line at the fag end of thu
session, He made q record on the anti
option fight that will give him rank as one
of the strongest fighters on the republican
side.
During the Fifty-second congress the
lower house has developed very few thai
can be classed as statesmen. and, so far as
can be Judged, no men of oratorical abili-
ties. The peculiar talents of ouch men nj
e1-Speaker Reed are we'll known, but ht
stands head and shoulders above any man
on tho republican side. The democratic
side has been fru!tless in the DEVELOPMENT
of brilliant statesmen. The truth IS bott
the republicans and democrats are lackin,
in numbers, when it comes to CHASING
members OF ths house as being great states.
men. The next congress will bring SOM
new fishes. and there is a possibility tina
there will be developed some good tlmbei
on both sides Of the chamber. One man ii
coming back into that branch who will b.
received with both pleasure and fear. Thi'
is no less a person than Henry u. Blair, OF
New Hampshire. Mr.. Blair retired from
the senate at the close OF the fltty-1rat
congress. For several years he worried
the life. not only out OF his colleagues, but
the country as we'll, with MS educationa
bill. 1t can be said Of Blair, however, that
when not speaking on such q measure as
the educational bill, he ia not only a bril-,
liant but an entertaining orator, Some O
the brightest things ever listened to in TIT
senate have come i ON the lips of this sam,
Blair. He is sarcastic, brilliant. and
fighter of no mean ability. There is ~scarcel
u man who served with him in the senat
tina at some time or another does not re
member occasions when the sarcssm O
Blair was turned upon him. That the op
ponent of Blair usually got the worst @
such an exchange of courteeiss, goes with
out saying. Predictions are made that NJ
Blair will be one of the leaders or the re-
publican side of the house during til
Fifty-third session.
A Million Friends.
A friend in need is a friend indeed, an
not less than one million people have foun
.-AI .sa.A L. H. K...s.- A. IL.