The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-29
OKLAHOMA soLoNs REMINISCENT

! To the Editor Of the Eagla.
The coed ship of Legislation provided
for us by the United States was launched
here seventeen days ago, and having,
for ten days or more, drifUed aimlessly
about in this harbor without captain or
pilot, has had her sails trimmed at last
and is now well ont on the open sea of
politics, though still in sight of land
She is not yet making much Roadway
however, owing IN part to the inexperi-
ence of the crew, and in part to the in
ordinate amount of top hamper in the
way of oratory with which she is loaded.
! EmphaticaIly, the orator is aboard. He
has come. not only from the teeming
city, but from the deep solitude of the
! backwood5 as well, and he is loaded for
bear, The entire crew of the ship are
rapidly picking up knowledge of their
duties, and already answer with alacrity
TO the shrill cal! OF the boatswain's pipe.
Every day, after the journals have
been approved and the chapiains have
finished their iuvocatiors, the several
presiding officers press the buttons. This
opens the f1oodgates of oratory and the
wordy rush is upon in an instant. The
president nor the speaker seldom at
tempt suddenly to suppress or impede
the surging food; for they recognize
that such a proceeding would not only
be dangerous TO themselves, but they
have also noticed that the average orator
when suddenly checked in his aeriai
fight, and particularly he of the ''natur
al born" variety, soon mopes and takes
10 consuming his own soul in melan-
choly lucH brations.
An observant and sagacious son
Of the Celestial empire, after close
observation of the course Of things
whenever two or more American citizens
are gathered together, whether in cas-
ual conversation, in conventions or IN
legislative assemblages, summarized one
Of our national characteristics IN these
words: Mclean man heap talkee.'
John Chinaman was right and "1leli-
can man" we'll up to his accustomed
chin music" business, is now with Us III
large numbers, He may or he may not
be fired with clear and burning thought,
be depended upon for large contribu-
ton of the music of his own sweet voice.
Most Of these are modelled after the pat
tern Of Gratiano in the play who, you
will remember, ''spoke an infinite deal
of nothing" He is to be found in every
saloon, and on every stree; corner, and
in some of lis manifold forms, he
is found in a goodly number of chairs in
both houses of our lawmakers, serenely
proud of his commission from the gov
eminent authorizing him to lift Up his
voice and spare not.
Fortunately, however, side by side
with him, we find not few members
whose characteristics are shrewdness,
caution and good mental insight. On
these hang ali the good law we are TO
get from this session of the Legislature.
One familiar with the faces of those
composing our first legislative assembly,
in looking over the present one, finds
that good many of them are missing.
The vehement and industrious Brown of
Oklahoma county, the maneuvering Gar
denhire, the sententious Pack, the ever
silent Robertson, the erratic Terrill, the
ruthless slayer of the queens English.
and later of his fellowman; the uncer-
tain Daniels, and the vociferous Jones
all have followed Hans BreItman's |
'barty'' into Idle Ewiykeit."
Those of the old members who are |
again with us, we kindly welcome back, |
After others, whose forms and faces are |
slowly fading from our memories and |
falling into the kindly shadows of obliv-
ion, we send words of affectionate fare
well. eta, ta," boys; sta, ia"
JAMES JONES q.
Guthrie, o. T., Jan. q, 1893.