The Progress., 1893-10-28

SlDle UllutI The TllltS Ol lut Studit.
He became so excited that all the blood
in his body was drawn to his head, and the
skin of his face and neck became suffused.
Every nerve was a-tingle with excitement,
and while his words rang out throughout
the chamber with all the pathos and pas
sion of a man pleading before court for
his own life senators on the floor and the
crowds in the galleries watched him with
an intentness which was almost pathetic.
They could see that he was in danger of
working himself to that pitch in which an
apoplectic fit might overtake him. In all
the years that | have been watching the
proceedings of the house of representatives
and the United States senate | have never
seen Il more dramatic exhibition Of passion
and eloquence than this.
Senatorial Principle.
Every one in the senate chamber was
glad when Mr.. Teller sat down and began
wiping his blood red face with his hand
kerchief 1t was the end of a most exciting
incident, which any one could see might
have ended in serious danger to the life
of the principal actor. No man in the SEN
ate chamber enjoys to a greater degree the
respect and confidence of his associates
than Mr.. Teller. 1t is feature of the in
side gossip of the silver struggle that Sena-
tor German and other Democratic leaders
have found it virtually impossible to put
the screws" on the silver side because Mr.
Teller and other silver Republicans had
helped them through just such an emer-
gency when the force bill was under cOnsid-
Grafton.
1t was Mr. voorhees, who paid Mr.. Teller
n warm compliment by remarking in eX-
planation of the absence from the senate Of
a large number of repealers that an agree
ment had been entered into to the effect
that for certain number of days no vote
should be taken. And" added Mr.. Noor-
hees, IAN agreement with the senator from
Colorado is as strong and enduring as the
laws of the Medes and Persans." In this
way public attention was called to a fact
which had been known to some senators
and many newspaper representatives that
throughout four or five days the silver forces
were in the majority in the senate chamber
and could, had they been so disposed, have
taken advantage of the absence of the other
side TO sidetrack the bill or indefinitely post
pone it. But they had entered into an
agreement that a truce should prevail, and
no one ever had thought of breaking the
contract
Lives In Jeopardy.
Senator Voorhees,, the leader of the ad-
ministration and repeal forces took his life
into his hands when he went into this con-
test. For a number of years he has not
been in good health, and the strain of this
long and bitter struggle, it was feared by
his friends, would cause n relapse that
might prove serious. Mr.. Voorhees, is af-
flicted with a combination of rheumatism
and gout from which he sometimes greatly
suffers
On Friday of last week Mr. voorhees,
was in his seat all day, though he was en-
during the tortures of the damned The
nerves and muscles of his limbs told him
in the vivid words of acute suffering that a
storm was approaching the Capital City,
and he did not need to see the bulletin of
the meteorological bureau posted i'm the
senate lobby to know that a Wese Indian
cyclone was bowling northward IA direct
line for Washington. When the storm
broke in all its fury, Mr. Voorhees, was de-
lighted, for it is a remarkable feature of
his suffering that it always indicates the
coming of meteorological disturbances, but
when they have arrived the pain ceases.
Mr.. Voorhees, was telling me of this pecul-
iarity of his ailment, and when l asked
him how he explained it on physiological
grounds he said: II don't explain it. /
only know that it is a damnable fact"
1t is the verdict of all senators, both those
who were with Mr.. Voorhees, in the fight
and those who were against him, that he
bore himself with fairness and dignity and
with great respect for the feelings and
rights of the other side. He was all the
time in a delicate and embarrassing posi-
tion, and it is a remarkable fact that for
several days after the close of the contest of
physical endurance the senate remained in
session hour after hour solely for the pur-
pose of vindicating Mr.. Voorhees, before
the country. The respect which his fellow
senators entertain for him led them to make
sacrifices of comfort and strength in this
labor of love.
Master In Finance.
The greatest speech made on the silver
question was without doubt that of Sen
ator Jones of Nevada. Mr.. Jones is the
greatest master of currency questions in
this country, unless it be that John Sher-
man is his equal. If Mr.. Sherman were in
the prime of life, or were he even as young
as Mr.. Jones, debate between them on
currency questions would be intensely in
teresting. Mr.. Jones' speech came at the
close of a week of long sessions, when
every one was worn out, and the fact that
nearly every senator remained for hours in
his seat listening to the Nevada oracle was,
under the circumstances, the highest COM
pliment ever paid an orator in the senate
chamber Mr. Jones is not only a master
of finance, but a master of the English
language He speaks with wonderful
clearness both of voice and words, and ac-
complished feat which had hitherto been
supposed almost impossible-thato of hold
ing an audience ''spellbound" with dis
QUESTION upon the currency.
Venerable, but Enduring.
The most remarkable instance of phys
ical endurance during the long sessions of
the senate was that displayed by Mr. Palm
er of Illinois. Though past rs years of age
Senator Palmer was always in his seat and