Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-14
A LEGISLATIVE HYDRA
A New View Of the Hirsute Populist From
the Bleeding State.
Mr.. PETERS Ever-Increasing Supply
OF Tariff munitiOn-Spreading
Like Genealogical Tree.

| Like q GeneOlOgical Tree.
Although the speech of Senator Hill on
Monday last in the Senate against the in
come tax was the pyrotechnic feature of
the week in the tariff debate, Mr. PETER, by
virtue OF his persistence and lung power,
has earned the first place SO far in the dis
cussion. He Is now regarded by his col
leagues as a sort of legislative hydra, for
every time he is interrupted or checked by
the flight of time he replenishes his stock
before the next lnstallment is due, so that
in certain sense he is almost inexhaust-
ible. Thus, before he had launched his
initial tartn speech from the ways of his
mind ne confded to a few friends that he
had prepared material enough for a six
hours discourse OF course this would have
been too allopathic dose for the delica te
constitution of the Senate to stand at once
ana Mr.. Peffer knew in advance that he
must dilute himself, SO to speak. and ad-
minister his doctrine in the form of success
slfe pellets of populism. The first INSTALL
ment occupied two hours in it's delivery as
CID the second, each consuming an entire
day as far as tariff speeches were con-
cerned. Then came Mr.. HIS speech and
then the agreement to occupy the time be-
tween 1 and o'clock daily with the tariff
talk. On Thursday Mr.. PETER resumed his
remarks under the new agreement. and was
Under contract, SO to speak, to I'LL four
hours at one fell swoop.
New Supplies Over Night.
In view of his original prophecy as to his
staying powers it would seem as though
his third section of mis- speech should have
more than wound him up. But that is not
-hf. REFERS style. In his character of
hydra his speech takes on two new heads
w an to
fishing of his storehouse of diction MANY
DAYS ago gave him material for at least
Twelve hours of discussion. For instance
on thursday evening. when 3 O'Clock ar
rived Senator Quay interrupted the popu-
list TO remind him of the flight of time. AS
strict constructionist, Mr. QUAY felt
obliged to adhere to the letter of the agree
heht between the republicans and demo-
Gratis devoting the four hours after | O'Clock
TO tariff talk, and he was for keeping MIR
Peher within these lines. Mr. PETER how
ever, estimated that he could finish in thir-
" minutes more. He said that if he con-
suited his own convenience and comfort he
Should prefer to break off then and go on
on the morrow. Then he uttered n most
generous sentiment. Il have a greater re-
spect for the Senate than l have for NV
SELF, he said, "and / do not wish to infiict
myself upon it hereafter if 1 may be per-
mltted to proceed now"
Many Side Issues
1t Is quite possible that had Mr.. PETER
been allowed to go on he might have kept
his word and finished in the half hour men
TONED by him. The mere act Of damming
up MS now of talk even when the reser-
voir was so nearly empty had the effect
or giving him another night for thought
ana another chance to elucidate his theor-
les and expand his periods Mr. PETERS
propensfttes a hydra demonstrate them
selves In another way. If he talks to an
empty Senate barring, of course the pre-
siding OFFICER and those human phono-
graphs, the official reporters, he exhausts
himself linguistically, though not physical
ly, much sooner than when there are SEN
ators present and listening to him, for dull
as the speech may sound to the occupants
or the galleries it is constant challenge
to the argumentative minds of the states
men on the floor. Mr.. PETER is man of
many ideas; they are as numerous as the
mars In his famous beard and, 1t may be
added, quite as long. Some of his notions
are unique and all of them arc interesting
to thinkers on such topics as Mr. PETER
seeks to expound. Thus 1t occurs that he
Is not infrequently interrupted with ques-
tions which he not only answers more or
less directly, but which give him hints for
further discourse on quite unexpected lines
he may be compared. perhaps to a geneo-
logical tree, which reaches its utmost
height with difficulty owing to the ten
dency of its branches to shoot and spread
In all directions and to bear other branches
In turn to the main stems themselves to
SIM OthCi Tie eventually gets
back, of course, to the parent stem of his
argument, and adds little to its stature
before he takes his next excursion to the
side 1t is remarkable, indeed, to note the
persistence with which Mr. PETER keeps to
his main line of thought, however divert
ing and alluring may be the side issues
that are suggested to him by others or by
some turn in his own thought This ten
dency to branch is perhaps the chief ele-
ment in his verbosity, and he is being util-
lied by the Senators most DESTROYS of pro-
longing the tariff debate through this ten
dency.
Sources of supply.
There is really no subject in the realm of
economies. policies or sociology that does
not fall under Mr.. PETERS microscopic and
dissecting knife. He is wonderfully well
supplied with factors in his discourse, hay
ing books and newspaper clippings PAM
phlets and records in abundance close at
hand and carefully indexed and arranged
for immediate reference. He is never at
loss for ma terial with which to expand a
topic and his printed speeches are spotted
with groups of agate types. indicating Mr.
Pefers clever use of other brains to fortify
and stimulate his own. Although ne uses
the products of other mems minds with
lavish hand he is by no means a pla giarist
He Is always careful and punctilious about
giving proper credit to the authors of his
quotations and he never neglects an oppor-
tunity to advertise a friend of his own faith
or TO stgmatize an enemy. Taken alto
gether, this legislative hydra of populism is
an interesting creation.