The Washington times., 1894-06-19
CLOAK ROOM AND GALLERY.

To the strollers In the House corridors yes
terday the view through the opened doors OF
the House Naval Affairs Committee at work
was a decidedly breezy and picturesque mid
summer gathering. About half the members
were in negligee costume. while Amos Cum
mings, the chairman, sat at the head OF the
long table in his shirt sleeves with handker-
chief around his neck.
Nothing could have been cooler or more
pleasant for the committee than TO have held
its meeting on yacht down on the Potomac
"a suggestion which most of the members
would probably be glad to follow If they
could.
Already there are tangible evidences OF the
coming close Of the session. The calendars OF
both Houses are slim, attenuated affairs COM
pared with the plethoric pamphlets of a few
months ago. Very few men are trying to
secure favorable reports on bills introduced,
will not make the hardest efforts to push some
of those now on the calendar.
People who have watched the strained rela-
tions that have existed for long time between
Senators Vest and Hill were not at all sur
prised at the open attack of the New York
Senator on the little Missourian yesterday.
Vest has for a long time been determined to
make no concessions to Hill. He felt that
new conner Of one session ought not TO try to
dictate the policy OF the Democratic majority
to men like himself, who had seen service in
the Senate for nearly a score of years. Vest
has, it is said, openly announced that he
would ignore all of Mr.. Hills attempts to
dictate to the Senate, and Hill has realized
that Vest was q man who would not meekly
IL l.. hnt-
done. Mr.. Hill WIS particularly bitter in his
references to the Missouri Senator YESTERDAY.
Vest, by the way. must be one Of the most
provoking men to have a debate with in the
Senate.
To see the little Missourian quietly slip out
of his chair and shake his mane like lion
before getting in his biting sarcasm would
be enough to provoke any man. The physical
insignifcance of Vest, who looks like a merry
little gnome or woodman of the fairy stories,
compared with his intellectual force is re-
markable. No one can be more thoroughly
depended on TO answer a charge or criticism
than he, and yet probably the majority of
visitors to the gallery hardly notice the man
when he sits bent over and in heap in his
chair.
A northern Republican who was leading
soldier in the civil war was talking Of the
Democratic majority the other day, and said
he had come to the conclusion that Morgan,
OF Alabama, was, on the whole, the only
Democrat who, according to Republican
ideas, would be admitted to be an able and an
honest man. Morgan is admired in the
North probably more than any other Senator
from the South, except by Editor Godkin, OF
the New York Evening Post. who declared Of
him once in the Nation that "he enjoyed the
distinction Of being wrong on all public ques-
tions."
Representative Bynum, Of Indiana, who ar
gued the point Of order yesterday against
taking up the anti-option bill, is one Of the
lawyers in the House. Before coming to
Congress he acquired considerable prom
inence as a criminal lawyer, and was in great
demand to defend criminal prosecutions. He
tells story on himself to illustrate the fact
that sometimes an attorney can ask one ques-
tion too much. And this is the way he tells it:
"a number OF years ago, when young at
torney, was employed to defend man
charged with mayhem in little town in
southern Indiana" said Mr.. Byuum, "and
among the witnesses for the defense was an
odd character named Jo. Bates. When 10. |
came on the stand, and after the preliminary
questions. asked him If he had seen the |
fight in which my client was supposed to |
have bitten piece off the other mans ear?"
"Oh. yaas, mister" replied Jo., II seed all |
Of it."
How did you come to see it, Jo?
"Wall, tell you how twas. had heered a |
good deal about Jim Haskins' fitin; as how |
he was a good man. and wanted to see as |
how he handled hisself." sT
"Did you see the fight to the end, Jo2"
"Yaas, mister" llt
"Could you see both men all the time?"
"Oh, yass, mister" |
"Did you see jim Haskins bite OIL Bill |
Browns ear?"
"Oh, no. mister"
"Did you see him try TO bite Bill In any |
way. or was the fight fair and without goug- |
ing and biting?'
"Yaas. the fife was fit fair and Jim licked |
Bill with, VI turn in a hair. and did not see |
Jim bite Ill in any way" answered 10.
"That will do. Jo," said l, and Just as 10 |
was leaving the witness chair, for the prose-
cutor did not want to cross-examine him, an |
unlucky thought occurred to me. said Mr., |
Bynum, and l told him to sit down and |
answer one more question.
go" said l, slowly and in an impressive |
"did you see anything during the |
fight or Immediately after it was over that led |
you to think that possibly Jim might have |
bitten off piece of Bills carp
.'Waal. mister.n replied 10, 81 didn't see |
Jim bite Bill, nor wud tho't anything about |
i, only after the fite was over Jim spit out a
piece of ear fore he cu'd take chaw ter
oaccer; but don't know whether it was Bills |
,ar or not"
Mr.. Bynum says that he lost the case, and
hat his experience with 10 taught him to let
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