The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-05
modern statesmanship.

Statesmanship,n said wise man many
moons ago, sis merely the science of cir
cumstances,p and this is now accepted
as one of the aphroisms of the Senate.
In illustration they tell story. on Vest,
says the Washington Post. 1t was
several years ago. Some bill was before
the Senate appropriating a sum of money
to some local, almost qausi-private
purpose. Vest opposed it, and made
great constitutional argument against
any such diversion of public money. Sena-
tor Coke, who admires Vest greatly, was
much pleased with the argument, and
congratulated the Missouri senator. Vest
was no doubt mildly proud himself. But
pride precedeth a fall The echoes of
Vests GRAFTON still rang in the Senate
chamber when he received a wire from
Gov. Crittenden telling how the hoof and
motuh disease had made a sudden and
deadly appearance among the cattle of
Missouri and Kansas, telling Vest that
those states would need and must have
immediate federal aid and federal money
to combat and wipe out the epidemic.
There was no help for it. Vest had to
move in the matter And in urging it,
was brought face to face with every argu-
ment and every sentence in his famous
constitutional speech, which had been so
"
Vest in the legislative waltz, disconnected
Coke not little.
''Vest," said Coke in grave, almost sor-
rowful comment on the phenomenon,
this is the first time ever saw a tele-
gram change mans opinion on constitu-
tional law"
But Coke's turn was at hand. While
Missouri was wrestling with the hoof and
mouth disease, and while Cockrell and.
lOfn 81 hax 70 fbs,
fall for her the drouth took such dry,
sunburned, hinty effect in Texas that
nothing or very little of a crop was rea-
lized, and the cry went up for government
aid and money to buy seed for the
stricken Lone Stars. 1t was a sad en-
ployment, indeed but Coke was madenby
driving circumstances to see the validity
of it and he voted AYE" But Coke was,
nevertheless, to use colloquialism, a tri-
fie sore And he did not care to be joked
about it or have his fellow senator's be-
come any too talkatively joyous with his
"seed vote" as a basis. This tenderness
was shown in a clOakroom mistake the
Texas senator made one day. A very
worthy gentleman who had been running
for congress on the democratic ticket in
Indiana was beaten. He was in Wash.
ington shortly after and Voorhees, was in
Producing him to Vest. The theater of
bDe luJfOuuCllOu was JH6 ClOdhIOOns N6Sb
had just expressed his sympathy with
the beaten Hoosier.
sob, don't regret it at ALL" replied
the gentleman from Indiana, with that
benevolence of tone which goes so well
with white beard and head. 81 think
the sacrifice of myself in this campaign
will do the party good. The blood of the
martyrs, you know, is the seed of the
church"
just then Coke passed by. He didn't
know the defeated man with the white
hair But he caught the word "seed, :"
and Cobb, Voorhees,, and Vest smiling in
an interested way, and his wrath began
to rise He kept on TO his seat, but by
that time his anger would not let him sit
down. He again repaired to the cloak
room. Vest sat there alone. Voorhees,
ana the defeated one had departed
"Who was that white-haired scoun-
drel?" asked the Texas senator, holly.
Vest looked up in amusement and told
who the man was, and asked why Coke
inquired.
because, SIR" replied Coke, wrath
fully shaking an indignant forefinger,
''because, sir, there are some people nav
| ing altogether too much fun about that
Texas seed bill, sir. And want to tell
/ some of YOU gentlemen sir, that I've stood
! all I'm going to of your mirth, sir. Iwant
you to all get through your laughing, sir,
mighty quick And / may say, sir, and
here Coke glowered portentiously at Vest,
whose constitutional argument had SO
won him, 'that ! mean those remarks
especially for you, sir"
| Vest was almost weeping from delight
by this time But" he said, as he after
| ward recounted it to Voorhees,, you
should have heard me apologize.