Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-14

t9NI RH ~W interesting chapter
~IZ on the "decadence of
lHmv An Hr7~ the Senate" The out
up WV 1IE burst Of oratory, the
FIN impassioned indigna-
ton. the forensic fire
manifested In the
discussion that ensced show that the old
! time spirit of the Senate, like Caesars
| ghost. is mighty yet and walks abroad"
While there have been unmistakable
changes in the upper house since the DAVIS
| OF Webster and Clay and Calhoun. the
question naturally arises do these changes
indicate "decadence Of the Senate" or
are they In the line of its DEVELOPMENT?
satisfactory answer must depend
largely upon the view taken as to the func-
lions of the Senate. Was 1t intended TO he
great debating society. a forum for ora
torical display. or place for the dispatch
| or public business? And is 1t true. as
| charged by one of the leading newspapers
or the country, that the Senators of the
past were men of fine intellect. broad Gull
ture. having a thorough knowledge of the
science Of government, whereas today we
have only practical business men and smart
| politicians?"
Few persons will be found who are able
| to speak with more authority upon this
subject than the men who have been in
congress for the last thirty years. and are
| Intimately acquainted with all the various
changes that have taken place In the SEN
ate-sueh mer, for example, as Senators
Harris. Hoar Sherman. Stewart, Palmer
anu eA-Speaker Grow. Interviews with
! these distinguished men follow, and show.
beyond question that the Senate of today
Will compare favorably with any Senate Of
past years. Al a debating society II can
not be eQualed for ready repartee, singing
sarcasm, and the lightning-like logic Of
aacss ana heires that is flashed into an
AS regards oratorical ability, the present
senate does not lack eloquent or silver
tongues They undoubtedly do not reach
me heights of some of the great men of the
past. but they are none the less orators of
no inferior type. While there Is an All
sence OF a few brilliant lights like Webster
and Hayne and Sumner. the loss of the
! loss of the pigmies. The intellectual and
oratorfcal average Is higher today and the
extremes are not so far apart The great
senators of the present time do not loom
INTO sucn prominence, because they are
surrounded by big men of versatile attain.
ments. =
A new element has been introduced into
rne halls or national legislation. We have
row senators who are essentially business
men, such as Brice, Mcmillan and WASH
| burn. 1t is a matter of history that those
VINO most shape the legislation of the coun
sy are not the ones that make the most
] dazzing speeches: on the, contrary they
are the quiet. thoughtful and energetic
men, who are seldom heard in debate.
Changed ny blaine.
To the late James G.. Blaine the great
leader of the republican party, more than
| any one else Is due the change that has
| taken place in the Senate. 1t was he who
| ruthfessfy cast aside the traditions of the
past and introduced the present business
| like methods of debate. Indeed. he is called
the father of colloquial debate in the Sem
ate" Previous to his advent in the upper
| house 1t was a rare thing to interrupt a
| Senator in the middle of his speech. Sena-
| torial courtesy SO called. required that he
| be allowed to proceed until he had finished
| No sermon could be hedged around with
| more dignity and decorum. The procedure
was entirely different from what 1t is now.
| 1t was customary to give at least a week S
notice of an intended speech. The occa-
| sion was really forensic field day. The
| floor of the Senate was reserved for the
| speaker. and the galleries for his friends.
| he was the cynosure of all eyes. and any
! thing like colloquy would have been
looked upon as sacrilegious and an insult
upon senatorial traditions. Blaine was the
! skyrocket of the Senate. He had come
| from the House at the same time that Ben
| Hill of Georgia did, and brought with him
| its brusque and business-like methods. Both
men were easy masters in a running de-
| bate, quick, keen, iEcisive, and would not
allow an assertion to pass for an argument,
| even II 1t were in the middle of a speech.
Hence, they made no bones about inter-
| ruptfng or fnterrogating speaker and
| pitching into his statements, II they were
| not borne out by facts. the minute they
were made Blaines intellectual equip
ment was something wonderful, as Is well
known. and ne was a walking encyclo-
| paeda. All that was necessary, therefore.
| to set him OFF and bring him to his feet
was to make a false premise or a mis-
warning he shot to his feet like rocket
and the correctness of the speaker asser-
ton was challenged. He was irresistible in
| his way, and enjoyed nothing better than
| spicy colloquial debate, In which he al
ways carried of the laurels. He occupied
| the seat now held by Senator Hale. and
was therefore In a good position to sweep
| the floor" by the artillery of his argument.
| Business Methods.
With the colloquial debate introduced In
the Senate came other assaults upon sena-
toriaf traditions. and even senatorial
courtesy got a rude shock. so that today
| the tendency of the times is toward bus
| mess methods. not only as regards speeches.
| but with reference to political and
parliamentary procedure. Hence the re-
markable outburst of oratory and impas-
stoned indignation the other day In the
Senate was Senator Hill truly sa1d a
WOHuSTlul UNUSUAL aSpettdSlc. Hochd-
| tor Brice, for example, is not by any means
an orator, and yet he vs. ore of the most
effective speakers in the Senate. The way
he hurried the pension "a appropriation bill
| through the Senate recently was in perfect
accord with his 'rlilroadlng proclivities.
The bill had no sooner passed both houses
| than he succeeded in getting conference
committee appointed, and inside Of twenty
four hours afterward lie had the confer
ence report in the Senate he did not wait
! to send the report to the desk. but read 1t
himself, and within few nainutes the bill
was ready to be signed BY the President.
There are in the Senate to-day number
OF men who vary their style OF speaking to
suit the occasion. Rarely isoheard n speech
that contains all the elements Of oratory
This Is not due to the laeko orators, but
because there are no great Subjects to call
them forth. When, however. circumstances
arise demanding a statesman-like utterance
Senators are not found wanting who can
fill every requirement
Senator Harris on His Colleagues.
Senator Harris of Tennessee, who is pres
ident pro tenn. of the Senate. and who first
came to Congress as a Representative in
1919. In speaking about the changes that
have taken place in the upper house. said:
I'm those early days there were figures