The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-03-09
JUST LIKE OTHER MEN.
United States Senators Are Jeal-
GUS of Each Other.
They Criticize Each Others Speeches and
Each One Thinks He's the Biggest
Apple In the Basket-Some
Notable Exceptions.
Especial Washington Letter. I

tSpcClal lcttcf.
Any visitor to the capitol occupying
seat in one of the galleries would
suppose that naught but harmony pre-
vailed on the floor Of the senate so far
as the personal relations of the dig
nifled statesmen are concerned Even
some of the oldest habitues of the gal
leries and corridors are inclined to abb
sorb the belief that, while the house
of representatives may be bear gar
den, the atmosphere ofsthe senate is
fairly reeking with harmony.
This is one of the popular fallacies
prevalent here, as well as throughout
che country, concerning real life in the
national capitol. To many men who
have never seen the city nor touched
elbows with the statesmen the real
Washington is as much of a myth and
legend of the imagination as was
Homeric Troy for centuries. The real
national capitol, so far as the human
nature in it is concerned, is not unlike
the town in which you live and the
neighborhood with which you are sur
rounded.
There is great deal less of personal
prejudice, envy, jealousy and malice
in the house of representatives than
in the United States senate, mainly
because it is a bigger body and the
members are not SO long in continuous
service, except in rare instances where
sensible constituencies reflect again
and again their superior men. The
senatorial term lasts six years, and
during that time every senator is
struggling to have himself reelected
for another term of six years. In the
procession of the days and weeks of
even single senatorial term an am
bilious man has plenty of time to make
enemies for himself and tie the grass
in front of his own feet in the political
pathway of life.
There are lightweight members of
the senate and at least ten or twelve
of them have bitter, personal enemies,
SO that they do not speak to each
other. During the last eight years of
the term in the senate of Wade Hamp-
ton, of South Carolina, he and John
Sherman, of Ohio, never spoke to each
other. The trouble between these
rotary of the treasury, and a candidate
for the presidency. Senator Hampton
wrote some very caustic letters to Sem
ator Sherman and gave them to the
press associations, and when Sherman
returned to the senate he carried his
resentment with him. Consequently
those gentlemen, each of them popu-
lar on his own political side of the
chamber, were not on speaking terms.
Senator Chandler, of New Hampshire,
and Senator Blackburn, of Kentucky,
have not spoken to each other for sew
eral years. During a session of the
senate committee on Indian affairs
Senator Chandler made some re-
marks rejecting upon the honor of
the Kentucky statesman, and per-
sonal encounter ensued. 1t was stated
by some people present that Black
burn pulled Chambers ear and slapped
his cheek; but Chandler has always de-
MED this, but stated that Blackburn
uttered threats and offered personal
violence; and the honorable gentlemen
look upon each other with disdain.
They never speak as they pass by.
During the last few years of his public
career Senator Ingalls,, of Kansas, by
reason of his aggressive political per-
sonality, managed to make a great
many enemies for himself. He came
into the senate one day with care
fully-prepared speech, and attacked