The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-08-31
FEW LAST WORDS
STRENGTH AND MAKEUP OF THE
FiFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
One Mans Testimony-Changes In the Past
Twenty Years Men Who Have blade
Their fIarks-Experiencesa and Mutations
of Political Life.

Twenty Years-Nen Who Have sIade
Their neutrality-suspicious. and Mutations
of Political Life.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27.-Seven months
among the statesmen certainly ought to
teach man something unless he be phe-
nomenally dull at the start. Waving the
personal equation, l can say that after
seven months observation of the Fifty
third congress l have arrived at some very
positive conclusions thereon which I shall
set out before taking ship for the wild and
wOolly west.
The first is that from the moral stand
point the United States never had a bet
ter congress. Incidentally 1 may add that,
having visited every considerable city in the
United States and Canada and also London
and Paris, know of none where vice is
less fragrant or the general order and ap-
parent morality better than in Washing
ton. 1t strikes me that there is pretty
high average of petty thieving here, and
there is certainly great complaint that
servants are unreliable, but as to morality
proper l am positive the city is away above
the average. 1t is charged that there are
ate who occasionally or habitually use liq-
uOrs TO excess, and as charges of that ma
ture are generally somewhat in excess Of
the truth I look upon this allegation as
rather high compliment to the Fifty
third congress. l have taken special notice
Of these men and must say Of three Of
them that if they do use liquor to excess
it has not yet produced noticeable effects.
There are hut two men in this congress
whose faces look to me like those of hard
drinkers, and though often with these two
l have never seen either under the influence
of liquor They say that one mans testi-
mOny does not amount TO much here but
such as mine is here it is.
4 Glimpse of the Past.
The first congress l ever saw was the
Forty first, in February, 1870. Conspicuous
in those days were Blaine, Logan, Butler,
Voorhees,, Garfield. Dawes, Kelley and many
who have since passed from earth, while
inconspicUous TO an almost painful degree
were about three dozen Republicans from
the south of the genus then known Us
"carpetbagger. " In the senate were Ham
lin, Carpenter, Schurz, Thurman, Morton,
Conkling and as many more of equal
prominence, while from the sOuth-thaJ Is,
from the reconstructed states-were two
Democrats and 20 Republicans. Among
the latter was just one man Of national
fame, the veteran Brownlow, then trem-
bling on the verge Of the grave. OF all
the rest Mr.. Blaine truthfully and very
frankly says in his great work: There
was not one who was regarded as eXcep-
tionally eloquent or exceptionally rich.
They entered the contest without personal
prestige and were doomed to a hopeless
struggle against the influence, the hatred
of a large majority Of the white men OF
the south. F" Imagine, if you can, how
very different this senate looks to me, with
such southern men as Harris, Vest, Jones
COckrell and Daniel in the lead. In the
house there were then scarcely more than
enough Democrats TO demand the yeas and
nays. The condition now adds but an
other to the many proofs We have had that
no party ought to presume in the height
of its power and none need ever despair
In that congress were at least a dozen men
known as habitual drunkards. One SEN
ator frequently saw helped up the steps
by his negro Coachman because he was too
drunk TO make it alone, and another l
saw attempt to make speech and fail be
cause his tongue was too thick for articu-
latiOn.
Lonely and Quiet.
In the style of speaking there has been
a wonderful change. The high heroics of
the war era have passed away, and not
once "a month does one hear an inpassion-
ed outburst on the primary rights of man
or the essential nature of free govern
ment. From the sublime or overrhetor-
ical appeals Of a war period we have
come to the duh commonplace of peace
period, and instead Of patriotic furorc
about the war, the flag and the eagle the
speeches are all about money and taxes,
labor, capital and the disputed points in
social philosophy. To illustrate this, let
us call the roll and see how much the
change is emphasized in individuals
Abbott OF Texas and Adams of Penn
sylvania are business members, bat the
latter distinguished himself by some
what enthusiastic defense of John Wana-
maker when the poStoflice appropriation
bill was under discussion.
Mr.. Adams of Kentucky is the loncliest
man in the house rs we'll as the quictest.
From all that vast region between tho Al
leghanieS and the Rocky mountains and
stretching from the Ohio river TO the gulf
he Is the only Republican and is therefore
JOculaTly assumed 10 have about >, 600. UGO
constituents. Perhaps the two east Ten
neSsee Republicans might be added. though
they live in rather than west OF the Ale
ghanics. In n rather obscure street little
way from Pennsylvania avenue j. a very
old fashioned southern hotel, the base
mCnt sunk so deep in the ground that IL
seems damp and dark, ana there in the
common sitting room Mr.. Adams may
generally he found in his leisure hours
reclining in an old fashioned shack
chair and smoking home raising in q
corncob pipe. If he has ever said any
thing in the house. no habitue of the gal
lery has any recollection OF it.
Working GA Enthusiasm.
His colleague, the only white Republican
from the cotton states, Mr.. Settle Of North
Carolina. IS equally silent in the house. but
in committee rooms and about the city i
quite as active as becomes the youngest
member OF the body IL i worth noting
AZ this point that the banner Republican
district Is in the south. and Hon. John c.
HoUk. who represents Il, has evidently
inherited his famous fathers talent and
carries well the honor OF lis Il, 600 ma
jority.
Next in the AS Is Mr.. Ald-ich Of Hi
T0is, who like his colleague, Mr.. Durbor-
ow. is sometimes spoken Of a. the Adouis
Of the house Mr. Alexander Of North
Carolina came in with a rush as a Farm
erS' Alliance man and Will retire ~ the end
Of ms second term.
Il may he stated rs a general truth thar