The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-07
THE BIG MAN FROM MAINE.
SOME PECULIARITIES OF THE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.

Word About New Congressman.
Washington. Dec. eff there is one
thing to the credit of Tom Reed, 1t is
that with the adulation which has been
sbowered upon him this week he has
not lost his head. Reed is big man.
There is no doubt of that, ana The best
evidence of il is that he is not snob.
He has no use for bOres and light-weishts,
of course. and fool disgusts hin. II you
have anything TO say to him, however
that has the least grain of sense or con-
tains the least warrant for claiming his
attention you may be sure that ne VIII
give YOU respectful and patient hearing.
His head is not swelled, he is just as ap-
proachable to-day as he was when ne was
a comparatively unknown member OF
congress.
Reeds personality is something wonder
full. Ninety-nine per cent. of the crowd
that choked the Hobbies and surged
through the corridors Of the capitol
on the opening day were attracted mere
IL in the. hope that they would get a
chance to see Reed. When he appeared
they gave him a great ovation. There
is something commanding about his APP
pearance, there is something so broad
shouldered and brawny and impressive
about his makeup that he would be con-
spicuous in a crowd where his name was
not known. As TO all this attention he
seems perfectly ohliviOus. Perhaps he is
getting used to it. Doubtless he
likes it, At any rate he moves
around the capitol walks up Pennsyl-
vania avenue and mingles with the guests
at his hotel IN a very matter-of-iact way
inst as if he were as obscure rs the new
. alatlfsA
is jovial and witty. He filings ms sharp
sayings with prodigal freedom in me most
promiscuous gathering, as IT. ms sore
house of clever things was like the w'd-
ow S cruise of oil, never to be eXhauS.ed.
His republican friends are conndent
that he will be nominated for President
and many bets in his favor have already
been placed. Their enthusiasm does seem
a little absurd, however, when one knows
to what extent it has gone Already
many of the republican parusans OF the
man from Maine have outlined pro
gramme that provides for his nomination,
followed by his resignation as speaker
and the election of Representative Hop
kins of Illinois, as his successor in the
chair This is counting chickens before
they have Matched with a vengeance. 1t
shows, though, how the shifty politician
in Washington is apt to discount the tu-
ture upon the slightest propagation ana
frequently with no proVOcation at all.
ANY man who wants to make a name
for himself in congress has hobby. SEN
ator Hansbrough of North Dakota mas mas
one that is patriotic and interesting lie
is going to bend his efforts at tins Ses-
sion of congress to the passage or a law
that viii prevent the desecration OF the
There have been several attempts in pre-
vious congresses to secure the passage
of a law that will make ii penalty Tor
any person to utilize the American nag
as a medium of advertising Hltherto,
these endeaVors have been unsuccessful,
but Senator Hansbrough has started IN
early with the introduction of Dill that
places a heavy fine or Imprisonment upon
any person convicted of deseeraung me
flag in this way. Not only TINS, but ne
gets up in the Senate every morning ana
presents petitions sent to him from all
sections of the country praying for the
passage of his bill. These petitions are
known as 1.-THE ready-made kind, that IS
they are printed forms which are adopted
by patriotic organizations and sent TO him
for presentation. The very muiutuue OF
these petitions, however, show that there
is a popular sentiment in favor or the
proposed legislation. 1t may be- after all,
that IIansbrough will be successful and
that before long the cigarette card and
the baking powder advertisement decora-
ted with the national nag VIII De thlh6
number Of the senators had a regular
picnic this week. 1t was Senator Proctor
Of Vermont who made them happy. Mr..
Proctor had been shooting in Austin Cor
bins game preserve in New Hampshire,
and had killed a wild boar and deer. He
shipped the game to Washington and had
the chef of the Senate restaurant COOK
it in most delicious fashion, and then he
invited a score of his colleagues to come
and dine with him. Mr.. Proctor is a de-
Ughtful host, with a fund of good stories
and a native wit that gives a clever
turn to his conversation. So. while the
senators tickled their palates with the cpl
curean dishes and washed the solids down
with sparkling champagne, Mr.. Proctor
contributed to their enjoyment with
monologue that kept everybody in the best
Senator Proctor is quite a character in
his way. Every spring, for instance, ne
a. 70 fn a or
a five-gallon can of genuine Vermont ma
pie sugar and then he carries around IN
his pocket a dozen or two of little cakes
of the sweet, brown stun, which he dlstr1b-
utes to the pages and to the senators
themselves, for that matter.
1t will not be long before Senator Mitch
ell of Oregon will get a tremendous sal
mon from the Columbia river, and then
the senators will have another feast. But,
until then, Senator Proctor's boar and
Venison will be remembered with delight
The new congressman cannot under
stand why the House is so long getting
underway An ambitious young states
man from one of the New England dis
tricts after two days experience in the
House, sized up the SitNation in this style
Il cannot understand, said he, why We
should spend so much time in getting
ready to do nothing. From what i can
see of this business, we come here day
after day sit around and gossip. listen
TO some fellow who can tell a good story,
or thinks he can, then we go off to the
cloak room and take a smoke. and thus
we consume TWO OF lAlIte weeks uilll
the Christmas holidays set in, then we
take two weeks recess and go home,
TO return and drag along until the wea-
Their becomes so warm that 1t is diN1cult
TO hold a quorum here. Nov, if / had
my way. would get the House in working
order at once and push such legislation
as we have on hand to the front while
the weather is cool and we can labor in
comfort However, 1 suppose there is
no use to complain, and those of us who
came here under the impression that con-
gress was a hive of industry found out our
mistake and soon learn how to sit around
and try to look busy
Some of the new men arrived here with
their shoulders rounded by the heavy re-
sponsibilities piled upon them by their
admiring constituents. After they begin
10 realize how insignificant the new con-
gresham is until he carVeS out a repu-
tation for himself, he drops his look OF
responsibility and straightens his Shout
ders, preparatory TO taking life easily in
Washington.
NEGRO nav AT ATLANTA