New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-27

IN. Han lanes T. cobb. ~ Alabama. seems
,o keep that bcwild'rius problem Nh'r' am
| ufy concealed upon his person. ana I" nav
f., Ike 4 wcllrcguatcd kodak. always ready Tor
us. lie gives oac The impression 81 wandering
,h,ut Losclv without the snalles, idea ~ To his
hearings. and II talking necessarily without
knowing what he wants 10 say. 'obb Is a ma
,ii..,,.1 ucr.on Of sixty mlddleaged for Conn,
- c,ur... who WIS born IN Georgia but moved
., .rc,,s when he was twenty-five years old. ana
,h,n after having enjoyed four years ~ polish
t ,bo, artist, centre. entered the Confederate
Army After the War he settled In Tuskcsee'
Ala where ne has lived or pretended 10 live ever
since. Upon tie linc stock Of culture acquire"
IN Gcorria. Texas and Alabama h. has grated
fh. delicate ac-iheticism Of boarding mousse ne
+, WASHINGTON. The result Is that while 'obb'
in , scr, 81 vertigo Of cxacin"sS ana hght' con
t,uuolly asks Where am at" Judlcious spec
ta,ors look 1T each other and ask, win ave.
What j. itf
Our dispatches tell Us that 'obD Is now III
Washington and afflicted more than ever h'ior'
with the bc~ciing problem II his lf' lie came
North from the cbngcnial retreat or luSk'I'' l"
l,ok into the ease II his alleged election 10 the
IIVth Congress They still have control OF the
machinery of politics in Alabama. blii are losing
,h.r erin on facts Just Il little. and 81 II hap
mems that Cobb> competitor In the last contest
an N,h,ml prrson named Goodwin has had
eliza rcr,c ia challenge Cobb's handmade title
,o the seat. and 10 forward certain documents
and figures calculated To battle while they sum
uloie that honorable gcnllemanS iacuily Tor
rucsSwork An awkward circumstance III ''oou
wins ease awkward for cobb. that Is To say
is that he j. also u hot hoodod proud ana hHh
splri,cd Souihcrn"r. quite rs handy Win ms gun
as the Honorable cobb himself. In iii" good ola
DAYS II reconstruction when opposition 10 the
democracy was represented by a swarm Of tmd
h.lncss negroes and a few white leaders known
AZ Garnet bargcr,- II was not difficult 10 settle
,h,.s. ou,siious out Of court NiggcrS and Car
po,.bagccrs were always in season ana the Cobb'
had only to 90 cunning for day or two each
wear in order to keep Democratic supremacy run
niny ON easy casters. The events Of the last two
wears. however. have changed things materially.
The opposition j. now made up of material just
as tough. Just ~ hard and juSl rs effective in
homicide as The Democracy itself II Is simply
. slunp from the old Democratic mass in fact.
and gives us as beautiful IN instance Of Greek
meeting Greek as history has furnished for at
| least TWO THOUSAND years Dbp unNl'iy ~
| therefore quite Ineligible. lie has now run up
| against an antagonist whom he cannot bluff. ut
whom II Is dangerous to shoot. and who. unhap-
| ply not only has facts and figures In his favor,
but court Of appeals which is at least not pre-
| possessed in Cobbs favor.
| Cobb therefore Is In Washington still revolving
problems in his mind, and there. as it happens,
| he has encountered Goodwin. We are not In Il
| position to know whether Goodwin left his gun
and most Of his hair in Alabama when he started
Northward, but it now appears that he did not
leave his temper or his cheerful appetite for COM
] bat. for a chance meeting between him and Cobb
came very near to tragic termination early this
week when the two met in presence Of their at
torneys to compare showings and exchange as
surances Of chivary. The press report does not
| give the details We are left to guess at the
| liar" villain" "horschcf' and other sutry
cpthes that passed. We are told however, that
at a certain stage Of the controversy Goodwin
made a wcll-known Southern motion, and that
Cobb impctuousy unsheathed pair Of scissors
and stood on guard They were separated be-