The Irish standard., 1895-08-31

QUIPS o CON GGRREESS
IlCCattin0 And Caussic Th'nysS Said By,
q Members In De. ..
ls fs t 5a4 II ii bate. s.
EANY or THEM NOT In TIE RgCoRD

blaine And conksina, ingalls, And Brown
Wolcott Ann Garay, And Others
Participate.
Many of the best known and most quot.
ed phrases with which the American peo-
pie are familiar originate in congress,
says the Washington Post.
Z There is no reason why, if a good thing
is said upon the floor of the senate or
house. the country should not know it In
twenty-four hours. With a press gallery
thronged with correspondents who are al
ways ready and eager to pick UP the
novel phrase or the apt description, with
the great press associations distributing
the debates from one end OF the country to
the other, and With newspapers only too
anxious to give currency to the latest eX-
preston, q man who says a good thing In
congress one afternoon may wake .un the
next morning and find his saying IN
eyerybody's mouth. There is something
in the atmosphere Of congress, too, that
develops the latent wit and inspires to
repartee. If a senator or a representative
has anything in him al all, it is bound
to come out III a rough and tumble de-
bate with political opponent Many of
the congressman have already had their
genius in this direction tested upon the
stump and know how to hold their own In
the face of all corners. It does not al
ways follow. however, that a statesman
who is good in debate will achieve fame
by utteringIa phrase that becomes SO pop
ular.
TO 60 Back to the beginning OF congress
Eloual history is to discover many phrases
uttered in congress which are still cur
rent. ct WIS as far back as 1920. for in
stance. that Felix Walker, a member of
the North Carolina district which includ-
ed Buncornbe county, apologized for the
emptiness Of his remarks by stating that
he had TO make % speech Gust for Bun
comhe." This is a saying which has come
down through the years as by-word.
Liberty and Union, one and inseparable,
now and forever was uttered by Web
ster in his famous reply to Hayne. Lin
coins 'with malice toward none and
charity toward an was first heard in the
halls OF congress when his second inaug-
ural address was read to the assembled
representatives. In later years Senator
ingalls, contributed number of epigranl-
matte sentences, the best known OF which,
perhaps, was uttered in his wordy duel
with Senator Brown, of Georgia. The
latter had habit of rubbing his hands to-
gether as he talked and ingalls,, with Bit
ter emphasis. described him as washing
his hands with invisible soap in imper-
ceptible water Another remark by In
gals was much quoted at the time. He
WAS discussing the oleomargarlne bill,
and said regarding certain dairy products,
that he stood in awe at their strength
and reverence for their antiquity" In
Proctor Knott; widely copied Duluth
speech occurs that phrase. 'the zenith city
of the unsalted seas a title which Duluth
has always proudly kept.
Blaine and Conkling, with all the great
ness, left no single phrase as q, legacy Of
their participation in Congressional de-
bates. ''Elrn these LETTERS was often.
quoted after the Mulligau affair, but this
sentence was noe first uttered il congress
The fam Gus debate between the two men,
which estranged their whole lives, oc-
CURED in April, 1866, over a very trivial
matter--the continuance OF the bureau Of
the Provost Marshal General. 1t gave
Blaine however chance to satirize Conk-
liag in q single sentence, An article writ
! fa1 iY,
which Conkling had been likened ID Win
ter Davis. THE resemblance is great"
exclaimed Blaine With pungent satire.
eft is striking! Hyperion to q satyr, Their
sizes to Hercules. mud 20 marble, a dung
hill to a diamond a singed cat to Beu-
gal tiger, a whining puppy to a roaring
lion"
Another debate, IN which Ccnkling,
MEM in the senate, was a conspicuous fig
ure resulted in q sentence which has noe
been forgotten. Senator Lamar, Of Mis-
sissppi. had resented as a falsenocd a
charge of broken faith made BY Mr.. Conk-
ling aud the latter retOrted that La
mar vas q coward, a blackguard and a
liar The Mississippi senator who had new
er been accused Of t:oWardice, looked over
10 his opponent and sarcastically apollo
gized for his first remark cit was one"
he said. such as no good man would de-
serve ayld 10 brave man wear" Then he
waited for Ncnltljny to reply, but the New
York senator WIS silent.
Many OF the sharp things said in con-
gress are left ont Of the record Cobb's
"Where was / at" docs MOI appear in the
official prirt, and Senator Wolcott's quota
tioa of the Spanish proverb to Senator
Carey, "'lt is 3 waste of 1atier to shave an
ass has also bean cut ont. A few fam
Gus sentences camo very near having their
origin in congress. Dayy Crockett. the
author OF "De sure you're right then so
ahead was Z, 1nemher OF The house Of
REPRESENTATIVES, for two years, but it does
not appear that this oft-quoted advice
was originate with MIN there. Henry
CLAWS u would rather be right than pres
itlant'' was saN2 to some Of his friends at
the Capitol, BIZ: OF IN public debate. Sen
ator Sherman, too. is the author Of the
ffnlending fences" phrase, although ne
waited until he was at his home in Marsh
FIELD before he uttered it. While Hayes
was still president and Mr.. Sherman was
secretary OF the treasury he entertained
hopes. of a presidential nomination. Just
before the national Republican convention
met NE went to Mansfield and while there
was called IN for q speech. IN the course
OF his remarks Mr.. Sherman denied hav-
ing Travelled to Ohio to promote his presi-,
dental aspirations. Il have simply
come, = he said, 'tto mend my fences, which
are greatly in need Of repair"