Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-09-05
MADE In CONGRESS-.
CATCHY PHRASES THAT HAVE CONE
INTO COMMON USE.

INTO COMMON USE.
The First Bancombe Speech was Delivered
In 1s2O-Blaine and ConkIing In Debate.
Famous Sentences Pronounced by States
men when Not In Congress.
Many of the best known and most
quoted phrases with which the Amer
lean people are familiar originate IN
congress.
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 "a hours. With press gallery
thronged with correspondents who are
always 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 lat
est expression, a man who says good
thing in congress one afternoon may
wake up the next morning and find his
saying in everybody p mouth There is
something in the atmosphere of con
gress, too, that develops the latent wit
and inspires to repartee. If a senator or
a representative has anything ID him at
all, it is bound to come out in a rough
and tumble debate with political op-
ponent. Many Of the congressman have
already had their genius i'll this direc-
tiOn tested upon the stump and know
how to hold their own in the face Of all
corners. It does not always follow, how
ever, that statesman who il good il
debate will achieve fame by uttering a
phrase that becomes popular.
To 60 back to the beginning Of con
gressional history ~ To discover many
phrases uttered in congress which are
still current 1t was as far back as 1890,
for instance, that Felix Walker, a mem
Der of the North Carolina district which
included BUncombe county, apologized
for the emptiness of his remarks by
stating that he had to make a speech
''just for Buncombe P" This IL a saying
which has come down through the years
as byword Liberty and union, one
and inseparable, now and forever, " was
uttered by Webster in his famous reply
to Hayne Lincom's with malice to-
ward none and charity toward all was
first heard i'll the halls Of congress when
his second inaugural address was read
to the assembled representatives III
later years Senator Ingalls, contributed
number of epigrammatic sentences, the
best known Of which perhaps was utter
ed in bis wordy duel with Senator
Brown of Georgia The latter had
habit Of rubbing his hands together as
he talked, and Ingalls,, with bitter EN-
phasis, described linn as washing his
hands with invisible soap in impercept
ible water F" Another remark BY Tn
gals was much quoted at the time. He
was discussing the oleomargarine bill
and said regarding certain dairy prod
ucts that he stood lin awe 1T their
strength aud reverence for their antiq-
uity." In Proctor Knott y widely copied
Duluth speech occurs that phrase, 1.-THE
zenith city Of the unsalted seas, a title
which Duluth has always proudly kept
Blaine and Cnkling. with all their
greatness, left no single phrase as a leg
acy Of their participation in congress
I sional debates. Burn these letters
was often quoted after the MulIgan af-
fair, but this sentence was not first ut
tered in congress The famous debate
between the two men, which estranged
their whole lives, occurred in April,
1866, over a very trivial matter-the
/ continuance Of Z = bureau Of the provost
marshal general 1t gave Blaine, how
ever, chance 10 satirize Conkling in q
single sentence. An article written by
Theodore Tilton had appeared ID which
Conkling had been hkened to Winter
I Davis. ''The resemblance is great, +" ex-
claimed Blaine, with pungent satire
1t is strikingl Hyperion to a satyr,
Thersites to Hercules, mud to marble,
dunghill to a diamond, q singed cat to
o Bengal tiger, whining puppy to
roaring lion"
Another debate in which COnkling,
/ then in the senate, was a conspicuous
I figure, resulted i'll Il sentence which has
not been forgotten. Senator Lamar Of
Mississippi had resented as q falsehood
\ . charge Of broken faith made by Mr..
/ Conkling, and the latter retorted that
Lamar was a coward, blackguard and
q liar. The Mississippi senator, who had
never been accused of cowardice, looked
over to his opponent and sarcastically
\ apologized for his first remark. Tt was
one, he said, '.such as do good man
\ would deserve and no brave man would
wear Then he waited for Conkling to
reply, but the New York senator was 81
\ lent
Many of the sharp things said in con-
gress are left out of Tie Record. Cobb's
sWhere was / at?' does not appear i'd
official print, and Senator Wolcott's
quotation Of the Spanish proverb to
/ Senator Carey, 1t is waste Of lather
I to shave al ass, - has also been cut ont
Y a few famous sentences came very near
having their origin in congress. Davy
Crockett, the author Of BE sure you re
right, then 70 ahead. was member Of
the house of representatives for two
years, but it does not appear that this
4 oft quoted advice was originated with
him there. Henry Clay =. | would rath
er be right than president" was said to
some friends at the capitol, but not in
public debate. Senator Sherman, too, is
the author Of the '.mending fences =
phrase, although ha waited until lie was
at his home in Mansfield before he ut
tered it, While Hayes was still presi-
dent and Mr.. sherman was secretary Of
the treasury Ne entertained hopes If a
presidential nomination. just before the
Republican national convention met lie
went to Mansfield, and while there was
called upon for a speech. lid the course
of his remarks Mr.. Sherman denied hav-
ing travelled TO Ohio topromoto his pres
idential aspirations. ~ have simply
cOme,' be said, ito mend my fences.
which are greatly i'm need Of repair. -
Washington Post
Plenty Of Room.
Australia has population Of less
than 1000, 600. but economists declare
it could support 100, 900, 600 with ease
AS q ,,,eanS ~ sboxviuo how ear the