The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-11-23
MADE IN CONGRESS.
CATCHY PHRASES THAT HAVE CONE
INTO COMMON USE.

In 182O-BIaine and ConkiinE In D~bat~
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, IL 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 ara
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, man who says good
thing in congress one afternoon NAV
wake up the next morning and find his
saying in everybody's mouth. There is
something in the atmosphere of con-
grcss, too, that develops the latent wit
and inspires to repartee. If senator or
a representative has anything in him at
ALL it is bound to come out in rough
and tumble debate with political op-
ponent Many of the congressman have
already had their genius in this direc-
ton tested upon the stump and know
how to hold their own in the face Of all
corners. 1t does not always follow, how
ever, that a statesman who is good in
debate will achieve fame by uttering
phrase that becomes popular.
To 70 back to the beginning Of con-
gIessional history is to discover many
phrases uttered in congress which are
still current. 1t was as far back as 1920,
for instance, that Felix Walker, men,
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. This is a saying
,, which has come down through the years
as a byword. Liberty and union, one
and inseparable, now end forever, was
uttered by Webster in his famous reply
to Hayne. Lincoln's with malice to-
ward none and charity toward all'' was
first heard in the halls Of congress when
= his second inaugural address was read
to the assembled representatives. In
a later years Senator Ingalls, contributed
g number Of epigrammatic sentences, the
t best known of which perhaps was utter
s ed in his wordy duel with Senator
n Brown Of Georgia. The latter had
r habit Of rubbing his hands together as
4 he talked, and ingalls,. with bitter en-
d phasis, described him as washing his
S hands with invisible soap in impercept-
e ible water - Another remark by In
!, gals was much quoted at the time. He
2 was discussing the oleomargarine bill
/ and said regarding certain dairy prod
o ucts that he stood Sin awe at their
/ strength and reverence for their antiq
uity." In Proctor Knott's widely copied
: Duluth speech occurs that phrase, tho
d zenith city Of the unsalted seas, title
IS which Dulath has always proudly kept.
q Blaine and Conkling, with all their
Is greatness, left no single phrase as leg
10 acy of their participation in congress
l. sional debates. Burn these letters
D. was often quoted after the Mulligan af-
TX fair, but this sentence was not first ut
le tered in congress The famous debate
be between the two men, which estranged
il their whole lives, occurred in April,
I'd 1866, over very trivial matter-the
a continuance of the bureau Of the provost
in marshal general 1t gave Blaine, how
N ever, a chance to satirize Conkling in a
s. single sentence An article written by
is Theodore Tilton had appeared in which
Conkling had been hkened to Winter
q Davis. The resemblance is great, ex-
er claimed Blaine, with pungent satire.
k. 1t is strikingl Hyperion to sascr,
SIS Thersites to Hercules, mud to marble, a
al dunghill to a diamond, q singed cat to
IS. a Bengal tiger, whining puppy to
ed roaring lion.
H. Another debate in which Conkling,
oy then in the senate, was conspicuous
ITS figure, resulted i'll a sentence which has
IL not been forgotten. Senator Lamar OF
ry Mississippi had resented as falsehood
a charge of broken faith made by Mr..
'ir Conkling, and the latter retorted that
us Lamar was a coward, n blackguard and
en- liar. The Mississippi senator, who hae
'es never been accused of cowardice, looked
re over to his opponent and sarcastically
n apologized for his first remark. 1t wai
S. one, he said, "such as no good mar
would deserve and no brave man woulC
wear" Then he waited for Conkling e
ns reply, but the New York senator was 81
TIC lent
nc Many of the sharp things said in con
eu gress are left ont of The Record Cobb
s. Where was l at?" does not appear II
ne official print, and Senator Wolcott Z
'ie quotation of the Spanish proverb q
en- Senator Carey, 1T is n waste of lathe
e. to shave an ass, has also been cut out
On A few famous sentences came very nea
'oi having their origin in congress Day,
UT Crockett, the author of BE sure you r
~, night, then 90 ahead. was member o
'eu the house of representatives for tw
years, but it does not appear that TIN
OF quoted advice was originated wit
on him there. Henry Clay's 81 would rath
vi er be right than president" was said I
i some friends at the capitol, but not i
ns public debate Senator Sherman, too,
* the author of the intending fences
ne phrase, although he waited until he wa