The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-11
SOME CATCHY PHRASES.
utyIOr THEM FIRST UTTERED IN
JUE MUS or CONGRESS.
Cobb,s Oucry an Esample-An Alabama
Congressman Wanted to Know
where lie Was At,

Many Of the best known and most
quoted phrases with which the American
/ people are familiar originated IN con-
There is no reason why. II a good thing
! f. said upon the floor OF the senate or
House. the country should not know 1t
| in twenty-fOur hours. Win press gal
! lcry throngcd with correspondents VINO
are always ready and eager TO pick up
the novel phrase or the apt description,
with the great press associations distrib-
ufing the debates from one end OF the
/ country 10 the other. and with news
! Dapcrs only too anxious 10 give currency
/ 10 the latest expression, man VINO says
! a good thing in Congress one afternoon
/ may wake up the next morning ana ma
! his saying in cverybody's mouth There
! IS something in the atm0sr here u Con-
/ crrss too. that develops tac lttont wit
! and inspires 10 rcpartee. lt senator or
| a Representative has anything In him at
| all il is bound 10 come out In rough
and-tumble debate with a political op
/ poncnt Many OF the congressman nave
already had their genius In this direction
/ tested upOn the stump, and know how 10
/ hold their own I'm the face of all corners.
II does not always follow, however. that
a statesman who is good I'm debate Will
| achieve fans 10y uttering phrase thar
/ becomes popular. Take Tom Reed Tor
| instance. No one is better equipped than
he for the fortunes Of debate. Expert
encc. sarcasm. irony, keen Yankee
sense of humor. a drawl that gives point
/ IN oach shaft of vital these has Reed,
and yet not one Of his sentences ever
paseod current from lip to lip. as the
! humble nickel slips from hand to hand.
"Mn. sprAKEn. WHERE WAS AT:'
4. I'm. Of a4fr f4trr
himself famous, Representative Cobb, OF
| Alabama. until that moment practically
obscure achieved I'm an instant a notori-
oty which Alr. Reed has never been able
30 attain. To was on an April day three
| Years auo that Mr.. Cobb uttered an eX-
preston which still lives IN current slang.
! The Moves Rockwell contested election
! case was under discussion. and Mr. COBB
cssaycd TO champion the cause Of Dir.
Noyes. tho Democrat, who was not given
! his seat The case was full Of interest,
and Che floor and galleries were throns sd'
Mr.. cobb started in carly ia the day. lie
is snlu OF gpa'c build and dyspervc
! eofuferanr. Ifa weak. sgheahr voice.
/ As Doc progressed with his remarks he
] part0ok u some liquid from 4 small cup
spcn his desk. and the more be talked ana
The more DE drank inc turther ne iriil-
| ed away from has subject ard the more
| embarrassed did he seem TO become.
! Members began % interrupt him, thereby
/ adding go MS confusion. Finally, after
/ ATTEMPTING fD answer one Of the numcr-
/ 0us questions hurled at him, he turned
around 90 tho presiding officer and with
"a most pathetic, appealing tone inquired
"Nlr Speaker. where was at:
| The tremendous shout Of laughter that
| greeted this f0ilorn query has not ceased
| Vet "Where was l aty' and its sister
/ phrase. "Whcro am at?' are still echo
| ing along. even though those who repeat
them may have forgotten all about the
man who originated IL and the circum-
stances that gave t. birth. The question
was So funny and so expressive that u
has taken It's place IN the characteristic
literature of the day.
SENATOR vonG,s AID THE oucKoos.
Another ten-strike was made in Con-
ere-s by Senator Morgan. the veteran
| Democrat from Alabama. Senator Nor
gan does not lack fame. He is one or tho
most fluent orators in the Senate, as well
as one of the most learned men IN that
dirmiGed body. He needs no adventitious
| helps 20 public attention, and yet he
gained more notorety by a single phrase
! than had been given 10 him by columns or
able speeches During the debate on the
rareal OF the s0-called sherman silver law.
.n October. 1893. the President was al
times very bitterly attacked To his de-
fence lnyal.ahlc rushed senator Villas. or
| Wisconsin. a man with deep caNcrhous
| voice and "A habit of Trusting his head
forward 10 emphasize his words as he
! laid "a mantle of gush upon the belabored
| administration. 10 was just after Mr.. VI
! las had given one of these exhibitions
that Senator Morgan said:
The trumpet had sounded the forces
were marshallod. The clock had struck ~
! the White House. and the cuchoos mere
in the Senate put their heads out OF the
boxes and responded 20 inform us the
time Of day.
And "cuckoos" have they been called
ever eincel
But Senator Morgan was not the first
man t0 use the cuckoo phrase I'm Congress.
| Many years ago. when the debate ON the
/ Missouri compromise was ia progress, a
member from Ohio continually sought 10
end speech which Mr.. Randolph was
| making with cries Of previous question
| Finally. nettled at the interruptions, Mr..
! Randolph said.
Air Sneaker. I'm the Netherlands man
of small capacity, with bits Of wood
| and leather will in a few minutes con-
! struct "a toy that. with tho pressure or
a finger and the thumb. cry "cuckooi
cuckoo with less of ingenuity, ana
| with inferior materials. the people or
| Ohio have made o. toy that Will, with
ont much pressure. cry Previous ques-
ton. Mr. Speaker previous question:
TIE FIRST BUNcoMBE srEEcH.
To eodack 10 the beginning Of Congress
| s.or.l history is 90 discover many phrases
uttered I'm Congress which are still cur
rent IL was far back as lsN, for IN
stance. that Felix Walker, a member OF
! the N0rth Carolina district which Included
Buncombe county apoloszed for the emp
tlness Of his remarks by stating that he
| had 10 make a speech Gust for Bum
combe. This IS "a saying which has come
down through the years as by-"ord.
Liberty and union, one and inseparafle,
now and forever" was uttered by
Webster I'm his famous reply 10 Hayne.
! Ifucoln's with malice tow ara none ana
charity toward all'' was FIRST heard IN the
! halls of Congress when his second IN
au.,sral address WIS read 10 the as
semhled Repres antatives. In later years
Senator ingalls, contributed a number Of
opierammatic sentences. the best known
of which. perhaps was uttered In his
wordy duel with Senator Brown, OF Geor-