St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-04-03
Made in Congress.
Catchy Phrases that Have Come into Com
mon Use.

thing Isl 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. man who says good
thing in congress one afternoon may
wake up the next morning and find his
saying in everybody's mouth There is
something in the atmosphere Of con-
gress, too, that develops the latent wit
and inspires to repartee. If a senator or
representative has anything in him at
all, it is bound to come out in rough
and tumble debate with political OPP
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 statesman who is good in
debate will achieve fame by uttering a
phrase that becomes popular.
To go back to the beginning Of con-
gressional 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, 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." This is a saying
which has come down through the years
as a byword. "Liberty and union, one
and inseparable, now and forever" was
uttered by Webster in his famous reply
to Hayne. Lincoln's with malice to-
ward mono and charity toward all" was
first heard in the halls Of congress when
his second inaugural address was read
to the assembled representatives. In
later years Senator ingalls, contributed a
number of epigrammatic sentences, the
best known Of which perhaps was utter
ed in his wordy duel with Senator
Brown of Georgia. The latter had a
habit of rubbing his hands together as
he talked, and Ingalls,, with bitter en-
phasis, described him as washing his
hands with invisible soap in impercept-
ible water" Another remark by In
gals was much quoted at the time. He
was discussing the oleomargarine bill
and said regarding certain dairy prod
ucts that he stood sin awe at their
strength and reverence for their antiq-
uity." In Proctor Knott widely copied
Duluth speech occurs that phrase, "the
zenith city of the nsalted seas" q title
which Duluth has always proudly kept
Blaine a-d Conkling, with all their
greatness, LIT no single phrase as leg
acy of their participation in congress
sional debates. Burn these letter"
was often quoted after the Mulligan af-
fair, but this sentence was not first ut
tered i'll congress. The famous debate
between the two men, which estranged
their whole lives, occurred in April,
1866, over very trivial matter-the
continuance of the bureau of the provost
marshal general 1t gave Blaine, how
ever, chance to satirize Conkling in a
single sentence. An article written by
Theodore Tilton had appeared in which
Conkling had been likened to Winter
Davis. "The resemblance is great" ex-
claimed Blaine, with pungent satire.
"It is strikingl Hyperion to satyr,
Thersites to Hercules, mud to marble, a
dunghill to diamond, singed cat to
Bengal tiger, whining puppy to q
roaring lion. "
Another debate in which Conkling,
then in tho senate, was q conspicuous
figure resulted in a sentence which has
not been forgotten, Senator Lamar OF
Mississippi had resented as falsehood
charge of broken faith made by Mr..
Conkling, and the latter retorted that
Lamar was q coward blackguard and
liar. The Mississippi senator, who had
never been accused of oowardice, looked
over to his opponent and sarcastically
apologized for his firstremark. ut was
one," he said, "such as no good man
would deserve and no brave man would
wear" Then he awaited for Conkling tc
reply, but the New York senator was ST.
lent.
Many Of tho sharp things said in con
gress are left out of The Record. Cobb'E
"Where was at?" does not appear in
official print, and Senator Woloott'i
quotation Of the Spanish proverb tc
Senator Carey, ut is waste of lathel
to shave an ass" has also been cut out
A few famous sentences came very neal
having their origin in congress. Davy
Crockett, the author of "Be sure you're
right. then go ahead was member Of
the house of representatives for two
years, but it does not appear that this
oft quoted advice was originated with
him there. Henry Clay's IL would rath-
or be- right than president" was said tc
some friends at the capitol, but not in
public debate. Senator Sherman, too, is
a., Ill.,. 90 +ho U,nondinp fenceq'