The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-26
SEATTLE, SUNDAY, JAN. ee.


Walter wellman. a representative Of tie
Chicago Times-Heraid. and one OF the best
OF Washington correspondents. in a recent
letter TO his paper took the United States
senate as a text and wrote mournfully yet
touchinRiy of It's decadence. The impress
sion he had gained was that comparison
OF the CHARACTERISTICS and capabilities OF
individual members of the present senate
with those OF the good old days could be
anything but fiattering TO our present law
makers He had good deal TO say about
the old-time dlgnified upper house and
shout the many men once in Il who had
great national regulations and about the
times when there was real craftsmanship
and when med!ocrity did not legislate for
The people OF the United States. And he
asks. where are the Conklings. the Thur
mans, the Fessendens. the Wades the
Becks. the Trumbnlls and the sumners2
This is a very common theme to descant
on-the degeneracy OF the United States
senate. They say that that body has fallen
upon evil days. that II IS no longer a
forum for statesmen but for small pollti-
clans: that Il Is not the place for Intellectual
giants. but for small-bralned money-mak-
ers: that instead Of oratory there IS now de-
bate that hardly rises 10 n reputable level:
that Instead OF finding brilliant broad and
commanding men one now searches in the
senate chamber and lights only upon ability
that scarcely comes up to the average. The
senate today. they say. IS far below It's for
~ IL.
fully noticeable. II there ara any strong
men 81 the body. possessing personal force
and influence enough TO point a way and
command a following. they have not shown
themselves. ard 50 a once respectable and
admirable del,berattve assembly simply
drifts along with nothing OF moment or
usefulness accomplished.
This IS a fashionable notion 10 hold re
garling the leading legislative chamber in
the country. but we think e Is al erroneous
one. Perhaps there may not be In the sen
ate az the present day such national ng-
ures as have made that body famous in
the past. bat Tor intelligence. education.
culture. experience. debating ability and
common sense Il is probable that the United
States senate OF 1896 would equal II not ex-
Gel the senate when Light was reflected
from some OF the great characters OF Amer
team history. The senate Is supposed 20
have been On its glory when Webster. Clay.
Calhoun. BENTON. Hayne ana perhaps half
n dozen others noropouxed the time and
made speeches whlch school eoys % sue
eeetln~ generations could use FOR de-la-
nation. They were no doubt great men.
bot they had great issues 70 ensross them
ana there was everything 70 bring out ahl-
ity ana latent power. Time has only added
C what they az ani Il there has been
lack OF establishment OF exaErerailon in
descriptions ~ those stirring battles when
slavery was first seized upon as bore -
contention. il has not been because q the
lack Of dsslre 70 elaborate. Newspapers
then we're few. the telegraph unknown.
and he achievements % the day were re-
tailed frora mouth - mouth. losing moth
ing n the repetition. Modern study. re-
search sai I'M estiE CATION IS working more
o. less az havoc with ths halo which Ter
years has hung over the famous senstes
which once met IN the stuny Nttls room
row occupied y the supreme court
Mr. wellman asks whore are tss sum
uers. ConkIings. Fesseraens. wascs ard
ThurmansT u 3 perhaps trese that this
business era q the century has not fur
rtshed opportunities for performances snca
IS gave the people mentioned name and
reputation before tae country. bat - ,As
cccasl5n were presented u IS likely they
woulI Pc eQGalet. II net surpassed \
comparison between the senate thirty years
ago when the great men named were "a
81. ard the senate - today does net w
silt - GlscTS1itaely 70 tAs .-gsSs ga e2s