The Republican journal., 1897-01-21
Prominent Men in congress.
Of Some Of the Nations Law.
makers,

vided for spectators in the two branches
of Congress gradually fill up, and no mat
ter how dull the proceedings may be,
there is always liberal audience to be
found in the galleries. The moment a
breezy debate is started on the floor there
is a long line of men outside the doors
leading to the galleries, waiting for seats,
for it is one of the rules of both houses
that no persons are allowed to stand in the
galleries. Many of the spectators are reg
ular attendants, and can pick out all the
prominent members of Congress and dis
tinguished senators, says correspondent
in the Brooklyn Eagle. They are famil-
lar with all the whims and idiosyncrasies
of the statesmen, and delight to relate
anecdotes of this congressman or that.
Just at present Senator Cullom is the
hero with the gallery habitues, as his
stirring speech on free Cuba has brought
/ his name prominently to the 'front.' The
Illinois statesman prides himself on his
resemblance to Abraham Lincoln, and he
has his iron gray chin and side whiskers
trimmed in the style affected by the mar
tyred President. His tall and spare figure
has the peculiar stoop that characterized
Lincoln's personal appearance, and there
are other points of resem blance between
the Illinois senator and the war President.
Cullom is an extremely nervous man, and
this fact crops ont in nearly all of his hab-
it's While SITTING in tbe Senate listening
tn . 6ab.+e bic hands ara h,cv ro1linG
stri,s of nanar ;nto ta,ars. then no mp
winds tbem and te,,,S tLa,, into sma11
hits At the close of each davis session
the Garnet ahont his desk is covered with
FRAGMENTS OF naper Senator Cullom is
what is termed 4 self-m,da man HE
parent, We're poor and his early bovbood
DAYS were spent in toilino ON a farm His
education was gained duriny tba winters
and later on at the country scboolbouse
When he became A younp man he studied
law. GOT into poljtics in a small wav he
came Governor of his state was elected tn
Congress and later was sent to the Senate.
Senator Harris of Tennessee is an in
terestinu foure ON the floor His rudav
face and pjcturesoue hair and goatae
have earned for him the name of the man
DARN. His characteristic attitude in the
Senate is striking. 1t is that of fine
heavy man in the TRAGEDY with modi-
ficatiou of the Henry Irying nose and
facial expression. He stands with tight
" drawn muscles, shoulders SLIGHTLY
bent forward. Inns comnressed and hrow
contracted with an expression of blood.
curdling determination. There is a suo.
gestion OF slow music when he moves
about the Senate. or rises to olive an ey-
preston of his views with one tinupr
drawn threateniuolv like a weanon nn Tic
colleagues.
SITTING directly in front of Harris is an
other UNIQUE figure. II is that Of Sena-
tor Cockrell. the farmer Statesman from
Missouri He is a man of democratic
habits and made name for himself i'm
mediately upon takinu his seat in the Son
ate by refusing point black to attend q
State reception because # involved wear-
ing dress suit. which he regarded as nm
becoming a REPRESENTATIVE OF a farming
constituency. His personal annearance
is strongly suggestive of the tvnical farm
er as portrayed in comic weeklies He
has a fringe of hair around tbe lower
part of his head and a buncb of wbisLars
of the Hackensack variety adorns his
chin. A pair of steel trimmed snectacles
rests on the end of his long and severe
looking nose. Cockreu has been termed
the watchdog of the Senate for there is
nothing more CALLING to him than to see a
bill pass the Senate CARVING a liberal an
propriation. He also keeps a close tab On
pension bills. .and as long as he is in the
Senate no measure that has NOT been
thoroughly reviewed and adiscussed can
get very far through the legislative mill
before the objection of the Missourian
Senator is heard.
The habitual attitude of Senator Vest
the colleague of Cockrell. is to sit deem
down in his chair. with his leos sGobtlv
apart. and his head so drawn that his ears
and shoulders are about on a level In
this position one might think he has
neither neck nor chin. Vest has the ran
utation of being the off hand sneaker in
the upper house. No one can to,ch him
if his t.mner is ,ronsad ava
the debate is of a personal nature His
wit is as keen as knife. and his sarcasm
as hitter as call To tbis FACT Secretar,l
Morton can testify. for durino the fra.
ouent controversies between the secretarv
of aoriculture and the senator from Nc,
souri, the latter has. fiourativelv sneaking
spitted his adversary and held him nm to
the scorn and ridicnle of all
Probably no member of the Sonata oo+s
his name printed in the ConoressionaI
Record so freouentlv as does Senator C,n
of Florida 4 visitor dronninn into +ha
Senate GALLERY on anv dav tbat +b.t hodu
is CONSIDERING a nnhlic measura is s1n,oSt
s,re To hear q sneocb from, tho Elorido
sens+or NJ s,,hieot is FOO d,,- 80 ~
II cannot ha said bowever th.+ Ca1i i,n.
n.inad ,nnob ~ a1oo,on'o 49,; 49, Les Los
n,nv ,ears Of sneal,inrr " ~ S us