The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-08-17

party enthusiasm that will bear good
fruit in the future The affair, according
to several congressman. brought TO the
front many brilliant speakers whose fame
has hitherto been confined to their re-
spective localities in the South and West,
and gives prominence to the thought that
the democrats will enter the next presl-
Dental contest with an array OF young
stars whose brlliancy will eclipse the
brightes: lights Of the old political school
Many Of these new spell binders are mem
bers OF the present house, and viii pos
sibly DO heard next winter, when the
fioodgates OF oratory are opened. Fron4
all accounts. Hon. Il. g. DeGraffenreid
who represents the Third Texas district
in congress, carried off the honors Ac-
cordlng to one OF the Ohio delegation, the
dashing young Texans fervid eioauence
at thu Tammany pow-wow fairly captured
tho old time braves and each telling point
was received with yells that shook the roof
OF the wgwam. One OF the New York pa
pars says. His voice was as big as the
State from which he halls He Is SPLEEN
did specimen OF Texas manhood, and since
his sitting In the present congress he has
made many friends. none of whom sus-
pectod oratorical qualities OF such a high
character. His speech abounded in apt
quotations, brilliant metaphor and Quaini
sentences that produced applause from the
hands OF old congressional critics who
having heard all tho famed orators of the
last twenty-five yeam are not easily car
ried away by ordinary campaign elo-
quencc."
Ihet, happen to know, was written by
Congressman John Lentz OF Ohio, himself
one OF the ablest orators in democratic
ranks and an impartial Judge OF tho ora
toricai ability OF other men. 1t is a hand
soma tribute, corkng from such a source
and one that is well deserved.
DEMOCR ACV'g OIrrr opI-
Speaking of the future outlook of the
democratic party, Colonel DeGraffenreid
said to ME:
do YOU know 1t couldn't be better.
defeat is always unpleasant. but 1t is often
OF value In one way or another. That of
last year was OF benefit. for the results
winch have followed republican victory
nave answered most eloquently many of the
contentious of the enemy There have been
object lessons of republican prosperity that
VIII De OF value in the future. The wisdom
OF the senate In putting no obstacle IN rhs
way OF the republicans In their tariff bIll
mas already been demonstrated Tho re
publican plan TO bring prosperity IL AL
READY an acknowledged failure. In the rcx,
eahpilSh the people will give the COM
10
priiiiaht bryan as the leader, victory Will
be assured" "'''
nave peen much interested In De(fraff-
eh'eiu' Key to the genial personality OF
me man is found in the fact that from one
emu emu OF Texas to the other he is known as
r orali' Inere are no needless irills In
ieSas. Just because fellow has been
elected to congress his friends do not feel
IL incumbent upon them TO forge, that he
Is enc OF the boys. nor do they suddenly
forret that he has been Jim or "BiIr'
10 them from their boyhood. He Is Jim
or Biir still Even II the sashi,n were
otherwise. IL wouldn't hold in this case. for
Gran would have none OF it.
When get too good TO be one Of the
oo's. he exclaimed. II shall expect them
10 forget me. They'll have the right 10.
But never expect 10 reach that stage.
IN one OF EN- as always have been. and
there's no sense In frills Just because they
have sent me up here TO congress"
FROM BRAKEMAN TO CONGRESS.
From railway brakeman to connre.s
seems pretty big jump. Not that there
may not be many brakemen who would
II given the chance. make good congress
men. but the fact is they are not often
given the chance
I'm willing to gamble that Gran was one
OF the finest brakemen Texas ever knew.
leader OF his fellows. lie is n native
OF Tennessee, and before be was 20 had
started al the practice Of law. But nj
that age the life was too much OF the
humdrum for him. and after year Ia
Chattanooga, he went out TO Texas aud
worked on the construction OF the Texas
and Pacific railroad. After IL was built
be started TO braking on the road and
was made assistant fuel agent while sery-
ing in that capacity. In u couple OF years
/ he settled down 10 the practice OF the
law at Longsiew. and has been there since
u successful lawyer and one OF the most
| active democrats In his part of the state.
He made race for congress against Buck
kiisorc and Ex-Governor Hubbard in 1880
but was NOT nominated. last year he was
! chosen as the standard bearer and made
| a brilliant campaign.
| While he has had no opportunity In con-
sress to display his ability as AN orator
his speech at Tammany attracted much
attention. and he has been urged BY DEM
ocratfc managers TO take part In the Ohio
and Maryland campaigns He will prob
ably raise his voice In behalf OF the cause
Of the people in those States. and WHEN
he does he Is going to TO be heard. There