The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-28
A srArEsMAN Discussed.
Some Punaent ana Pointed Observn-
lions on senator IShnm q. Harris.
From the Chlcago rImes-tLera.

From the Chicago Times Herald.
If Senator Isham G. Harris of Tennessee
should ever die-and there are grave doubts
that he ever wnl--there viii be gathered
to his fathers as typical buecaneer as
ever sailed the Spanish main Looking az
this old man, with his heavy figure. beet
ling brows and ferocious mustache, OBJ.
serving his constant pugnacity OF man
ner and listening to the fierce. raucous
voice of him. 1t is easy to picture him
upon the forward deck Of some black low
lying schooner while the half-gale huns
in the booming canvas and the skull and
crossbones whip over his head He would
have been good comrade to English or
Morgan in the days when the smoke of
burning Panama dimmed the sun. He
would have been first In boarding. relent-
less in pursuit, and he would have fought
and the shivered planks parted beneath
his feet. Living in these dun times, he Is
forced to content himself with glaring VEN
omously across the Senate chamber at his
political foemen or causing poor old Nor
rill of Vermont spasms of nervousness
with hoarse-voiced demands for eXpana-
ton of some harmless statement,
No one knows how old he is. For many
year he has refused TO state his age 20
the compilers of the congressional diree-
tory-that remarkable work wherein con-
gressmen write their own biographies and
say warmly praiseful things of themselves
No doubt some member of his family
knows but the secret is carefully gu0rded
He has seen, however, more than eighty
summers and a corresponding number OF
winters May he see many more We could
better spare a better man. He is unique.
His eye still CLEANS kindly for a pretty
woman. He still preserves and uses the
most wonderful swear-word vocabulary
east of the Rocky mountains. He Is stu
| game for a twenty-four- hour sitting when
| 1t takes Jacks or better to open and the
| limit is the ceiling. He still contends that
| the pharmacopeia holds no medicine like
| eight-year-old bourbon, and gives daily
proof of his belief in Its virtues. He Is
| picked in IL.
His long, long term in the legislative
service OF his country has taught him one
thing; he does not make speeches He
| has no time to give to set orations. DC
casionally he has his secretary write and
| prints it in the Congressional Record, but
| he does not waste his voice on IT, He
saves that organ for harassing and brow
! beating his opponents. His influence
| which Is greats reserved for work in
| the committee rooms He knows the in
ner ways of legislation thoroughly. His
! mark Is upon many OF our statutes with
| which his name was never publicly con-
nected. He is an acute manager of de-
1 bates, and his advice is always listened
| to and frequently taken by his party as
| sociates Many times, when the fate of a
| motion Is in doubt, he will take the floor
| and attempt to carry IL or defeat 1t by
| sheer brute force and aggressiveness.
| "Bulldozlng' is the common name for It.
| With all of this, he has much cunning
| He is able to temporze. lie will 90 at a
| thing by an underground way when per-
| suaded that it Is best. He resembles Mai
| Joseph Bagstock only IN that he Is 'dev-
illsh sly" The minor officials of the de-
| partmeuts never see him. When he wants
| job for a political supporter he goes
| straight to headquarters. Generally he
gets It. He has been very successful In
this wav. In proportion to the size of his
state no man has got more pie" When
| democracy Is regnant to, have Harris
support Is pretty nearly equivalent to
drawing government salary. He is In
| grainedly honest. His word is as good as
his bond. He is not popular even IN his
own state. But he is respected and large
| ~ feared. Free coinage Of silver is his
| shibboleth. lie has been steadfast
| champion Of the white metal since Il got
into difficulties more than twenty years
ago.
For his honesty: When the federas got
possession of Tennessee Harris. who was
governor, disappeared with $60000 in gold
| belonging to the state. Parson Brownlow
| put price on his head. More than year
after the war ended Harris walked into
Brownow's Office The "Parson," who
was near to deaths door. was stretched
on a sofa. Hello. Harris" said Brown
| low. Hello Brownlow," said Harris.
| where's that $600O0?" said Brownlow.
Here It is. said Harris laying the money
in bills on the table. II was determined
-. -. 9
"All right" said BTowniow, and turning
his face to the wall went to sleep. Harris
had carried the sum on his person for a
long time and then had taken II with him
| to the City Of Mexico. Not a cent was
missing. More than once he had lacked
food, but the states funds were sacred.
For his love of poker: When the Fifty
third congress assembled Josiah Patter.
son, who represents the Memphis district,
entered Harris committee room. They
had not met since the previous March,
/ Several statesmen high in the nation >
| councils were present. "Why, how do
you do. senator, how do you do?" said
Patterson, rushing forward with out
| stretched hand II can't tell you, sem
YOU do-how do you dor" BLANK blank
your soul, Patterson" growled the old
gentleman, glarng at him, where's that
dollar you owe me?'
| For his views on silver: When CleVe-
land called the extra session Of 1899 to re-
peal the purchasing clause of the Sher-
man act the New York Herald polled con-
gress for and against the proposition. Sem
ator Harris was on my list. | met him In
the corridor back OF the Senate cham
Der. 1t was late I'm the afternoon, he was
just up from the restaurant, and he had
in him his usual quantity Of malaria kill
er. THE New York Herald is polling con-
gress for and against silver" / said. How
do you stand SENATOR" He stared at me
ferociously. ITS none OF your 49, --
| businossy he snorted. Then he stalked
into the Senate chamber mutterlng to him
eelf. There are times when Mr.. Harris Is
a little trying.
For his love OF cool liquor: Joe Shelby
of Missouri came TO Washington In 1893
to press his claims to the United States
marshalship Of the Western district Of his
state. The two men had not met since
1866 when they were members Of the Car
| iotta" co.ony near the City OF Mexico.
Shelby ran across Harris IN the marble
room" OF the capitol and spoke TO him ef
| fusively. "D--n you, sub. / didn't know
YOU" growled Harris why, I'm Shelby
loo Shelby" "Ah, how do Shelby" he