The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-09
A DIMINUTIVE SPECIMEN.

turned home and resumed the practice
OF his profession. 1t is true that strip
ling from Stockton. by the name of
De Vries, was elected to Congress and
has taken his seat, but there is still a
vacancy.
The House having under consideration
the question of an impost duty on as
phaltum and bitumen in order to pro-
tect the price of that article in the East,
Mr.. De Vries addressed the House in
what has been termed his maiden speech.
The maiden speech of a Congressman is
always trying position. 1t is the first
indication of the breadth of his mind,
the judicial poise of his character and
generally solves the question whether
he is to be a Congressman or dema-
gogue; whether he is to represent the
district or faction; whether he is to
oppose certain interests for the sole sake
of popularity; or whether he has breadth
and grasp enough to understand that in
becoming a Congressman in a repre-
sentative Government, he becomes
something more than his individual self
and becomes the representative of all
the industrial and commercial interests
in which the citizens of his district or
the citizens of the United States may
be enga ged.
Mr.. De Vries in discussing the question
as to whether a tariff should be placed
upon asphaltum and bitumen went out
of his way to declare that instead of
tariff the Congress of the United States
should see to it that cheap railroad
rates were established between Cali
fornia where large quantities of bitumen
existed and the Eastern States. To Mr..
De Vries' diminutive comprehension, the
question was not one relating to the
asphaltum found in Georgia or Pennsyl-
vania, but solely as to the article which
could be found in California He, there
fore, in an ex cathedra way, told the
Congress of the United States that the
proper adjustment of this question was
to take hold of the Pacific railroad ques-
ton in such shape that corporations
which charge exorbitant rates might be
compelled to do justice to the people of
the East as well as to the people of
California. He did not vouchsafe any
suggestion as to the shape in which
they should put the Pacific railroad
question, but used that peculiar tumble
Of words in which all small minded dem
agogues love to take refuge. For in
stance take hold of the Pacific railroad
question" is phrase which would dis
grace a country schoolmaster; and ito
put that question in such a shape" is
another Indication of a dusty mind.
But this was not all; nor yet the worst.
Mr. De Vries, after having laid this lit
tie robins egg of a speech, cackled, and
the manner of his cackling is told by
correspondent Of the Examiner
One of the greatest obstacles I en-
counteTed in my campaign said he in
chatting the Examiner" correspon-
dent was TO convince the people that
/ was really in earnest in my promise
to fight the Pacific railroads if elected TO
Congress-"
This broad-browed breeziness of chat
ting with the Examiner correspondent
and declaring that he was in earnest in
his promise to fight the railroads if cleo
ed to Congress, is the best indication
that Mr.. De Vries is merely in the foetal
stage of craftsmanship development.
His campaign speeches were unques-
tionably the prosiest assemblage of
words with paucity of ideas that it has
ever been the hard fate of the people of
this district to endure
But the mournful spectacle is now
presented Of a fellow who supposes that
he is Jack and has killed the giant. He
has made a speech and has told the
people that the way to get asphaltum
cheap was to make railroads carry it at
low rates. He did not explain to the
Congress Of the United States in a
practical. coTnmon-sense fashion how
his suggestion should be accepted as
superseding the proposition before the
House to place a tariff on asphaltum
and bitumen: that was not the object
of the speech. The prime object of that
speech eliminated in talking with the
Examiner correspondent He had
promised to fight the Pacific Railroads
He had become a Congressman upon a
promise that certain interests in his
district should have no protection at
his hands. He had succeeded in inter-
jecting 4 wholly Irrelevant proposition
to the measure before the House of
Representatives of the United States.
and he Immediately proceeded to chat
with the EXAMINER correspondent
and TO refer to the obstacles which he
had incurred in his great campaign.
1t does not appear to be known to Mr..
DE Nries that neither he nor his per-
sonaity was scarcely an element of the
campaign; that an agitation which
stirred the pool of, politics to its very
depth cast him up from the bottom be-
cause he was light and would float.
1t may be pardonable in a Congress
man TO declare that he viii fight GER
tain policies; that he viii oppose their
establishment in the fixed policies of
the nation but it is infinitely small in
any one who claims to represent the
people Of Congressional District in a
republic to declare that he proposes TO
frhf a specific interest nc NJ ~ w.t..