The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05

or;o,nal he tears the House up by lhe
,ooIs whenever he addresses 1t. IL lese'ii
b,es q circus in town off the rautoau'
W2armine with his argument, the noun"
taineer congressman rs Datheu III - =
ration. His shirt collar Wits auu u -
Wristbands melt In his Sesucu i-,',1l
eu,abs his face with his pocket hahohSi
cbief adding emphasis to his argument ny
tbo verv swabbing. His words well 10 ms
Ii,s eaenninelv unbidden, and are utIeiSu
with rapidity and precision AueiT 80. g.
thunder-storms and vivid flashes oil hgpt,
ming in his speeches, but SOFT tioIiiSett
elxies and golden sunsets follow, bnSAh
Anon the atmosphere is irIdescehl WIN YIN
sarcasm He throws pictures upon 'ns
cIouds-nictures that recall the pencll OF
Hogarth. Finally, he winds up with
terse and mastery summing up toppius
If off withtA quotation from either SNAKES
peare or the Bible, fathers up MS papers,
and resumes his seat. Then the speH is
broken. Members flock about ham IN con-
era tulation and the House regains It's COM
posture.
Judge Linney anybody who is not a
colonel or a general is a judge IN the
House) is Sc years old. He was private
in the confederate army, and was so panly
wounded at Charlottesville that he was
discharged from the service. His pre-
paratory schol for congress was three
terms in the legislature of North Carroll
ma. Fortunately or unfortunately, for
him he is a member of the committee on
elections and of no other important com
mittee All his speeches have been de-
livered on election contests. They are in
lice with his law practice. He analyzes the
evidence and addresses the House as he
would address a North Carolina jury. In
this session, however, he may have occa-
sion to display his abilities in another field
one in which reverberations from his
speeches may be heard throughout the
land.
THE PACIFIC CHINOOK.
A third picturesque figure in the House
is James H. Lewis of the state of Wash
ington He is unique, but not antique. In
figure and personality he is more than
picturesque. His attire would be study
for both the Count d'Orsay and e. Berry
Wall. Lord Chesterfield himself never
had more grace,,sAn adeptsin all the amen
tiles and courtes!es of parliamentary life,
his diction and composition are as chaste
and elegant as his dress. With disheveled
auburn hair and Macmillan beard and
mustache and manners faultless, he would
attract as much attention at convention
of the evangelical alliance as in the House
of Representatives. Arrayed in gray with
a yellow waistcoat four-in-hand silk tie
and white spats adjoining his patent leath-
eT SHOeS, ne might not lQaDJly be termed
the Beau Brummel of the House. Senator
Wolcott in all his glory was never array
ed like ]. Hamilton Lewis. The latter
speaks rapidly, distinctly enunciating each
word and trilling his RS like a graduate
of Trinity College, Dublin.
He was born in Danville, Va, thirty
four years ago. He was educated at the
| University of Virginia, and studied law
In Savannah, Ga. At 10
| he was admitted to the
bar, and winged his flight to Seat
| tie, finally settling down in congress with
1884 majority. He Is the only democrat
who was ever elected to congress from
the state of Washington. In the extra ses-
| sion Lewis sprang to the front DESPITE the
| frownngs of the veterans, and made a
! squirt for the leadership. He raised points
| Of order increasingly, and gave the opposi-
ton and some of his confreres much an
noyance. At first the speaker gave him ex-
| IRENE latitude and was disposed to play
him off against Jerry Simpson, whose guer-
rilla warfare was extremely harassing But
as Lewis tactics began to develop Mr..
Reed became wary. then stern, and finally
rudely squelched him.
While extremely persistent, Lewis
never lost his Chesterfieldian grace nor
compromised his dignity. He kept his
temper where many of the older members
| would have boiled over with rage and
maintained his SAVIOR faire to the day of
adjournment. His arguments against do
! ing business before the appointment of the
| committees were based upon constitution
! al grounds. They showed careful study
| and research, and in time to come are
! apt to attract public attention The name
of MI. Lewis appears upon the commit
tee on public lands, and nowhere else.
| This does not give him much of an Cd
| portunity to shine in debate, but he is a
man of tact and resources, and Is liable
to break in at any moment and astound
the men who are gripping the legislative
reins.
A BOLD NORTHEASTERN.
A fourth picturesque figure is Cyrus A.
| Sulloway of New Hampshire He is the
| tallest man on the floor, and looks more
| like a Kentuckian than like a Granite
state yankee. Only twice has he claimed
the attention of the House. Both times he
| got il and riveted it. His quaint flow of
eloauence drew the loungers from
the cloak rooms and delighted the gal
| leries.
Private pension bills reported from the
committee Of which Cyrus is a member
were the sources OF the inspiration. One
was passed over the Presidents veto, and
the other went through the House as
though shot out of a gun, after Cyrus sat
down. The flow came straight from the
heart, and foreshadowed what may hap
pen If the midriff of this tall son of Anak
is ever touched in discussion of a great
| national question.
Yet after ALL the picturesque figures of
! the House are the veterans who have
| charge of the great appropriation bills.
They are the axles upon which the wheels
! of government revolve. 1t Is sight new
| err to be forgotten to see old Joe Cannon
shove through the House the sundry civil
| or the legislative, executive and judicial
appropriation bill. Amid a shower OF
questions and a storm of amendments he
pursues the even tenor of his way giving
| ground here and taking ground there, oc-
casionally waxing hot but never remittinp
his exertons until the last item of the bill
drags its weary way out of the commit
tee of the whole and receives the sanction
| of the House.
OTHER NOTED FIGURES
Equally interesting is il to witness the
impetuous Bouteile driving the naval ap-
nroprIatioa bill over 10 the Senate AND