Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-13
PITCHER ON OYSTERS.
HE DISCUSSES BIyALvEs AND
THEIR TAXATION.
THE LEGISLATOR SIZES HIM UP.
He Also Gives His Impressions Of
the Underwater People, the Best In
the WorId-A Danger and n Warm

ing.
have travelled many OF the States Oh
this Union, and I have measured up thou-
sands Of men in accordance with the
rules scientifically taught. l have seen
all the mental, moral, and physical types
from Bill Jones, the biggest 1901 ever
saw-the same Bill Jones whose dog got
his head caught in the pitcher, and Bill
cut off the dogs head to save the pitcher
and then broke the pitcher to save the |
dogs head. Yes 1 have seen types Oh
then all. from Bill Jones to William Jen-
nings Bryan, the biggest man 1 ever saw
the biggest man you ever saw.
And here I'm Richmond / have met an
uncommon man; the more see oil MN
the more he grows on me, the more nc
impresses me- His way is his own; ne
copies nothing. Many years ago there
was a man like him In Congress from
J Kentucky, Ben. Hardin was his name
and John Randolph called him The Old
Butcher Knife" Always dangerous al
ways cutting, sometimes sharp, some
times rough-edged. but always TO be con-
| sidered 10 be watched and reckoned win
when there was fight on hand.
have seen but one man get the slight
est advantage OF him in debate. Reduy'
of Richmond was the man. HAD the
circumstances been reversed 1t woulu not
| have been So Reddy had the right;
Pitcher the wrong.
In a "catch-as-catch-can fight II Is
barelv possible to down him, and it IS
| little use to down him, because he VIII
not stay down compound or TWO
| parts-horse sense, 80 per cent, sarcasm
| and that power Of repartee that rev
| possess. 80 per cent. Take without sha-
| king for the more you shake 1t the more
Won will wish it had been left to Settle
and vet IL is true he is as KIM, as gene
rous as gentlemanly, and as sympa-
thetjo as any man here; by nature one oi
the brainest men in the House or out OF IT,
cucb &c the man to whom l was re-
ferred as the person probably most capa-
HE of giving me information about TIDE
water Virginia, its fish and oysters, It's
men and measures.
Before going to Mr.. Pitcher had talked
with e dozen or more members Oh the
House from that section OF the state anu
after telling him OF my errand and the
information desired, i spoke OF these gen.
tlennen from Tidewater in the only way
that truth will permit. said that IN
some respects l thought them superior 10
our people from other portions Oh the
state; that while L found many big ana
manly brothers from the Naliey anu
Southwest wellnigh all that could De ue'
Z sired, yet there was an amiaDil'y' gen
tleness. and warmheartedness about these
ma rCr,1A
possessed. and that l could not account
, for IL unless fish and oysters produced
better man than hog and hominy were
capable of doing.
Pitcher said: Don't you understand II
Well this is your first term down mere
When you come back again maybe yo'
win know something. l have peer
coming here for sixteen years, and In al
that time found the same good Fellows
you find now; not the same men, but I'M
same kind of men. They know wha
r they want, and they know how TO get IL
They are too smart for our boys. The.
are Diplomatic; many of them are TaIley
rands. They fish and oyster down there
2 have the best things 10 eat and drink
keen i'm the shade, and smoke the Des
cigars. Nabobs? Yes, that is what the.
are. Good fellows. but they won't pa
q taxes like they ought TO. That is all
2 have against them"
, "Wen," said. they will no longe
escape. We now have the lie Cato bill
o with the Craig amendment and tn
4 Charles r. Bland attachment, ENDORSE
7 and underwritten by the Congressiona
l Rivalve Committee all of 1t harmonious
d blended and blown into one committee
O the Committee of Fisheries-a commtte
. of five. two Of whom are paid good sala
ries and three are paid nothing-a re
n markable piece of legislation. mastt
It stroke of craftsmanship. worthy the be-
DAVIS of the republic-a solution OF IN
difficulty, a plain. common-sensa way
doing things, just as you ana l. or an
?. good businessman wouio SohuucS a'lr III
Ia The principle, the plan, the device we
= nigh perfect. 1t is adjusted Ia the san
d ,vev as the old darky's coon trap-its 81
n 10 Fetch 'um comm and a gwine
- DON'T YOU see?" ! said, With some III
A patience. -
l. cortrarv Il reminded him OF TIVE
20 s'.,soaioS cart with three wheels throw
: on TON OF the cart-the cart might carr
che wheels. but the wheels would new
la carry the cart. 1t IS proposition
IS which two Is equal to FIVE. or nve !
al greater than two.
"a s.you have heard of a bump on a 10
~ haven't you?" he asked.
Id i told him had. 49,
= "T'ben." he said. 'just call them thr
fellows bumps on log, and you ha'
~ cot the whole thing IN nutshell. su
at nose YOU throw two big fish and thr
- little ones in a tank Of water, you sure
a dent want anybody to tell you what "
become OF the minnows, do your In
will be swallowed, OF course snev WIN
ke The whole thing IS nonsenso, ),
u. they have swallowed you a''e~os' y