The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-09-30
The Late James h. Eustis.

Washington, Sept. IS.-James b.
Eustis, who died in Newport last
week, was one Of the most accom-
plished men of his day and genera
:. ton. He was a man Of great learn
ing an of a very high order Of in
tellect. In the Senate he took
position that recalled the Senates
of the elder day, when to be an
American Senator was evidence Of
intellect, of learning and of charac-
ter No doubt he was the ablest
man Louisiana has sent TO the Sen
ate since Judah P. Benjamin. He
served in all eight years-'77 10
and 'S5-'o1.
shall never forget the first time
I ever saw Mr.. Eustis. 1t was the
day Congress assembled in regular
session in December, 1885 About
O'Clock that evening / was sitting
alone in the Office of one of the
Washington correspondents when
tall, rather portly and distinguished
he was seated he chatted very pleas
an,ly on general topics for some
thing like a quarter of an hour,
when we heard a heavy step on the
stairs and a moment later the pom
derous form-of James B. Beck en-
tered the door.
Then it was that found out that
nv first visitor was Senator Eustis,
of Louisiana. 1t soon appeared
that Beck was mad and mad clear
through. 1t was this way. That
day Mr.. Cleveland had sent his
first annual message to Congress.
1t was a long document and not at
all satisfactory to the party that put
Mr.. Cleveland IN the White House.
There was full and somewhat
turgid narration Of our foreign re-
lations. The South and West did
not care for that. The tariff was
what they wanted to hear about
Before Cleveland left off dealing
with the State Department, how
ever, he recommended that works
of art be relieved from the enor-
nous tariff taxes then imposed on
them. So far, SO good.
When he came to the tariff the
president dismissed it in few curt
paragraphs that were very disap-
pointing to the free traders He
recognized the absolute necessity Of
reducing the revenues and recon-
mended their reduction. but he was
exceedingly vague in the matter of
details. 1t was not quite flat Ran
dallism, but not far from it. The
Randallites were much better
pleased than the Carlisleites.
Beck had not been in the room
long when he opened up and he
numbered. He was not at all salts.
fed. There was no better CONVEX
sationalist in Washington than Sen
ator Eustis; but he was a good
listener as we'll, and on this occa-
sion he was content to listen as the
burly Scot walked up and down,
now pouring forth stream of
harsh-toned eloquence, not very
mplimentary to the Administra-
ton, and now putting at enor=
nous cigar which was persistent in
it's refusal to stay lit. ''He talks
about taking taxes off necessaries,"
exclaimed Beck; 'sthat's all right,
SO say we all; but if I can make
anything out of his tables that he
presents, your State, and not Penn
svlvania and New England, is the
one he is after. If he knew any
thing about the tariff he would know
that the sugar tax is for revenue"
For answer Eustis nodded frequent
approval to all Beck said. Just be-
fore he was inaugurated the first
time Cleveland was reported as say
ing that he did not know a odd
thing about the tariff" Had he
known as much about it in Deem
Der, 1885, as he did two years later
he would have been reelected Pres
ident in 1888 and the Democratic
party would have escaped the seas
of tribulation on which it has since
been tempest tossed. There would