Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-09-07

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| HoIman-wiIIiam J. bryan and Con-
gressman walker FIIppaney and
Profanity Much Bitterness often
Eneendered.
Especial Washington Letter.l
The power of repartee is an invalu-
able equipment for any sort of public
speaker, especially for member of the
house of representatives. Men don't
stand on ceremony there Quarter is
neither asked nor given. 1t is every fell
low for himself and no mistake. The
weak are TuthlessIy trampled down. The
dull are 'guyed' numerically. The
strong, the courageous, the resolute,
the bright ones, surge to the front The
fttest survive in that field of fiercest
competition. 1t is an unequaled arena
for intellectual slugging matches.
Twenty congressman can make a
fairly good set speech where one can
take care of himself in running fire
debate, When a member begins a
speech, he has certain amount of time
allotted TO him. ranging from one min
ute to one hour. for be it known that
an hour is the extreme limit of a speech
in the house except by unanimous con
sent, If member states to the speaker
that he does not desire to be interrupt
ed, the speaker viii, if possible, keep
everybody off him, or he may as he
proceeds refuse to be interrupted, or he
may let others in, and then ensues the
running fire debate. To succeed in that
species of discussion man must keep a
clear head, must have a nimble tongue,
must think rapidly, must not lose his
temper and must strike from the shoul-
der.
In it every kind Of mental weapon is
used the Claymore broadsword, Da-
mascus blade. battleax knife, stiletto,
sledge hammer, club, small arms, rified
cannon and motor guns Attacks are
made ON front. fianks and rear
If. as Alexander Pope hath it. 'sorder
Is heaven first law, " then the house
of representatives is not heavenly
place, / have seen dozen men ON the
floor at once, cross firing at each other
In fact, | have had a dozen fiery states
men piling ON to me at one time On
such occasions the house is in the Mt
most confusion. sometimes only well
dressed mob. 1t is in these running fire
debates that the power Of repartee is
of most service. Sometimes one SEN
tence of the right sort. one happy re-
tort, floors an opponent completely. In
them man of general information,
with wit, humor and sarcasm, shines TO
the best advantage
4he varieties of repartee are number
less, ranging from the pleasant to the
brutal, from the ridiculous to the sub
lime. Some are delightful persifage.
while others leave ranking wounds
that never heal and lay the foundations
for animasities that never die.
Ben ButIer'a Ready wit.
Once, when great many members
were interrupting Ben Butler, Sun
SCI" Cox, who was a little bit of fell
low, Joined in the attack ON the grim
old warrior. Butler waved him off and
quoted the popular song Of that day {:
.Shoo, fly; don't hoddeF me. That
was happy. harmless, humorous and
aprqpos ii sort of love HEX. for Butler
and Cox were bosom friends. aud Cox
speaks Of: Butler in kindest terms in his
book.
But when John A. Bingham quoted
against Butler Grants famous letter
about him being bottled up and re.
ferred to his odoriferous career at New
Orleans it so enraged old Ben that he
hurled at Bingham the crushing charge
that he was 9re of the judicial muir,
deyeEs of woman referring to Bing
ham S part in the trial of Mrs. SurIatt.
That was savage, guess Bingham will
not forget il till his dying day,
Secretary Hoke Smith was by no
means a favorite with the house, Many
Republicans assaiIed him bitterly,
slaote him hip and thigh treated him
with eontumely and scorn and meta
phorically danced war jigs on aim
And he found few defenders, on the
Democratic side.
One day John g. Wilson of Washing
ton. lately in the senate, whe cannot
talk two, minutes upon anE subject
without getting as. mad As a bald horz
net in, bis worst state, was larFuPing
Smith TO, bis heart $ content He de-
Eailed with increasing anger how many
Georgia earnetbaggers Hoke had sent
pqt to- fill the offices IN his state and de-
elared it the worst of outrages to i'm
port strangers to hold fat places.
Some Democrat quietly asked "pdd
not you yourself first go to Washington
as carpetbagger vita a commission
as register Of the. land Office in your
pocket %s7
Ehe shout of derisive laughter which
followed that query vas too much even
for Wilson s efhoAtery, and he sat down
covered with confusion.
Once when the late John J. O'Neill
of st. Louis was making a speech he
was interrupted repeatedly by a naessl-
ber noted far more for his bitterness of
tongue than for his xaantum of brains
At last CANeitl turned savagely upon
allA and exclaimed, IF the gall which
you have in your heart could be poured
into your stomach, you'd die Instantly
Of the black vomit Z
That hasps Deen excelled since the
famous tilt between John Randolph q
Roanoke and Tristem Burgess,
Henderson and selman.
By constant working at it for 80
years Judge Holman of Indiana had
built up national reputation as an
economist and had esrued from a CRATE
full country the proud sobriqnet Of
sThe Watchdog of the Treasury
There was. however. a suspicion in the
minds Of a great many people that if
an appropriation were going to Indiana
the watchdog suddenly took nap
La the last days Of the Fifty third
congress there was proposition to APP
propriate large sum Of money for the
relief Of the remnants of the tribe of
noble red men kpoMR Ns the Miami In
dians supposed ss be located somewhere
on the Wabash river To the amaze.
ment Of many Of rs who had been sit
ting at the judges fees 10 learn wis
dom, he supported the measure. Gem