Evening star., 1899-03-24
.ervic, to the District of Columbia. His

judge senator, but venture the prophecy
| that in future years We will receive from
his hands the same liberality as in former
years. There are men in Congress who feel
| that it is a privilege for them to legislate
| for the great capital of the nation. II is
not so long ago that the District appeared
| before Congress in the light of a baggar,
| appealing for life, and was so referred to,
but those times have changed 1t is true
! that We occasionally have our fights in
Congress, but as rule We come out like
Dewey at Manila, with none killed, few
| wounded, and the enemy utterly destroyed.
| we have passed through some trying
ordeals, wrestling with some difficult prob
| lamS, but they seem to have come out all
| right The great question of a uniform sys-
| tenn of highways has been set at rest and
| a million and a half dollars have been ap-
propriatad to begin the extension of our
| peautiful streets upon uniform plan. The
| great question of railroad grade crossings
| Is nearing solution. and probably at the
coming session of Congress bills will be in
| IIouuced with the consent of the railroads
| rhat VIII take their tracks from our streets
| our new sewerage system is well under
| way, and promises to be completed in time
we nave mastered many problems. but
| We stand on the threshold of great oppor-
| tunltieS, and there is yet much to be done
| we hope the senator from Maryland will
not think he is at the end of his usefulness
me commissioners have a whole sleeve
| Iur OF suggestions for the next session. and
look to him TO aid in carrying them out
| My wish for Senator McComas in his new
Held is that he may be as successful as he
Is charming in his own personality"
Mr.. Liyer Davis.
MI Wights speech was generously ap-
| piauded and Justice Harlan rose to intro
| duce the next speaker
| Il used to have an Irishman for a client -
| said Justice Harlan. who never could get
my professional title right. He always call
| ed me 'Li'yer Harlan Now these lf'vers
,,ft h.
ana II Is behtting that they should be rep
resented here tonight. | therefore call
| upon LIVER Davis to stand up"
Amid a great deal of laughter District At
! torney Henry Davis took the floor Il re-
| sign the title in favor of the gentleman
VINO has just taken his seat, said Mr.
Davis. We have to put up with these
Judges. If 1t were not fer US LAWYERS the
| judges would never know ANYTHING. We
| nave to teach them, and some of them are
very slow in learning. As the man replied
| me other day when | asked him how
| mutual friend was progressing We'll, he
| Is not doing WELL he used TO be n law
| J er and now he is Judge
Il remember the time we had in teaching
| Judge McComas here. Soon after his APP
| pearance on the bench he had a murder
| trial and was called upon to instruct the
| jury. Well, he had book before him from
Wmch ne was trying to explain to the jury
the meaning of murder in the first degree
He said there was murder by shooting
| by poisoning, by lying in wait and the other
ways Now. for instance he said if [
| shouid scatter lot of poison around and
| you should come along and get some of it
| and die that would be murder by poison
| lying in wait Just then his stenographer
| who had prepared the Instructions made
some lame excuse about a misplaced COM
ma. But am happy to say the judge has
learned now how to instruct jury
Il must hurry through these remarks be-
cause 1T is getting late and Judge Harlan
| here has to get up early to play golf. /
was little disconnected with astonishment
at Judge Bingham expressing surprise n
having to make that speech, when we know
mat he knew two days ago he would have
| to make it.
| There were those among who thought
| When Judge McComas came among us he
| might bring a political temperament to his
| judicial position, but there is no man who
can make such charge now. | know of no
| better indication Of the mans character
| than the anecdote of the Englishman who
! was travelling on a western steamboat. The
river was high, the current swift and the
| river full of snags and bars. The English
| man went into the pilot house where the
grizZled old pilot was contemplatively chew
| ing cud of tobacco as he stood by the
wheel
II say. me good fellow said the nervous
| Enslishman. do you know where all the
| snags and shoals are? Nav replied the
| pilot. but l know where they amt. That
| is McComas He knew where the shoals
| and rocks were not. He carries with him
5
| he lays off the toga it will be as stainless
| as the ermne he has left
Some RecoIIectiOns.
Justice Harlan said it was appropriate
that the business world of Washington
should be heard from, and he called upon
Mr. Thomas c. Noyes, who responded
| briefly
My earliest recollection of Mr. Nc
| Comas" said Mr.. Moves goes back a
n har nj Uh I yJ.l: lp1 is
| of a gathering near my fathers farm in
Maryland, fiagraisng, brass band and
| fireworks, which were greatly enjoyed by
the younger element present. Then Il gen.
| tleman was introduced the republican
candidate for Congress and started in to
| make a speech. whereupon the younger eie-
ment promptly adjourned to undertake a
'possum hunt. When l returned home that
night tired out. / found a stranger in my
bed, who this self-same Mr. McComas.
The next day l learned from Old colored
man on the place what had occurred in my
absence
"Dare was heap O. speech maxim he
said, but dere was one man who beat 'em
all. His name was Mr.. Mac something
He was fine speaker, for all de time he
spoke he KEEP a-stompin' of his feet, AWAY
in of his arms an a-lnakn' a debble of a
noise Mr.. McComas has been keeping up
! this character in Maryland ever since
Then I remember Mr. McComas in Con-
gress, with the reputation throughout the
SIKH tlSlIlct as lHe man VINO ODtalTleu
more offices for his constituents than any
predecessor. ] recall the time when his en-
thus.astic constituents, confident in the
truth of that reputation besieged him at
every door of the House in throngs, and [
have heard that the gentleman was wont
to make his escape from the Legislative hall
through the window of the barber shop
opening into the corridor. his constituents
in full cry after him in his dash for liberty
l hope such scenes will not be repeated in
the Senate. but ] warn him that 2O.0uO of
his loyal constituents will be on hand in
Washing. on TO aid him in sustaining his
great reputation for distribution of offices
and that the Senate windows will be
guarded.
I'VE all recall Judge McComas as mem
Der of our Supreme bench. We remember
him as an upright. able judge, who leaves
the bench regretted by every one in any
way connected with the courts. The kind
of judge Mr. McComas was was shown to
me clearly during several days, not so long
ago when l saw him sitting calmly in his
court. trying case after case with patience
and poise. and that during a time when a
political battle was raging at Annapolis
almost within hearing of that court a bat
tie in which he was personally and vitally
interested. Dear. and close friends had
begged him to go to AnnaDoliS if for onlv