Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-09-14
CHAMP GAKS LETTER
Ready Wit Useful In
Congress Debates.
TIE W OF REPARTEE
-
Without 1t an Orator Is Sadly
Handicapped.
-
HAPPY HITS MADE n TEE HOUSE.
THE POWER OF REPARTEE
HAPPY HITs MADE II TEE HOUSE

nutler's sharp and quick re-
torts - How General Henderson
Tarnea the Laugh ON swatchaoE"
Hob 4n-wnniam J.Brynn ana Con-
Eressman walker = F~Iippaney ana
Profanity = Much Bitterness oftsa
EnRendered.
Especial Washington letter.
The power Of repartee is an invalu-
able equipment for any sort Of public
speaker, especially for q member Of the
house Of Representatives Men don't
stand on ceremony there. Quarter is
neither asked nor given. II is every fel-
low for himself, and nc mistake. The
weak are ruthlessly trampled down The
dull are ''guyed' numerically. The
timerons are forced TO the real. The
strong, the courageous the resolute,
the bright ones surge to the front The
httest survive in that field Of fercest
competition. 1t is an unsqualed arena
for intellectual Singing matches
Twenty congressman can make O
fairly good set speech where one can
take care Of himself in a running fire
debate. When a member begins q
speech, he has a 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 q speech
in the house except by unanimous con-
sent. If a member states to the speaker
that he does not desire to be interrupt
ed, the speaker win, if possible, keep
everybody of him, or he may as he
proceeds refuse to be interrupted, or he
may let Others in, and then eDsues the
running fire debate. To succeed in that
species of discussion a man must keep a
clear head, must have a nimble tongue,
must think rapidly, must not lose his
temper and must strike from the shout
der.
In It every kind Of mental weapon is
used-the Claymore broadsword. Da-
mascus blade, battleax, knife, stiletto,
sledge hammer, club, small arms, rifed
cannon and motor guns. Attacks are
made on front, tanks and rear
II, az Alexander Pope hath ii, "order
is heavens first law, then the house
Of representatives is not a heavenly
place. / have seen a dozen men ON the
floor at once, cross firing at each other.
In fact, ! have had q dozen fiery states
men piling on TO me at one time. On
such occasions the house is in the ut
most confusion, sometimes only a wen
dressed mob. II is In these running fire
debates that the power of repartee Is
OF most service Sometimes one SEN
tenoe Of the right sort. one happy re
tort, floors an opponent completely. In
them a man Of general information,
with wit, humor and sarcasm, shines to
the best advantage.
The varieties Of repartee are number
less, ranging from the pleasant to the
brutal from the ridiculous to the sub
lime. Some are delightful persihage,
while others leave ranking wounds
that never heal and lay the foundations
for animositiea that never die.
Hen Buffers Ready wit.
Once, when a great many members
were i~nterrupting Ben Butler, 'Sun-
set Cox. who was a little bit Of a fell
low, Joined in the attack on the grim
old warrior. Butler waved him of and
quoted the popular song Of that day:
''Shoo, Fly; don't bodder me" That
was happy, harmless, humorous and
apropos-a sort Of love lick, for Butler
and Cox were bosom friends, and Cox
speaks of Butler in kindest terms in his
book
bur when John A. Bingham quoted
against Butler Grants famous letter
about him being 'sbottled up" and re-
ferred to his odoriferous career at New
Orleans it 50 enraged old Ben that he
hurled at Bingham the crushing charge
that he was one Of the Judicial muir
derers of a woman, referring to Bing-
hams part in the trial Of Mrs. Surratt.
That was savage. Iguess Bingham will
not forget it tin his dying day.
Secretary Hoke Smith was by no
means a favorite with the house. Many
Republicans assailed him bitterly,
sroote him hip and thigh. treated him
with contumely and scorn and meta
~phoricaIly danced war jigs on him
And he found few defenders on the
Democratic side.
One day John L. Wilson Of Washing
ton, lately In the senate. who cannot
talk two minutes upon any subject
without getting as mad as a bald hor-
net in his worst state, was larruping
Smith TO his hearts content. he de-
tailed with increasing anger how many
Georgia earpetbaggers Hoke had sent
out 10 gu the Offices in his state and de-
clared it the worst Of outrages to i'm
port strangers TO hold fat places
Some Democrat quietly asked, Ibid
not you yourself first go 10 Washington
as a c~arpetbagger with a commission
as register Of the land Office in your
pockstf'
The shout Of derisiye Laughter which
followed that query was too much even
for Wilson's effrontery, and he sat down
covered with confusion.
Once when the late John ]. O'Neill
Of st. Louis was making 3 speech he
was interrupted repeatedly by a mem
her noted far more for his bitterness Of
tongue than for his quantum Of brains
At last O'Neill turned saragely upon
him sind exclaimed III the gan which
Professor Harding Of Mexico.
From ne Charleston W1 Courier.