New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25
AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL

washington, February a.
PRIVATE ALLEN SERIOUS Now-"Pr,vate.
III III A',gn Is no longer the funny man OF the
mouse Inc Mlssissippian has laid asde the CON
and bells. and apparently wants 70 no -, ~
serious statesman. Not once this session no. -
even SET the democratic cloak room in a roar
''" Slol' speeches he has made on the foor
nave contained not scintilla of wit No quaint
ahecdote has come from what was once conota
ereu MS nexhaustible anecdotal store To +bs
new members he is a distinct dtsanno,n+,nar. =,
TO the old members he is an enigma What has
wrought the change in him no man processes TO
know, unless IL be his recent defeat for the sero,s
iioc'or hhot or Kentucky, years ago advised all
ambitious statesmen TO keep a curb upon their
himole wit. and to speak most seriously when thew
felt most humorous 10y
Inc hentuckian attributes his eclipse TO his
famous Duluth speech. Since he addressed sar-
SaSuc panegyric twenty-five years ago TO THE
1 sIna ely Of the Unsated Seas and lodged his
His hf fSe6 o9en IstFnggng with political adversely
the statement that Knott is now hypochondriac
imagining himself the victim of every new disease
discovered oy the vigilant patent medicine makers
and despairing of the fate of Republican instit,
lions; John Allen has not yet reached quite SO
hopeless state as this, but 1t feared that he is
orlfting there rapidly. II he has smiled once this
session ms friends are not aware of IT, In the ex-
friend some time ago asked him If he thought
Anse McIaurin who defeated him for the Senate
rHr Allen every day for four months had beer
deightfng throngs of Mississippans with his humor
the musings would succumb slight
tack Of pneumonia with which he was reported to
pe sunerlng with a physiognomical and vocal
expression that the dyspeptc Carlisle never sur
passed in the pelmiest days OF his atrabiiiousness
Private" John blurted out "Will succumb? OF
course he won't. That man McI.aurin is serious
minded ever to fool anybody"
VEST HIMSELF AGAIN.-Though his once
rounded and rotund body Is still shrivelled and
shrunk. the biting sarcasm, nimbe wit and ford
eloquence Of George Graham Vest have returned In
almost their pristine vigor. The Missouri Senator
mas been very sick man for a year more and
until recently his friends despaired of his re-
covery. Evidences multiplying daily that he is
not yet ready either for the grave retirement
from the Senate. Three years ago. when his health
began to fail. he announced to the Missouri Legs-
lature, which had Just elected him TO fourth term
that he would not aspire the Senate again at
the expiration Of this term. But * is believed how
ever that with returning health Senator Vest will
change his mind and dscomft the eager host of
ambitious statesmen at home who aspiring for
mis- toga~ Chief among these is Bill Stone, the
chief octopus batter west of the Mississippi when
Bryan Is in the East drumming up delegates and
the Democratic candidacy for President in 1904
Amos Cummings tells story that illustrates the
relations between Vest and Stone. Last Spring
Cummings was the guest of former Senator Quay
on his annual fishing tour of the Florida coast,
Senator Vest The Missomian called the attention
OF the New-Yorker TO a buzzard perched upon a
snag In the tidewater A wounded fish was found
ertng around the and the buZzard seemed to be
contemplating philosophtcay, the fine feast in store
when the fish finally ceased to founder and should
impressed with what he thought the moral
Of the spectacle but he learned that in this fat
tering surmise he mistaken Cummings"
said Senator Vest, You unable to in this
spectacle what 1 see. The reason is because you
fish houndering around there is your humble
want G. G. Vest, and that buzzard gazing with
fish is BIZ Stone I hope some other buzzard
will swoop down and get the fish when he dies