The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-22
TRIBUTE TO BILLY" MASON.
fBY @. A. EDwARDs)

What would you mink OF nun W"
adopted the foregoing sentence az motto
whose philosophy OF life compelled MIN 70
act It. to practice what he preacnes!
wouldn't you think he was good man
wouldn't you trust him with children or
with concerns OF state where the rights oil
the great common people are at stake
Do you believe he would be true to MS
trust, and refuse TO allow any injustice
To be done them? Would he not, TO the
best of his ability fight to maintain those
rights?
The man who gave utterance to the above
sentence and who practices what ne
breaches is the Hon. William Il. Mason, the'
junior senator from the state OF Illinois,
or Senator BILLY" Mason, as he is az
lfectonately called by his friends, and their
name is legion.
There must be something radically
wrong with the man who can know the
Hon. BILLY" Mason intimately and nos
love him. Some men are admirable, some
companionable and llkable or their
social qualities, but BILLY" Mason IS
loyable man. His great big heart ana
big body actually exudes good nature ana
kindness upon all mankind. lie never
tires OF saying kind things about people
who have despftefully used him, and he Is
a bundle of human energy when IL comes
to serving people who deserve 1t.
| Since his entrance intofthe senate he has
been thorn in the side OF the men who
have tried TO sell the rights OF the people
for o mess of pottage; he has ever been
the champion OF human liberty the world
over; he was one of the first Of the cham
pions of Cuba; he is today one OF the
men who are standing UP for the liberties
of the people in the Philippines.
He has eyer been consistent. He never
wobblee. He has heart of steel and
backbone like a telegraph pole He has
the courage of his convictions and the abllI
! ity to express them in language that
makes the enemies of human liberty curl
up like a cutworm. He has been called
buffoon by some of his unfair and unkind
critics He is not the buffoon, he Is the
ring master and many time have the
creatures of the octopus and the ex-
I ploiters danced to the crack Of his whip In
the senate and CRASHED their teeth in i'm
potent rage.
Billy Mason has incurred the eternal
enmity of the time servers, the syco-
plants. bootlicks, hypocrites and canting
Pharieees, and no greater compliment can
come to him than to have their hatred
and their criticism. He has It because he
will not bow to the behests of their
masters. He has it because he refuses TO
/ become the wearer OF that austere and
dignhed countenauce often assumed by
men who enter the senate and are possess
ed OF little minds, He has 1t because he
has oyerrdden the idlotic and unnatural
rules of the senate. He could not be dig
nihed and freeze people because he is too
sincere. He can not tell lie about what
is going on in the senate, because he is
too honest.
Another thing that detraets from his
dlgniied appearance is his physical make
up. He is not au Apollo Belvedere. His
short legs and rotund body gives him the
appearance of the Jack of Spades and from
a distance this is apt to excite the rsl-
bilities of the man in the gallery. But
get closer view and see his head and his
face and you forget TO look at his body.
You know then, instinctively. that his
body, although large as ii is. Is not big
enough for his heart. His massive head
covered with long flowing curls, reminds
you OF the pictures of Stephen A. Douglas,
and his round face, lit UP by a pair Of
blue grey eyes that beam with intelligence
and kindness, make up the picture OF the
man of whom more unkind and ungeneroua
Things have been said and undessrved than
any other single man in this congress
But, he cares nothing for them all They
roll off him like water off a ducks back
and he goes his way with his eyes fixed
STEADILY on the eternal star of truth, re-
CARELESS of the jibes and jeers of the I'M
thinking or the slaves of the commercial
oligarchy. They say he Is a republican
He may be in name only or he may be
Lincoln republican which, at present, Is
a pretty good democrat; but, in my opin-
ion, he is nothing but a patriot. Just a
common, everyday patriot and 1t Is so sell.
dom you find them here nowadays classe-
under the head OF republican that it Is
positively refreshing.
He has given the republican party a.
constituted under the present adminlstra-
ton more hard knocks than any man In
this congress, and has told more uncom-
Portable truths on them. He has given
Mark Hanna more uncomfortable half
hours in the senate than ANYBODY. and
caused Mckinley 10 lie awake nights. He
has run amuck with their policies in the
PHILIPPINES, Puerto Rico and Cuba and Is
now making them vince by demanding
justice to the struggling Beers in South
Africa.
Everybody who is fair will say tina
BILLY" Mason is an able man and hi.
speech on the Puerto Rican bill proclaimi
him brilliant lawyer. His honesty /:
proclaimed in thunder tones by the course
he has pursued since he has besn in con.
gress, and by his chronic impecunloslty
II he We're not honest he would drift witt
the tide. stand in with the deal and feath.
er his nest while the weather was pleasant
politically. He is always Jolly, Away,
good natured and Is the best story telle,
in congress, therefore the most companion.
able OF men. He loves everybody and
thing that pertains to human Happiness;
and human liberty. He hates nothlne
but can't hypocrisy, humbuggery, untruth
and injustice. He is lOvable. genial
kindly, earnest. honest, big-brained, great
hearted, generous, unselhsh gentIemar
and true-hearted patriot. His home m.
is beautiful and is the constant scene q
dcmestics felicity, which is the trusst tes
OF the gentleness OF any man.
This is my tribute, as q democrat +,
billy" Mason. don't believe In waitin,
until a man is dead before saving those
things about him that would give him he'll
and announcement. He needs them
while he is here struggling to do the RICH
as God has given him the power 10 o.,
the right. When he Is gone, when that IA,