The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22

owe TO those likewise afflicted and trust
that they will take advantage of the in
FORMATION and realize the truth of my
assertion. G. IT Foster
found more pleasure in a two-dolIar din
ner at the L9tos Club, when the lights of
literature or the press were brilliantly
sclntilating, than in any number of ten
oollar ones The most stupid and unut-
terably boreous dinner l ever suffered
through cost the Siver thirty-six dollars
a plate. was at Gen. Garield's home, as
mentor the day after Maine went Demo-
cratc IL was believed all over the country
tfat this presaged the Generals defeat for
PRESIDENT. The fckleness of political wor-
Shippers had fine illustration in his ex-
perience From his nomination up to the
DAY after the election in Maine his Wis
ltors numbered hundreds daily. That day
no one came but two old army comrades
OF the Generals. The monday dinner
was simple country meal of beefsteak,
potatoes and apple dumplings; but story,
personal incident, and debate were men,
orably keen and bright. The General
himself gave a word picture of the battle
of Chickamauga which was the most
realistic description of an historic strug-
gle | have ever heard or read. When
called to catch my train l found that at
the Generals table had sped three of the
most enjoyable hours of my life. 1 re-
member sitting beside Browning one
evening in London when hours seemed
minutes. Six hours az dinner and the
opera with Gladstone are to me an ever
living memory of memorable night Lin
coin, Grant, Seward, Chase, Greeley, Ray
mond have each contributed to that en-
richment of my life which / value more
than any material accumulations. Kings
Hey Holmes, -Farrar Lowell and men and
- lx~rso nd lrnr ito CT,
have stamped upon my mind recollections
as realistic and fascinating as the tales
of the arabian Nights" in boyhood's
memory
The Senate is constantly represented as
the millionaire's club The persistent rep
etition of this statement has created q
general impression that its membership
is composed of men of large wealth. The
reverse is the fact There are ninety
senator's. Ten of them, according to gen.
eral belief. are worth more than a million
of dollars. Ten more may be able TO
live upon the income of their accumula-
tons. sBut more than three-fourths Of
the senator's have little or no property and
no income beyond their salaries and what
they can gain in addition by limited op-
portunities from their public duties for
the practice of their professions, contri-
buttons to magazines, and other literary
efforts. Many of them gave up years
ago lucrative and rapidly increasing in
comes from their professions from pro-
found sense of public duty and fondness
for public life They have reached their
present position and prominence by hard
work and ability TO do something better
than their rivals. Industry has become
habit. There are conspicuous instances on
both sides of senators. whose long service,
familiarity with the needs of government,
exhaustive labors upon public measures,
intimate knowledge Of the subjects be-
fore the Senate, and critical eXa nina lions
of bills which get on the calendar make
them Invaluable, and their disappearance
from the Senate would be a calamity.
Fifty letters a day to be answered is a
moderate correspondence, and committee
and Senate duties I'LL the day. Senators,
as rule, are willing and anxious TO oblige
officeseekers. They know that many men
prefer the government service to any other
occupation, and others have earned recog-
milton, If opportunity offers to crafty
them, by work for the party; but, with
the civfl service examinations to contend
with and the limited number of vacancies
occurring, the difficulty of finding a posi-
ton is very great. There are hundreds of
applicants for each place, and behind each
applicant a senator and member of Con-
gress and the one. who Secceeds has sim
ply won a prize in a lottery where all
the rest draw blanks. Valuable time is
often occupied by imperious and impor-
tunate people who instead of retaining an
attorney. think their senator should drop
his public duties and prepare papers,
briefs, bills and gather testimony for their
cIams-a labor which would occupy
good lawyer days and weeks to accom-
pish.
The statement has become common that
the Senate has deteriorated since the days
of Webster, Clay and Calhoun. care
of hon, and
now will demonstrate that this is not so.
The Congress of their time was legislating
for thirty millions of people and the wants
of a territory lying between the Atlantic
ocean and the Rocky mountains, while the
welfare of seventy millions, the develop
ment and protection Of country of con
tinental area, the governing of distant pos
sessions and alien races, and complex in
ternational obligationss because of con-
tact with the great Powers and the need
of markets for our increasing surplus, are
the problems of to-day.
The debate In both Houses of Congress
upon the Philippine and Porto Rican ques-
lions has been on as high plane and
shown as great ability as any OF the fa-
nous historic discussions. In the days Of
Webster the congressional orator was the
spok esrnan of his party, and furnished
opinions both for the people and the pa
pers. He became popular idol, and ira
01tiOn Always enialBeS tHe proportions Oh
an idol: but now the. newspapers are so
cheap that every one reads several. They
discuss and inform email psblic questions
with fullness and authority. They give
scant space to the debates in Congress,
and they have greatly diminished the rep
utation and powef of the sp aker, no mat
ter how eloquent he may be. With the ex-
ception Of Webster's, none Of the speeches
of the localized period Of senatorial de-
bate are read or can be read. The finish,
style. literary quaitN and scope OF Web
ster will make his efforts American class
les for all time. The methods of debate
have changed in the Senate, as oratory
has in the pulpit, at the bar, and on The
platform. The preacher is now more d.
rect and more practical than doctrinal
The lawyer has become careless and slip
shod In order TO be plain and CONVERSE
tional and the sky-scraper who enchant
ed our fathers is laughed off the plat
form. Careerng among the Stars, knock
ing, OUT consultations. and strewing the
floor with star-dust are memories OF the
barbaric amusemenis OF a ruder age.