Evening journal., 1900-03-08

man and eloquent speaker. Before
the meeting began Long asked Judge
Cogswell II he would allow him to
speak first. For" said the future
statesman. I'm not a public speaker.
have nothing to say, and may not be
able TO speak five minutes Very
well, - said the Judge. you speak first.
and will make my talk long enough
or short enough 10 Oil up the time,
whatever Il may be" Mr.. Long spoke
only q few minutes, and Il was plain
70 see that he had not then acquired
the faculty OF thinking while standing
before an audience. He was dli1dent.
embarrassed and lncoherent Going
back to Boston that night Mr. Long
told Judge Cogswell that his expert
ence confirmed him In the conclusion
that he would never make a public
speaker. His forte was office law
practice, which he should henceforth
stick to. But he did not He mado
another speech, and another. and dur
ing his subsequent political career he
made so many campaign speeches
that he is now one of the most grace
ful orators In this country. Il all
comes by practice. And there Is more
hope for the difident young man,
whose words come haltingly, than for
the one who thinks public speaking is
easy.
Speaking OF the mileage claim OF
Brigham II. Roberts. some one says
II he gets It he will do 80 as a matter
Of courtesy only. and adds that Con-
gressional mileage Is a matter OF
courtes anyway, as very few, II any.
OF the Senators and Representatives
are morally entitled TO a dollar OF tho
large amounts paid them for mileage.
They travel on passes, and the mile
age is simply a perquisite which
would be neither paid nor claimed IL
a healthier moral sentiment prevailed
among them" But what right have
Congressman to receive or ride on
free railroad passes7 Or what right
have they to the telegraph or express
frank? How can they return the quid
pro quo? There Is some reason in an
editor receiving railroad passes.
He can return an equivalent without
detrlment to the public welfare. A
Congressman cannot do so.
Thus far legislation has progressed
unusually slow. II II keeps on at the
present rate the session Is likely to
continue until August.
There is a good deal OF complaint
among farmers, and justly, that our
Agricultural Department might be
made more valuable II more atten-
tion were paid to conclusions and less
to how the are reached. For illustra-
tion, take bulletin No. IL, relating TO
the destiny of negroes in Eastern Vir-
ginia. Here are some fifty pages Of
fine pictures and intricate tables, but
what is the deduction? What Is tho
study for? What does It show? Is
the diet of these negroes the best for
what it costs? II not. why not? The
pamphlet in question answers none OF
these queries. II is the same like.
wise with most OF the Agricultural
Departments experiments and inves.
legations. Its deductions are altogeth.
er too vague. and its studies and
tables too involved and analytical.
Senator Allen. OF Nebraska is prob
ably one of the bestliked and worst
hated man in Congress. and all be.
cause he has the courage of his con-
victions. He is called a demagogue.
but il should not be forgotten that
whether his views are right or wrong.
he loses infinitely more by upholding
them so vigorously than he would by
dropping them or being less pro
nounced in expressing them.