Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-28
he placed his hands on his stomach

he placed his hands on his stomach
and said But fo's de Lo'd never felt
such a goneness in all my life after
eatin' whole possum. So it is, Mr..
Speaker, with this Dingley prosperity.
We hear of it here on the floor of the
house; see 1t in the columns of the
newspapers and hear it on the street
corners, but foe de LODI | never saw
such goneness of it as there is down
| in my part of the country
IF any of you should ever be elected
to congress let ne entreat you to be
very sparing with witty jokes. A con-
gresham that begins his career with
a humorous and witty speech is new
er taken to be in earnest in what he
says afterwards. 1t was this vein of
wit that was so conspicuous in the
character of Benjamin Franklin that
caused the colonial fathers to select
the fiddler of Virginia instead of the
| philosopher of Pennsylvania to draft
the declaration of independence.
When we come to consider that
there are only about fifteen important
committees in the house and that
Iowa members were given the chair
manships of five Of them In the 54th
| Importance besides a place on the
| ways and means committee, which is
/ equivalent to a craftsmanship we can
then understand why Iowa is said to
| have the best delegation in congress.
| Chairmen of committees are general
/ ly selected because of their ability, ex-
perlence and long service. There are
nine states that have larger repre-
| sentation in congress than Iowa and
yet none of them hold so many i'm
portant chairmanships. When Mr..
Dingley of Maine died Mr.. Payne of
New York was given the ways and
means committee and when Col. Hen
derson was elected speaker, the COM
mtttee on judiciary went to Mr.. Ray
of New York, so that New York with
its "a members has still less num-
| Der of important positions in the CAPT
tol of the nation than Iowa. with it's
eleven members. Our prestige may
be accounted for not so much because
/ of the inferiority of the men sent to
congress from New York and other
states but for the reason that we have
exhibited good judgment as citizens
| of Iowa in selecting good men and
keeping them in until others have had
a chance to observe their ability. In
many districts thruout the country
they send Jones one term, Smith the
next and Brown the next The re.
suit is that the country never hears
about any one of them being there.
They draw their breath and draw
their salary and are consigned to OBJ
| livlon at the end of one term
1T is very seldom that a member,
| either in the house or senate. makes
his presence felt or that he does any,
thing that gives him name or fame be-
fore the country during his first term.
/ There must be some great occasion to
which he shows himself equal as in
| the case of Senator Beveridge of In
diana who had been in the Philip
pines and spoke as one having know.
ledge, which was accepted by the SEN
ate and country. In contrast to him
there is Senator Mason, who under
took to revolutionize the rules and GUS
toms of the senate and has been look
ed upon ever since with as much dis.
dain as man who would interfere
with a funeral procession. Senator
Dolliver has shown good judgment in
keeping still during the past session
i'A'' SiAiy oPSSSh lldSlho pSSh SulOSy
on his predecessor, Senator Gear. Ii
was he who first said that Mckinley
was the advance agent of prosperity
and while member of the house was
usually put forward to discuss the DO.
litical phase of a subject which never
failed to draw the fire on the other
side of the house.
Robert G. Cousins is perhaps the
most polished orator in the house and
his best effort was made when he
! spoke on the resolutions censuring
Minister Bayard, then minister to En-.
gland. He does not speak often but
when he does all seem anxious to
hear him. On that occasion every
member, page and messenger was on
the floor and the galleries packed to
the corridors. But the only time that
| have ever seen members of the
house moved to tears was when he
made speech on the sinking of the
Maine. 1t was indeed a little gem of
rhetorical pathos that touched the
hearts Of all who heard it,