Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1901-10-26
CHAMP CLARK Stories
Gathered In and About the
Halls Of Congress.

Eyeglasses-DepeW on Humorous
oratory-A Story Of oarfeid-RemI.
nIseences Of Horace oseeiey,s PresI.
dentIai campaign-siumpi IN North
Carolina.
Copyright, 1901, by Champ Clark.]
Before coming to congress'therewere
rertain men whom I admired from
afar. Arrived here, found that some
statesmen are greater than their repu-
tations. some smaller sthan their repu-
tations, Others equalt*o, their reputa-
tons.
The Washington correspondents are
an unusually bright and capable body
of men. As rule.i they try to be'fair
and to draw lifelike spictures Of the
prominent actors on,the political stage,
but Mark Twain made avery sage re-
mark when he said, Human nature is
very strong, and we all have great
deal Of 1t In u.s." and Washington cor
respondents, being no.exception to the
rule, inevitably makesmost Of the men
who do or say things which create
news. All Of us owe our, regulations in
large degree to the press gallery. The
correspondents are among the leading
manufacturers of the world, for, while
others manufacture perishable stuffs,
they manufacture immortal statesmen
out of raw-sometimes very raw-ma-
terials. Like other people, they have
their likes and dislikes. / think that
one of their prime favorites is the jun
ior senator from New York, Chauncey
NJ. Depew.
Heart Versus Eyes.
He is a wonder. Much as the news
payers and correspondents have ex-
plotted him, In my judgment he is
greater than his reputation. The word
'many sided" applies more aptly to
him than to any other man ever clap
ped my eyes upon. The appellation
admirable" fits him as well as 1t did
the far famed Crichton.
The first candidate for governor that
ever saw was General Thomas Il.
Bramlette of Kentucky. He was also
the first person l ever saw who used
the now fashionable eyeglasses which
are hooked over the nose and have no
pieces extending back of the ears to
hold them on. Bramlette was wild
over, and a handsome one at that.
When he wanted to read something, he
put his eyeglasses on his shapely nose
and, with an arch look and graceful
bow to the audience. said, Il hope the
ladies' will not deem my heart as old as
n .lx
cred that a very neat remark. l was
only chunk of boy" when 1 heard
him say 1t, but after 80 years l still
rank 1t among the brightest sayings
which my memory retains. Governor
Bramlette's idea fits Senator Depew's
case and character. His heart Is still
g-boyish-despite the fact ac-
cording to his own statement that he
is past &C. He will die In his youth
even II he lives TO the age of Methuse-
lah.
His popular reputation is that of hu-
morist, which he is. but he is some
thing more-much more. He Is a schol-
ar, lawyer, financier, philosopher. ora
tor of amazing versatility, society lead
er, politician, statesman. traveller and
the prince Of raconteurs.
But, great as he Is as an orator, he Is
greater still as conversationalist.
There his humor is forever on tap. He
jokes about anything and everything,
philosophers ON all subjects and en-
livens his monologues with copious IL
Illustrations and selections from the
richest and most marvellous store Of
"reminiscences contained In any human
brain.
Depew on Humorous Oratory.
On a Christmas excursion Of the
famous Gridiron club to Charleston
Senator Depew, Senator Tillman and
myself were the guests of the club. l
asked him how 1t happened that, while
people manifested a tendency to depre-
ciate humorous statesmen, the fact that
Abraham Lincoln was one of Amer
ica's half dozen greatest humorists In
no way detracted from his reputation
for wisdom. The senator replied:
while the American people will not
elect a man president who has much
reputation for humor, If president de-
velops that faculty after election they
appear to think that that is clear gain
on their bargain, and it increases rather
than diminishes ais fame. Though
Lincoln's humorous gift was well
known to his Illinois neighbors, his rep
utation prior to'his election to the pres
idency was bottomed on his debates
with Douglas, and in the campaign of
1850 the issues were so grave and the
contest so absorbing that the personal
ity of the candidates was lost sight Of. -
Then the senator told this curious
story of General James A. Garfield
I'm the fall Of 1sso ] was booked fos