The St. Louis Republic., 1901-07-21

He entered the campaign of 'Si and
stumped the district for his partys
candidate.
In but one debate since his
senatorial matriculation. That was his short
speech on the Porto Rican tariff bill. 1t
was the last day of debate. and the vote
was to be taken shortly after he finished
speaking He had an excellent audience
and he proved equal to the occasion. Sena-
TOR Culberson has a voice like silver bell
and filed completely every corner Of the
Senate Chamber and the galleries. His
speech was a revelation to the old-timers.
1t proved him master of English. pro-
found student OF the Constitution and the
political history OF his country. and an
orator AS Senator Manly of Mississippi
said to me after the speech: He has
blazed a new road in constitutional debate
His speech was along absolutely new and
original lines. 1t was a great speech"
Senator Pettus of Alabama said to me:
Il am proud of that young man. He is an
Alabama product. SIR and his native State
IS as proud of him as YOU people in Texas.
l want 1t understood. sir. that in my eighty
years of life. have made an occasional
constitutional argument. but never one like
that, SIR"
Senator Foraker Of Ohio. who was in
charge Of the Porto Rican tariff bill and
was the administrations floor manager in
the Senate. was an attentive listener to the
speech. He afterwards said to me: Il am
glad Senator Culberson waited until the
last day OF debate to speak. 1t is the only
speech on your side of the Senate that l
don't care to try to answer
When the Porto Rican tariff bill went
back to the House with its Senate amend
| ments. the opponents OF the bill had one
more crack at 1t. and Messrs. Littlefield
of Maine, and Mccall Of Massachusetts,. the
two Republican recalcitrants who could not
| be whipped into line by a party lash, util-
lied Senator Culberson's speech as a
| weapon with which to pound their Re
publican brethren over the head. But 1t
was like singing psalms to a dead man.
| An incident occurred while Senator Gull
berson was delivering his speech that
shows the metal of which the Senator is
made. Senators Mark A. Hanna and
| Stephen B. Elkins engaged in loud con-
! versation on the floor Of the Senate Cham
| Der and their talk and loud laughter
bothered Senator Culberson while he was
reading quotation from one of Abraham
/, Llncoln's papers in support Of his conten-
! tion that the Constitution follows the flag.
He stopped reading. laid down the book and
/ turning to the presiding officer said: Mr..
| President, 1t Is in the nature Of the eternal
fitness of all things that the present leader
of the Republican party should refuse to
! The boisterous talk stopped as suddenly as
| a fat man falls downstairs with trunk
\ and hasty exit from the Senate Cham-
ber was made by Messrs. Hanna and Ell
kins.
When Senator Culberson has been urged
| to speak upon many important measures
\ ,t,io f6~C tn hah hQ a
smilingly replied that he did not want to
become windjammer; that he was jus!
drifting" with the boys and learning the
ropes. Up to this time Senator Culberson's
fame as an orator rests upon his inaugural
addresses as Governor and the short
speeches he delivered at fairs. reunions
conventions and different gatherings OF
people. Those addresses are classics. He Is
a master of incisive English pure and un
defiled. He is never redundant. As an ole
ex-Confederate said on the occasion of ar
address by Governor Culberson at Con.
federate reunion: by gosh, his talkin' fits
in just like layin' bricks
Senator Culberson rides no hobbies ant
has no eccentricities. He holds himself al
ways we'll in hand and never wastes his
reserve forceA He Is steady, levei-headed
self-uoised. He will never antagonize un
! necessarily. But II occasion requires It. h.
can and will trim up his political opponent.
to suit his party as well as any man wht
ever welded an Intellectual rapier.
He is a modest. gentle. affable. congeniaI
manly man.
He is a senatorial entity and will be heart
from later. He is only a years old.
Senator Joseph Weldon Bailey has at
tanned the full stature of Statesman
earlier in life than most men who hav,
! been on the public stage. At the age of 81
| 10 rorOopizo5 no ono NJ ba ohIoS
men in the American Congress. He has
won this distinction through sheer force o
intellect. and not through any of the art:
| of the successful politician. In truth. Mr.
Bailey is one of the poorest politicians
ever knew. He Is not In any sense of tn,
word mixer with men. Often has h,
been chided by his friends for not beine
able to get around and make himself the
agreeable good fellow they wanted him Il
, be when great political stake was al
, issue. Mr.. Bailey has almost tearfully ac
knowledged his failure to meet his own ex
pectations and desires in that direction
| He wanted to be all that his friends de-
sired. but 1t was not his nature, 1t was no,
, honest, and he could not help being hi:
honest self. He preferred defeat to a prac
tice of deception upon any man. Not tina
he did not feel the utmost cordially ant
friendly sentiment towards the men witt
/, ! whom he came in contact through hi
, 1t and make the stranger feel It. Thus h,
; has been oftener misjudged than any maj
who has. been in public life the same
length of time, and has lived it down NOR
!. successfully.
Bailey went to Texas from Mississippi
about 1885. The year before. during tn
campaign of 1884, he was Presidential
Elector in Mississippi on the Cleveland ant
, Hendricks ticket and stumped the State
!, His speeches we're marvels of rhetoric ant
captured every audience. After the cam
; paign, which was successful in the nation
instead OF staying at home and applyin,
! for some petty Government job, as mos
1 men do, he started for Texas to find
I home and carve for himself name and
!. | fortune The former he has achieved. Th
latter Is still in allegiance He is yet poo
| man.
AS soon as Mr.. Bailey arrived in Texa:
he began figuring on the political outlool
! In every congressional; district in the State
, | and the one particular district where h
| | probably could win out He had gone ther,
. | with the fixed determination OF going u
Congress. After mature deliberation HI
| settled at Gainesville, Cook County, in th
| congressional district Of Silas Hare. pop
| ular member OF Congress from the Lon
| Star State. Ever hard student. he studiet
harder in the next few years after settling
! | at Gainesville than he had at the Oxford
Miss.. University. where he had graduated