The midland journal., 1901-08-16
CHAMP CLARK STORIES
Gathered In and About the
Halls of Congress.

Method OF Seating Members CT the
House-Anecdotes Of Judge culber,
son, the Sleeping samson"-HoW
He Turned the Laugh on a Fellow
Member - When Crisp Arrested
Reed-6iIPs Liquid Aroument-sat
ary Came Regular.
Copyright 1901, by Champ Clark
Every once in awhile 1t is announced
that some newly elected congressman
has gone TO Washington to select his
seat In advance If that's his purpose
in. going. he might as we'll stay at
home. He doesn't select 1t, for the all
sufficient reason that he can't For
better or for worse, he gets 1t by a
species of lottery, In which Il green.
I horn has the same chance as a veteran.
The seat drawn has some influence
on a members career. In this matter
was extremely lucky when l first
came to Washington a member Of the
Fiftythird congress, being the fifth to
select. | picked the best on the Demo-
cratic side, having no idea who would
sit near me.
| David Browning culberson.
l shall always consider 1t among the
greatest blessings of my life that Da.
yid Browning Culberson Of Texas was
my closest neighbor on the left-"Old
Dave" as he was affectionatelv called
by Texas papers; Judge" as he was
generally addressed Colonel" as q
few ey-soldIers named him; 1.-The Sleep
ing Samson" as some fanciful newspa.
per man dubbed him.
HIS wealth of dark brown curly hair.
the style Of his beard aud his frontal
development recalled to me the pic.
lures of Charles Dickens when the
great novelist was In his best estate.
only the Texan was cast In larger
mold. He stood 6 feet 2 inches and
weighed 240 pounds and was splen.
did type Of physical and intellectual
manhood In Its rich and golden autumn.
Judge Culberson was a big bodied,
large headed and warm hearted man.
To US younger members he was q
sort of congressional father. We went
to him when ln doubt, especially on
any legal proposition, and he generous
ly gave US from his inexhaustible store
Of wisdom and law learning. He didn't
make as much noise and get into the
papers as often as Reed, Burrows,
Crisp and many others, but when he
did speak 1t was an event In the
house. His colleagues always heard
him gladly. He was willing to unself
ishly furnish ammunition for "the
boys and delighted to see them win
ming honors and golden opinions.
There was massiveness about him
very suggestive Of reserve power, Of
which he had more than any other man
In congress. had for years heard much
Of his prodigious ability, but after sit
ting by his side for three months and
seeing him take absolutely no part in
the fierce parliamentary contests rag
ing around him ! concluded that he
had been overrated
/ One day. however, he spoke on the
Torrey bankruptcy bill. and when he
finished that measure was wounded
past all surgery. Others had crippled
1t, tut Culberson gave 1t its coup de
grace
"You'd Drive the Crowd AWay!"
1t was II great speech. worthy of his
towering reputation. never In my
life saw such a complete trnnsfgura-
tion and sdblimation Of the human
body by the activities OF the human In
tellect. He looked ten years younger,
head taller and infinitely handsomer.
We're Judge CuibeFsop alive today he
would probably not thank me for plae-
Ing bin In the category OF humorists.
yet bumorist be was, and In that
great speech be unco4sejapsly exer-
cised that great faculty.
Mr. Boatner OF Louisiana Insisted
that Judge Culbersoh should yield to
him for u question. which he declined
TO do. Boatner persisted, but Culber-
son waved him off, saying: "No, no!
| You'd drive the crowd away" The ef-
feet was electrical, and the house roar
ed, Judge Boatner himself Joining in
| the merriment.
! Judge Culberson's tenderness for
others caused him to regret that happy
| shot, ana IN MS pfinfeq speech he so
modified it as TO dull Its point mate
| rally
When the Sherman laY was repealed,
Judge Culberson summed up his dis
gust In the sententious and enIgmatic-
| al remark:
"A !Qt Of free niggers could have
/ done better" 40 utterance luminous to
us who have passed our liFes In the
slave states and can remember to pc
riod back Of the war. But all the
bright young Fsber slashers exercised
their wits for weeks to discover why
be said free niggers" and not simply
"niggers."
Jumbo and His Stake.
The day that Speaker Crisp peremp-
torily ordered Mr.. Reed TO take his seat
| apd. when the eX-speaker refused. COM
manded the sergeant-at-arms to arrest
him. as ''the maD from Maine" wended
his suiky way TO his desk Judge Cul-
berson said soto vece:
"See Jumbo return 10 his stakew
The sOuthwesterners say the Judge
was great stumper. In the famous
prohibition fight he sided with the cold
water crowd. On one occasion Il big