The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-14

Some men who have been in the Congress
Of the United States are known as bril-
liant" men, Learned men, Smart" men.
diplomatic men. but I never knew any
man who ever served in the lower house OF
the Congress, except one, who was called q
wise man.
That man was Colonel David z. Culberson
OF Texas. the ablest constitutional LAWYER
who ever sat in Congress-
Colonel Culberson knew things He not
AMY knew more law than anybody else in
the House, but he knew human nature bet
ter than any OF them. Whenever he arose
to speak, which was seldom he had an an
preciative audience. both on the floor of
the House and in the galleries, especially
In the press gallery. There never was u
member of the House who had more earn
est admirers In the press gallery than
Colonel Culberson. They were not only his
admirers. they were his friends. They
loved him for his gentle, genial traits, and
admired him for his wonderful legal ability,
Whenever Colonel Culberson said that any,
thing was the law. 1t settled the matter.
There was no further controversy over IL
HIS opinion was accepted at par on both
sides OF the House. His distinguished
ability as a lawyer had preceded him to
Congress. and when he went there he was
placed on the Judiciary Committee. of
which he was afterwards chairman for
so many years. There he presided over the
deliberations Of the ablest LAWYERS in the
land.
1t was here his brilliant. legal ability was
displayed. Also many of the other traits
OF his character, among them his modesty
and generosity.
He has labored hard many times to pro-
duce report from his COMMITTEES on some
bill, and when 1t was q finished production
t,a h.
would generously place that report in the
hands of the youngest and most obscure
lawyer on the committee. so that he would
be given the credit for It in the House Jour
nal. Everybody knew. however. who the
author was, and. as distinguished 1urist
on the United States Supreme bench once
said to me: I'VE were always on the look
out for these committee reports. The fact
that some youngster on the committee re-
turned them did not fool anybody. Colonel
Culberson's finger marks were plainly seen
running through the entire document"
had a talk with the big farmer Speaker.
Tom Reed. about Colonel Culberson one day
Just before the latter died. and Reed paid
him some very sincere compliments. Reed
said that the best and most explicit laws
ever put on the statutes of this country
were framed after 1873. and that every sin.
gle one Of them bore the impress Of Colonel
Culberson's master legal mind
Mr. Reed also told me Of his first meeting
and acquaintance with Colonel Culberson.
He said 1t was upon his entrance into Con-
gress, and as he was fresh from legal bat
ties In Maine he was inclined to be enam-
ored Of his legal attachments and asked to
be placed on the judiciary Committee. At
that time Colonel Culberson was its chair
man. It was only few days before there
came before the committee an abstruse
constitutional question. on which a num-
Der Of members spoke and aired their legal
Attachments Reed said he got gay" him
self and proceeded to enlighten the commit
tee on constitutional law.
All this time Colonel Culberson nat at the
head Of the table and appeared to be asleep.
Wien he finished his speech, Culberson
arose as wide awake as any man on earth
ever was. He only talked ten minutes. hut.
eaid Reed, when he got through, had
heard more constitutional law than had
ever read In books, and never got gay
again. From that day We were close
friends. He was q great and q good man.
Colonel CnlberSon was . man OF INFINITE
humor. It was this strain Of huInor. togsth-
er with his great, good ssnsss that were
responsible for his remarkable career. He
was reared in Georgia, and his father sent
him to school to a man named Jones' VINO
conducted a school exclusively for boys. It
was q rule that every boy must write and
read composition every Friday afternoon.
1t was many weeks before Dave could
be made to comply with this rulA He re-
fused to study. and was always ut the foot
of his class. He cared only foe his dogs
and for hunting and fishing. At last Jones
told him that he must produce the COM
position on the following Friday or take .
sound thrashing. When Friday came every
boy read his composition, and when It came
Dawes turn the teacher reached for his
trusty cane, expecting tho usual delinquent
cy on his part, and tho boys also fully ex-
pected to see Dave take the licking Tath.
er than read q composition. as there was NO
sign OF any such document visible. Great
was the establishment OF ALL however, when
Dave reached into his Jacket pocket and
produced q paper, which proved to b an
essay on the habits Of the 'possum. It was
go intensely humorous that he had rot read
g. half dozen sentences before the school
was in litter, and when he finished It was
in a roar Of laughter. David. however, was
as stolid as an Indian. and had never even
smiled. The composition. too. abounded in