Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-04-09
CHAMP CLARK STORIES
Gathered In and About the
Halls Of Congress.

HILLS vi OOuSftSS'
Method OF Seating Membcrs CT the
House-Anccdotcs Of Judge CuIber
son, the "SIccp;ng Samson"--How
He Turned the Laugh on Fellow
Member When Crisp Arrested
Recd-BiH'e Liquid Argument
ary Came Regular,
tCopFr;at lJ5I, ~ Champ Clartl
Every once i'll awhile it is announced
that some newly elected congressman
has gone To Y ;sshington to select his
scat in advance Il that's his purpose
iii eeine. lie might as veil stay at
home. He doesn't select it, for the all
sufficient reason That he can't. For
better CT for worse, he gets il by Il
species of lottery, in which Il green
horn has the same chance rs n veteran.
The seat drawn has some influence
on y members career In this matter
! WAS extremely lucky whom first
came to Washington Il neahcr of thc
Iifty-thifd congress, being he fifth to
select. | picked the best on the Demo
cratic side, having no idea who would
sit near me
David Browning Culberscn.
| shall always consider it among the
greatest blessings OF my life that Da-
vid Browning CulbcrSOn Of Texas was
my closest neighbor Oh the left-"Old
Dave as he was atfectiOnateIy called
by Texas papers; Judge" as he was
generally addressed; "Coloncl' as a
few cX soldiers named him: "the Sleep
ing Samson as some fanciful ncwspa-
per man dubbed him.
His wealth of dark brown curly hair.
the style of his beard and 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 Il larger
mold. He stood 6 feet inches and
weighed 2lO pounds and WAS Il splen
did type of physical and intellectual
manhood in its rich and golden autumn.
Judge Culherson was a big bodied,
large headed and warm hearted man.
To us YOUNGER members he Was Il
sort Of congros anai father. We went
to him when in doubt. especially on
any legal proposifiaH. and he generous
~ gave us from his iacXhaustihle store
of wisdom and law i 2rning. lie didn't
make as much noise and set into the
papers as often as Reed. Burrows,
Crisp and many others, but whca he
did speak it WAS an event i'll the
oil
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 q iaassiveness about him
very suggestive Of reserve power. OF
which he had more than anN other man
in congress. | had for Nearl heard much
of his prodigious ability, But after sit
ting by his side for three Honths and
seeing him take absolutely not part in
the fierce parliamentary contests rag
ing around him | concluded that he
had been oN@rrated
One day, however. he spoke on the
Torrey bankruptcy bill, and whcn he
finished that measure was wounded
past all surgery Others had crippled
it, but Culherson gave it it's coup de
grace
YOU'D Drive the Crowd Away"
1t was Il great speech, worthy of his
towering reputation. never in my
life saw such 4 complete tranStigUra
ton and s.lbiimation of the human
body 10y the activities; Of the human in
1ellect. He looked tea years Younger,
head taller and infinitely handSomcr.
We're Judge Culbcrsou alive today he
would probably not thank me for plac
ing him in the category of humorists.
yet humorist he WAS. and in that
great speech he unconseiously eXer-
cised that great faculty.
Mr. Boatner Of Louisiana insisted
that Judge CulberSon should yield to
him for 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 Culbersons tenderness for
others caused him to regret that happy
shot. and in his printed speech he so
modified it as to dull its point mate
rally
Whet the Sherman law was repealed.
Judge Culhevson summed up his dis
gust in the sententious and enigm. 'ic
al remark
"A lot Of free niggers could have
done better,' an utterance luminous to
lnl, ll.,,. Ian.cS.l Ga.Is. in fGn