Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-02-13
copyright, 1901, by Champ Clark. ]

literally translated means, when a
man is in his cups, he is more liable
to blurt out the truth than when he
Is perfectly sober" There is an Eng
lish saying to this effect, Your ruling
passion strong in DEATH ! once read
bit of philosophy which has always
appeared to me to combine both of the
foregoing saws 1t ran somewhat as
follows: when an Irishman is drunk,
what does he want? To thwack some
hody's head with a shillalah. An Eng
lishman? To punch somebody at fisti-
cuffs. \ Frenchman? To dance. A
German? To hear music. An Ameri-
can? Invariably to make speech
How much truth there is in this
shall not undertake to say; but, how
ever that may be, the dominating am
bition of Hon. Thomas Bracket Reed
while occupying the speakers chair
was to convert the house into a busi-
ness body merely that and nothing
more. That brilliant man is not great
~ enamored of the tribe of Demos
themes. Cicero and Patrick Henry, Of
Mira beau. Charles James Fox and Dan
iel Webster He makes short speeches
himself aud thinks that everybody else
should do .eWise; but. notWthstand-
ing the fact that for six years he lor1cd
it over the house and forced himself
into the snail group of great speak
ers. the horse remains to this day and
will probably remain forever as much
If q debating society as a business
body.
All sorts IF speeches arc made vary
inc in length from one minute to three
hours. in style from the most elegant
to the most outre, in matter from the
profoundest to the most frivolous.
Speeches learned, ponderous, brilliant,
witty, humorous, dry. full of meat,
inane, logical, scattering, personal, inn
personal and Of every otter sort are
still heard in the house. Speeches
which lay tie foundations for great
regulations aud splendid careers are
still heard within these walls; likewise
speeches which land the makers there
of outside the breaStWorkS aud re-
tire them to private life. Recently
member delivered a haran@ue in the
house which bis constituents denomi-
mated that fool speech
1t is curious to note the varying re-
ceptions of different speeches in the
house Some are received with intense,
almost painful, attention, some with
uproarous applause. some with de-
Hrious delight. some with sullen si-
lence. some with every evidence OF as
constituent. some With patent indiffcr-
ence, some with open signs of disgust,
and occasionally one, worse or more
outrageous than usual, is greeted with
catcalIs. misses and other signs of dis
appreciation.
Amos Cummings Story.
"In Ole OF the first congresses in
which srrvrd' said Amos Cummings.
there was a very rich young fellow.
who had neither experience in public
life nor literary attainmentS; but, hav
ing spent a pot Of money to get here,
he WAS ambitious to figure in the news.
papers and The Congressional Record.
Consequently he fixed him up u speech.
or, what is more probable, hired some
literary hack to fix it up for him. One
day he arose white as a sheet. and de-
lvered It He spoke in q low uavering
voice: his hands shook as though he
had the palsy, and as he read he kept
his eyes tiNed constantly on his manu-
script, If typewritten stuff may be so
called Nobody heard his speech. and
when he sat down. hathed in perspira
ton. there WaS no applause whatever
One of the stenogra pliers rushed up
the aisle To get the manuscript to em-
balm in The Record. For that pur
pos" he hoid on, his hand toward the
would he orator. The latter. mstaking
him for n member and thinking that
ne was desirouS of shaking hands with
him in congratulation of his great cf-
fott grasped the hand of the astoniSh-
ed stcnoSrapher couvulsively and near.
ly shook his arm off 1t was funny
performance: so funny that members
who witnessed it could not control
their risihles. and they broke into a
roar of laughter which nearly cracked
the glass roof of the house"
Henry Watterson's Speech.
1t was my good fortune to attend the
Democratic national convention Of
1876 at st. Louis. 1t contained an un.
usually larg" number of Distinguished
men, nearly IL OF whom are now dead.
1t was the time | had ever seen
very lar-e crowd in very large
room. The attendance was estimated
at 10000. Henry Watterson WAS tenn.
porary chairman and General John \.
McClernand permanent. Senator Doc
little WAS one of the nrincinal ora nrS