The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-01-13
PICTURESQUE MR.. cARMAcK.
The Most Unique Character in the
National Congress Ioday.

New Orleans Times-Democrat.)
Probably the most unique, most origi-
nal and most picturesque character in
the national congress today is the Hon.
Edward w Carmack, the junior sena-
tor from the state Of Tennessee. With
red, bushy hair, with heavy, we'll
dropped eyebrows, and with kindly gray
eyes, he looks the fierce yet gentle char
acter that he is, and there is a certain
something in the general outline Of the
mans personal appearance which will
easily give one d clew to the character
of the man. Carmack is a bundle Of
surprises. While amply armed with
the precepts of the wise men who have
gone before, having pored over the say
ings of jefferson and Jackson and being
past master of the science of eco
nomics. he is yet no broader over past
differences and is more inclined to the
theory which will fit the instant and
offer somewhat of amelioration to those
who may be suffering from untoward
conditions. Marmack is a consistent
changer Of his views, and fully able at
all times to justify and defend what
ever position he may assume on a pub
lie issue. He began to make his i'm
press on the political history of Tonnes
see from the time he went 10 the legis-
lature from Maury county in 1886. He
is fiery, erratic and there is not in all
the wool and warp of his makeup a
single conciliatory element when it
comes to dealing with men to throw
down the gage of battle. His advent
into Memphis journalism in 1890 intro
duced the south to an editorial spec
tacle which it had not known since the
days Of reconstruction. He scOrched
the paper he wrote on, and the fellow
who was game enough to bristle up to
him found a man who could receive a
sting with grace and fOrtitude, and who
could and would return it without
mercy.
During the present session of con-
gress, if he should happen to unloosen
his tongue in the senate, the sleepy
and sedate members of this dignifed
body will probably snoOze in less than
their wonted quiet, for when it comes
to bristling invective and sulphuric
Yituperation the junior senator from
Tennessee will have no equal in the
national congress.
Carmack's history is full of what the
artist would call incident. Editor, law
yer, statesman and duelist on the oo-
casion, he has conserved the violence
which beat around these callings and
he has in him that retentiveness which
forces him to carry his peculiarities
with him wherever he goes. They are
with him in the senate, smoldering in
his system like wads of powder, and if
emergency should arise, and it prob
ably will. he will make his part of the
Congressional Record look like a COM
bination of cayenne pepper, dynamite
and a few other hot and explosive
things. He will go up like a rocket and
come down like a badly scattered over
grown brick yard. In 1890 Carmack
was seized with a violent dislike Of
the Ocala platform. which was the en-
bodiment OF all the principles and pre-
cepts of third partyism. and he heaped
violent ridicule on the sub-treasury fea-
ture, belittling the doctrine which
sought to give every farmer in the
country the right to hypothecate his
pumpkins for certificates which would