The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-21

always get the undivided attention OF MS
colleagues when he rises to speak on any
kind of proposition. is Senator James p.
Gray, of Evansville. who represents the
counties of Pike, Vanderburg and War
rick. Although new member. Mr.. Gray
has won his way to the front rank of the
majority. and he is always among the first
consulted when important action is to be
taken. Attention was first drawn to him
when he made a logged fight for the Dill
to relieve the Southern Railroad of unjust
litigation. 1t was an unpopular cause TO
champion. that of railroad corporation
apparently trying to dodge the payment or
damages, and the Democrats, for political
thunder. made it unpopular as they could
by demagogic TRADES against Wall street
and j. Pferpont Morgan. The senator stuck
to his guns however. and doggedly fought
the battle inch by inch until he convinced
an overwhelming majority that the bill was
right and just. Two of the most prominent
Democrats in the Senate supported him
Fleming, of Fort Wayne, and Wampler, OF
Gosport.
Senator Gray is gray-haired and clear
eyed, past the meridian of life, but in
splendid physique. He is a firm believer
in the virtue of outdoor exercise. When he
gets run down he simply quits work, no
matter what is occupying his attention,
and devotes all his time to putting his body
in the shape that nature intended 1t
should be.
There is good in the training of prize
fighter said the senator. ut will do for
men as we'll as for brutes. After the Legis-
lature is over | shall go to Hot Springs for
at least month live abstemiously and
harden my muscles. 1 shall take long runs
and walks from three to twenty miles
day and / will come back feeling like
king. There is nothing better for man
than living in the open air and giving his
muscles something to do"
They were making nominating speeches
in the Senate. Republican after Repub-
lican had eulogized Senator Fairbanks.
and Democrat after Democrat had sounded
the praises of Mr.. Shively Despite the
ringing tones and the brilliant phrases of
the orators the proceedings were becoming
a trifle wearisome- to some of the visitors.
Near the close of a Democratic senator's
speech individual who showed signs of
ennui leaned over to Senator Wolcott with
the question:
us Harrison the last Democrat?"
NO" drawled the witty gentleman from
Woicott; there are few left yet
Senator Lindley, of Noblesville, who
raises his voice on high whenever the in
terests of the agriculturists appear to be
jeopardized, Gained the troubled soul of a
very small person during the interesting
ceremonies of nomination and election in
the Senate. babe with just enough
muscle in it's small legs to navigate I'M
certainly had wandered away from it's
mother in the crowd and had set up wall
of despair. Its inarticulate protest against
its fate threatened for time to interrupt
the dignity of the Senate. Senator Lndley
leaned forward over his desk and began a
gentle cooling. The babe looked UP, hest
tated, smiled a suspicion of a smile and
was captured. Weakly and uncertainty IL
made it's way to the bearded senator and
mounted into his arms. where ii remained
satisfied until the die was cast that made
Mr.. Fairbanks senator once more.
xxx
Even senator's respond to the subtle in
huence of the gallery and add a few more
posies to their bouquets of eoquence when
bright eyes and pretty faces beam on them.
How much inspiration was given to the
dignified gentlemen that said so many
handsome things about Mr.. Fairbanks and
Mr. Shively yesterday by the feminine ele-
ment of the crowds in the House and
| Senate will doubtless never be known; but
| that it was inspiration cannot be
| doubted. 1t was noticeable on two or three
| occasions that senators and representatives
| before reaching particularly brilliant SEN
| tence would turn to that part of the crowd
where picture hats and tailor-made gowns
served to relieve the dull black of mas
culine coats. Then, with renewed vigor,
| they would pile eulogy upon eulogy, tribute
IL
| glittering eloquence. That the women
| knew all this is perhaps equally certain be-
cause it contained an elemental truth APP
plicable to more situations than the cleo,
| ton of United States senator.
| There were several diverting incidents in
connection with the oratorcsl feast in the
House yesterday. Representative Adair, of
| the minority, wound up his eulogy of Mr.
Shively with a glowing imaginative flight
| in which he vehemently declared that If
delegation of angels from most high heaven
| should come down to earth to pick out the
greatest man in Indiana they would wing
| their way to South Bend and choose the
| man whom the Democrats were proposing
| for United States senator. Representative
| Statesman when he took the floor also took
| a fall out of Adair's imaginative soarings.
| IF the delegation of angels of which the
| member from Jay so eloquently speaks"
| said the Peruvian, SHOULD come down to
| this earth and point out the South Bend
| statesman as the greatest Uan in all
| Hoosierdom what an awful howl would be
| protests from Posey county, and from Wells
| county, and from this very city,"
| Mr.. Stutesman's insinuation that Tom
| Taggart. Major Menzies. Hugh Dougherty
| and John w. Kern would strenuously OBJ
| ject TO the singing out of Shively as the
| one great man of the State was greeted
| XXX
| Later on when Representative Boyd, of
Greencastle, the second of the Democratic
| speakers, had launched into a fiery denun-
citation of the Republican party Mr.. Suites
man raised the point of order that the mem
Der from Putnam was depressing and should
| confine himself to the matter of nominat-
| ing a candidate for senator. Boyd was a
| little disconnected for a moment, but he
rallied and turned the tables on Statesman
| by declaring that If the Republicans had
had enough of the lashing he was giving
them and were crying quits he would stop.
Boyd was at somewhat of a disadvantage
| In his speaking, as he did not know that he
| would be expected to speak until few
| minutes before the session. and his effort
| was solely of an extemporaneous charac-
| ter.
One of the Democratic orators in pointing
with pride to the Democracy's gallery of
immortals mentioned the name of Bryan.