The Natchitoches enterprise., 1903-07-09
Special Correspondence of The Match
ltOcheS Enterprise.
Washington, u, q July z, 1903.


Washington, d, q July z, 1903.
Undoubtedly one of the Democratic
leaders and one of the ablest men in the
House of Representatives is the Hon.
David A De Almond, of Missouri. Judge
De Almond has been in Congress since
1890, having been first elected TO the
Fifty-second Congress and reelected to
each succeeding Congress. He is one of
the ablest lawyers in the Congress ana
a member of the Committee on Judiciary
He was the choice of the Missouri dele
cation for the caucus nomination for
speaker in the Ffly-eight Congress when
it convenes, bur he refused to stand for
the nomination, and the choice then fell
to Hon. Champ Clark. If the democrats
had carried the House he undoubtedly
would have been candidate for Speak
er, but he did not care to under take to
harmonic the factions in the party in
the House as the floor leader, The
Judge realizes his shortcomings as Il
good mixer with men. He has none of
the bon homme Camaraderie characte-
riStlcs In his mental makeup. He is
short on cheap talk and long on think
ing. He is essentially thinker and
student. and never loses any time in
dulging in cloak. room stories. He does
not inspire affection, but cOmpels ad- |
miration from his democratic colleagues, |
and Is feared and disliked by the repub- |
licans. He is the greatest verbal eyisce- !
rator in the House. and can perform the I
neatest job of sklnning and cutting an |
opponent of any man i'll the Congress. |
He is human wasp. and his sting is |
always ready for business. He is not an |
orator, in the true sense of the word, for /
he has a mOnOtOnOuS and metallic voice |
that Is not pleasant, and he rarely geStI |
cuates His diction, however, is almost |
perfec:. and he is one of tue few men III |
Congress who nevericOrrects the report
ers' notes for Insertion in the Record |
When he gets through his speech is a
finished production. AS a sample of his |
dexterity with scslpel and rapier, he
once said of an opponent, who had
penchant for spllling large gobs of prin-
ter's ink and unanimously VOciferatin1
to the reporters: ''He is, Mr. CHAIR
man, the most remarkable man L ever
knew. When be is not writing he is
talking, and when he is not talkIng he i
writing. and he does both without think
ing
DC IL anu
kindly gentleman, Il ripe scholar, an
able lawyer, and splendid legislator.
His retirement from Congress would be
4 distinct loss to the democratic party
and to the nation
Although Secretary Root. of tue War
has temporarily side track
I'd The opium business in the Philippines
n order to get the people 10 quit think
ng about it, II undoubtedly is the imten-
ion of the American administration to
an opium monopoly in those
stands. When it does it will receive II
-aKe-of amounting to one hundred and
fifty thousand do lars per annum. This
'ort of monopoly should work wonders
N the archipelago. The merits OfOpium
l. Outstanding and civilizing agei cy
ire well established. Perhaps The Gov
.rnment obtained valuable pointers from
Downing Street 10 regard to the advan
ages Of an opium monopoly.
The British have done Lucrative and
lourishIng business in opium ever since
hey introduced it in China. Consid
ring the splendid effects which the dope
las produced In the Celestial regions.
Daft's Government has every reason to
'e exuterantly optimistic about the cen
equences TO follow the setting up of an
plum monopoly in the Philippine is.
ands. The dope shOnld prove more ef-
IcaciOus than Bibles and guns.