The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-07-04
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LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.

aa1N0h1N Va EOnAC VI III
public men of the nation, whose name
are seen in prin, almost every day, an,
] will begin by saying a few words con
cernIng the Hon. John Sharp William.
OF Mississippi. Mr.. Williams will BE-
the next floor leader of the democrati,
party in the House of Representative,
and 1t is well that the democrats of tb,
country should know something of HIM
Mr.. Williams has been in Congress,
for the past ten years, but not until The
last four years has he asserted himself
and obtained the standing in that body
that he deserves TO occupy. His bril-.
liant intellect might not then have
flashed across the horizon of the House,
being a modest man, had it not b4cp
for the extremely poor leadership
suffered by the democracy during that
period. The leader of the minority
party IN the House is always the man
who receives the caucus nomination
for Speaker by that party. That dis
tinctIon for the past four years has
been enjoyed by the Hon. James D..
Richardson Of Tennessee. Mr. Rich
ardson is a good mar and one of the
very best parliamentarian in the House.
but he is a weak leader. He lacks DO
htical courage. When the republicans
would hit the democrats over the head
with a club, instead Of hurting back a
brick and scabbIng some ones head,
Mr.. Richardson would invariably apol-
ogize for being on the face of the earth.
This disguised and disheartened the
democrats, and we invariably got the
worst of it until DeArmond, of Missou-
RI, or john Sharp Williams came to
the rescue and poured some hot shot
INTO the ranks of the enemy when they
usually were willing enough to retire
from the field. 1t was just by such
spurts as this that John Sharp Will
hams came to be known and apprecla-
ted as one Of the ablest men on the
fioor OF the House, loved and admired
by the democrats, feared and respected
by the republicans. 1t was, therefore.
with great pleasure that the majority
OF the democrats greeted his announce
ment last winter that he would be a
candidate for the democratic caucus
nomination for Speaker when the 5sth
Congress assembled. It did not take
long for enough members to enroll
themselves under his banner to assure
his nomination, and therefore make
him the titular floor leader of the dem
o.rats during the life of that Congress.
His leadership will put snap and vim
and 60 into the democrats from the
very outset, They will have confidence
IN their leader who will always confer
with his colleagues. They know that
when he news out a line of policy that
he seldom will make a mistake. They
know that when he gets after the
republicans the latter will be very
chary IN their attacks on the democrat
&c party. They have tested the steel
Mr.. Williams more than once, and
they have no appetite for it When in
debate with him they know that their
statements must be Photographic IN
their accuracy or they will be badly
before he gets through with
hem.
In a professional beauty contest Mr..
Williams would be a selling-plater.
would not be a good hundred-to-
'ne shot His personal pulchritude is
absolutely nil, but there is no discount
the quality of gray matter under
hat. He has a fine, well-sbaped
head, covered with bushy curling
'rown hair, a fne eye and a scraggy
n%ustache, but body is as small and
min as a %stepchild's bread and butter.
where he defaults in comeliness of
person, be makes good in intellectual
'rilliancy, One forgets all about the
nat ne is not a physical giant
when he is on his feet and, YOU ale
lstenipg to that well-modulated and
penetrating voice and watching thai,
ong index finger which he persistently
hrows at the enemy. From bis mouth
oil chunks of wisdom and el%oquence
ishioned in the most exquisite Eng
.sh ever heard on the floor of the
1t is an intellectual treat to
ear him. When be rises be can al
rays count GU a full press gallery and
he cloak rooms always empty them
into the House, and it Is the
conn,lor,u. y