The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-05-01
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
Lovers of Their Country Need Not
Long for Their Return.
More Intellectual Giants In United
States Senate To-Day Than Ever
Before The Case
Proved.
Especial Washington Letter.


when it became very apparent
to me that the statehood bill
would not be passed." said Mr.. Frank
II. Greer, of Guthrie, Okla.
"You cannot imagine the feverish
expectation with which all of our peo-
pie have been reading the press dis
patches concerning the legislative sit
uation on that matter of statehood. IL
has been talked of in church and Sum
day school, as well as in public schools
and all public places. Our little chill
dren know that our people are anxious
for their rights of citizenship, and are
taught what it all means to us.
Il Lave been greatly impressed with
tie United States senate" continued
this observant business man of the
southwest. THE more l have seen of
that body the more of an optimist l
. have become, and l do not long for
the good old days of which SO many
modern pessimists speak; and speak
thoughtlessly as well as imperiously
and dogmatically.
Ever since tie organization Of the
federal government the senate has
been composed of great men. OF every
decade we may emphatically say:
There were giants in those days But
that should not carry with it the i'm
plication that there are not giants in
these days also. Glance over them with
hasty memory, and take up the men
whose names stand out like promon-
tories. John Quincy Adams, in the
house of representatives, hammering
away continuously and diligently until
he secured recognition of the right of
petition.
John c. Calhoun was the brightest
intellect of his day on one thing, the
right of SECESSION; the extreme con-
clusion of the doctrine of state SOW
ereignty. He was specialist. Da&iel
Webster is eminent both as an orator
and a constitutional lawyer, another
specialist. Henry Clay you think of
as the great compromises, another
specialist. Justin S. Morrill,, the pro-
moter of the tariff act of the civil war,
a specialist. John A. Logan, the
mouthpiece of the veterans of the
union armies, another specialist. Sen
ator Doolittle, of Wisconsin, famous
as opponent of reconstruction, another
specialist.
There are scores Of others, all great
men, but these names come up first in
memory. Now look at our modern
senate. Where are the specialists?
cannot see even one. They are all big,
broad-EiindeG men; scholars, orators,
lawyers, constitutional lawyers. inter
national lawyers. Listen to them in
debate, and their range of knowledge
covers every field of Investigation and
research. Specialists are not broad
men, however great they may be in
their particular fields.
81 do not believe the1eever was in
the senate a greater orator than
Spooner, of Wisconsin, nor better
reasoner. Senator Depew, of New
York. is one of the most pleasing speak
ers ever seen in the senate or on any
platform or in any forum. These men
speak readily on all subjects, and their
audiences are not only entertained, but
instructed.
'Our statehood bill has been defeat
ed by Senator Beveridge, of Indiana;
but must give him the need of praise
due him when great men in the senate
are mentioned. He is an orator of
great power. and one of the most ready
debaters the senate has ever known.
He is learned, and yet always learn
ing. He is hard worker, and his lit