Barton County democrat., 1903-03-27

on the topic which most interested me
he would ask Senator Morgan about
that obscure island, and he would tell
all about it. Well, in a few minutes the
Alabama statesman entered the room.
1 stated my case to him, and he talked
for half an hour, giving me full details
of an intricate legal subject. Then
Senator Davis asked him about that
obscure island; and the dear old SEN
ator told US all about it; when it was
discovered, its inhabitants, its prod
ucts, and a great deal more than we
had learned from the encyclopedia"
During the period of our contention
with Chilli, about IL years ago, the sec
retary of state, James G. Blaine, went
to the capitol, called on Senator Sher-
man, chairman Of the committee OF
foreign relations, and stated that he
wanted information on a certain point
of international law. He said that he
knew he was right, but he could not
prove it. Senator Davis, of Mime
sofa, was sent for, and he instantly
said: 'Calvo wrote that point clearly
You will find it in such and such a
book" But word was sent from the
congressional library that the only
copy of that book was in French, and
Mr.. Blaine exclaimed, helplessly: "It
might as well be in Choctaw, for /
can't read French
Senator Davis said: "Take the book
to the department, and have one of
your translators fix it up for you" To
this Mr.. Blaine replied: "I am in con-
tention with President Harrison on
this point, and if one of my translators
had this book in his possession, the
translation would get to Harrison as
soon as it would to me-" Then Sena-
tor Davis agreed to make the transla-
ton himself. During the following
night the statesman from Minnesota
sat up and translated whole chapter
| into exquisite English, and took it to
| Mr.. Blaine at his residence about eight
o'clock the next morning.
Mr.. Blaine scored such a triumph
| over President Harrison in his bril-
| liant Interpretation of international
| law, covering all of the points in issue,
| that the breach between Harrison and
| Blaine was so widened as to culmina te
ultimately in Blaine's dramatic with
| drawal from the cabinet while the re-
| publican convention at Minneapolis
| was in session.
| Following the substantial and ap.
| propriate views expressed by the Wis
| itor from Oklahoma, one must make
mention of the great senior senator
| from Iowa, Mr.. Allison; the marvellous
parliamentary tactician from Rhode
| Island, Mr.. Aldrich; the almost incom-
| parable orator and tariff statistician
| from Michigan, Mr.. Burrows; the great
political general, Mr.. Quay, of Pennsyl-
| vania; the shrewd business man and
| political organizer, Mr.. Hanna, OF
Ohio; the authority on interstate com
| merce. Mr.. Cullom, of Illinois; the
| watch dog of the treasury, Mr.. Cock
re1l, of Missouri.
And there are others. Mr.. Allison
and Mr.. Cockrell have served together
on the committee on appropriations
for so many years that they probably
know more substantive facts about the
workings of the executive departments
of the government than any of their
colleagues. They know exactly, to a
penny, how much ought to be appro
priated for each department, and they
insistently oppose all appropriations
which seem to them to be in the least
degree extravagant:
Yes. there are giants in these days
| and an instructive letter might be writ
ten concerning each one of those
statesmen who serve their country in
that august legislative body.
SMITH D. FRY.