The St. Louis Republic., 1904-04-11
Effort of the New York Congress
man the Talk of Official
Washington.
TIMELINEss OF ADDRESS.
Representatives. Voice and Man
ners Much Changed Since e.
His First Term Ten
Years Ago.
REPIiRLIC SPECIAL.

r'ftbl-it SPECIAL.
Washington. April fo-It i= seldom that
speech delivered in Congress outIives
the sunset. save in the particular haili-
wick OF the speaker. hut the Bourke Cock
ran e!oquence of yesterday is as much.
and more. the subject OF discussion to-day
than it was Immediately after its dra-
matte peroration.
Congressman say that Cochran comes
back to the House savoring of Tammany
and with a political record which teens
with Inconsistencies. but they ever return
to the admission that the speech was a
great GRAFTON, and that it struck a pow
erful blow in dealing with a theme which
Is deeply and seriously. rather than politi-
caliy the problem of the times. AS was
said by Representative:
The American imperialstic drift Is,
perhaps. most apparent in the increasing
powers of the Chief Executive and the
Senate. and in the declining influence Of
the direct Representatives Of the people
members of the House. Speaker Cannon
has asserted an intention to declare the
independence of the House and to fight
the Senate. But Cochran has managed
to steal all of Uncle Joes' thunder, and
to voice denunciation of the aristocracy
of the Senate with such vigor that 1t will
not be forgotten.
1T had been expected that Cochran
would assai! Roosevelt personally. On the
contrary. he dealt almost abstractly with
the office. and the dangers of trusting SO
much of authority to It's occupant. He
avoided placing himself in the purely par
tactful move his appeal was rendered tre-
mendously more effective. There was
absolutely nothing that could be said in
answer to him. which was reason for the
nat failure of the lame replies made by
Dalzell and Grosvenor.
Nothing heard in the House in years
he made to the remedy. which, as Speaker
Cannon said In speech last session, lies
in public opinion"
PLEA FOR PUBLIC OPINION.
Public opinion" exclaimed Mr.. Cock
ran. where is it? Where is its voice?
Where is its sanctuary? Where is its
sourcer Why. sir, the public opinion Of the
United States Is here. We are its agents:
we ar are its creation. We. sir; regard this
pie. We are the priests to whom it is
intrusted. You. SIR addressing the
Speaker. ARE the high priest, responsible
for the method in which that trust should
be discharged by those upon whom this
duty is entailed." loud and enthusiastic
applause,
These who saw Mr.. Cochran when he
was in the House ten years ago and lis
tened to this ringing speeches he made
upon the tariff and silver questions were
somewhat surprised yesterday at tho
change in the man. H.. s.-r r.
His appearance is quite different from
what it was then. His voice has changed.
There is less of melody and more Of
harshness In it. and the rich Irish brogue,
SO pleasing TO the ear, is less pronounced
than formerly. He spoke apparently with
more effort than was his younger practice.
but at the same time with great fervor
and earnestness. He still has magnetism
and wonderful force of delivery.
That IT was masterful Grafton. even
his political opponents were obliged to ad-
nit, the Ike of which has seldom been
heard in the House of Representatives.
His presence and volume Of voice. his
perfect diction. clearness of thought and
power of delivery unite to make him cas-
lily and above all the leader Of speech
makers In that great American forum of
debate. There are other orators in the
House. each with his own peculiar style
and effectiveness, but not one who so fully
combines all the arts or oratory as Mr..
Cochran. His speech was plainly an evil
dence that the day of great orators is
not gone