The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-03-28
John Sharp Williams as a Leader

about throwing down the gauntlet to the
north. Williams has suppressed them. He
! IS a southerner and sympathizes with
/ his section, but he does not see any
good in irritating the north. He took
| that stand when German was making
} his campaign on the race issue and dis
I 1rancbisement in Maryland.
Williams methods are an interesting
! study. He is persuasive. not dOmineer-
I ing. He has a winning manner, and he
seems TO be seeking help and light from
( YOU at the very time he is bringing you
around 10 his views. Congressman who
go into his little room in the library
wing determined to let Williams under
stand that they will put up with no nom
sense. go out pleased and flattered and
/ inclined to help him out. on the rare
/ occasions where II is necessary for him
1 TO show his authority the iron hand
/ comes out of the velvet glove, and the
| insurgent knows what has happened with
out having any one tell him.
He is not an impressive man TO look
at in fact, he is homely in face and
careless in dress. A tangled mass Of
/ far from his eyes. A straeelins mus
| tache covers mouth of generous size
| and irregular outline. His manners are
as easy and unpretentious as an Old
He would not be a rich man in New
York, but he Is a rich man for Missis-
whose father left him a fortune. But
/ he does not look as if he had a dollar.
and all the advice OF his friends can
/ not make him spruce up.
His autobiography in the Congressional
/ Directory says that he received a fair
education at private schools, the Ken
| Of the ISOuths-thezT5uiv of Virginia
and the University of Heidelberg. Wheth-
| er the words fair education" are writ
1 ten IN boast or modesty may be ques-
! ton TO strangers, but no one who knows
! John Sharp, as they cali him I'm Mis-
/ slsslppi, and-is aware of his total lack
| OF front has any doubt that he meant
His election TO the leadership proceeded
in the first place from the fact that he
| the Democratic side. he has a remark
/ able voice. IL is somewhat nasal and
rather incisive. but his command OF it
Is as perfect as that of a musician over
a musical Instrument He PLAYS upon it
\ like violin; il sweeps from high to
! low from loud TO soft. in perfect tune
/ With the mOdulations Of his theme He
need hardly speak above a whisper TO
| attract the close and strained attention
| of the whole house in a moment
His Command of Sarcasm.
His command of sarcasm is. it is gen
orally. agreed, unequaled in the house ex-
cept by De Almond; but De Almond 5
/ sarcasm is Of the bitter sort. while Will
Hams exposes the weak points of the
enemy's armor in such way, that the
the enemy laughs, though ruefully while
I he writhes.
! He is a story teller of wide cloak room
fame. and he likes to write verses. though
ne viii not admit their authorship. as he
has fear Of the reputation that dogs the
! rhyming statesman. Occasionally the
temptation overpowers him. and he reads
some singing bit Of VersificatiOn in the
house. Most famous Of these occasions
WAS his production In honor OF Rear Ad-
miraI CroWninshield at the time of the
such JUNCTION that Democrats and Repub-
leans alike shouted and pounded their
desks in uncomfortable and hysterical
Inirth. 1t was a parody on little Peter
kin's famous inquiries about the famous
victory at Blenhein, and began:
oh. who is Crowninshieid. papa.
That he should have the best
OF everything there Is 10 have
And shine Ger all the rest?
The father explains that Great Crown.
inshield has done 4 lot of glorious things
but little Peterkin presses his query:
What were the Virtuous deeds he did.
That he should simply name
The things he wants FOR his rewards
And straight annex the same?
Being assured that CrowninshieId wa.
great naval commander, Peterkin per.
sists;
But when and where did CrowninshieIt
,, stand nc ont, on the bridge and show
Against the firing foe2
At last the badgered parents replies:
Go out and chase the put. my son.
| And bother me no more.
Great Crowninshield's the greatest tar
That ever stayed ashore.
Though southerner. Williams IS ex
empt from the preiudices of his section
One of his most striking speeches wal
that in which he defended General Sher
man from the charge OF violating the law
of war in his march to the sea II wa
to with breathless attention by a croWde.
house. One Of its sentences was this:.
As an American citizen, as the son o
. | rebeI soldier. as a man who is in
tensely American. although he is intense
/ " southern, | want the world to know
! that when civilized men were fightin.
civilized men upon the American cont
nent-one of them in behalf of the caus
of the preservation of the Union as III
understood il. and the ether In behalf q
the cause Of local Independence as he un
. derstood 1.-THE watcnword was chivalr.
and fair fight"
Recently there has been some sporadi
talk of Williams for the presidency II
, has viewed it with gentle and humorous
tolerance and some WEAKNESS. A news;
. paper man asked him earnestly wha
there was in the talk.
sively my boom is making tremendous
strides. My private secretary Is unro
servedly for me. aud I have hopes or sc
curing The support Of Charley Edwards
the clerk in the minority ROOM