Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31
COULD, BUT WILL NOT.
Why Senator Pettus Refrains From
Being a Humorist.

Whenever 1 see man attempting to be
funny without the least suggestion of sue
cess 1 always think of Senator Pettus of
Alabama, who is naturally one of the
greatest humorists of the country, although
he carefully refrains from exercising his
rare accomplishments, said one of the
older attaches of the United States Senate.
although Senator Pettus had been
an ong us for several years, no one ever
dreamed that he was a born humorist until
a couple of years ago, he turned his atten-
ton to Senator Beveridge, who had lately
made a striking Grafton in the Senate.
Then, purely acting on the impulse of the
moment and without preparation, the aged
Alabama senator gave forth one of the
the Senate. The Senate was convulsed.
but this success as a humorist was any
thing but 1attering to Senator Pettus. He
was thoroughly mortified to think that he
had broken a rule of conduct he laid down
in early life Lots of people expected that
after that success he would again be heard
in the Senate in humorous way. But
those who knew low he felt about his
course knew that that was the last time
he would ever drop into humorous vein.
Some years ago Senator Fettus told the
story of his determination to avoid the
role of the humorist- When very young
man he was elected solicitor for the sew
enth circuit of Alabama, and in a short
time he found himself in a predicament
that many another young lawyer has
known
launched in a career of law, he was forced
to antagonize older men at the bar in his
capacity of solicitor. The older men were
able at first. and did, play mental foot ball
cial knew that only experience could
make him equal to coping with these
older heads, and in the meantime he
reached out for some weapon with which
defend himself of
sarcasm and their superior legal attain
ments He found that weapon in the form
of humor. He used it effectively, and in a
short time the older men who had been
playing with them mentally as they would
with foot ball discovered that they were
thrown on the defensive. For a long time
of his wit, and he was rapidly achieving
fame over the entire state as a humorist
About that time he had a reckoning
with himself. He came to the conclusion
that while he could defend himself for the
time against men with his humor, yet in
the long run it did not pay. He felt that
he lost prestige as a serious debater and
he concluded that he would drop the
humor. He didn't like the idea of people,
whenever he got up to talk. expecting to
have good laugh. He wanted to be a
serious man, and to be taken seriously
He was satisfied that he could not do both
I understand that from that day until he
dropped into humorous vein in the Sem
ate couple of years ago he never violated
his resolution. He felt much mortified
that on that one OCCASION he had so far for
gotten himself as to resort to humor for
fifteen minutes, which was about the time
he took up with that line Of thought on
that occasion. But you can depend upon
him never to do it again.
IF Senator Pettus would throw aside his
scruples in regard to serious discussion
and give full vent to that rare wit he Dos
sesses the Senate would frequently be
thrown into Ats of Laughing. Whenever I
hear a man attempting in vain to tell q
funny story / think of the men who could
do 1t but will not, Of which Pettus is an
eminent example"