The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-30
CATCHING A TARTAR.

The Republicans in congress are now
painfully aware of what it means to
have man like Bourke Cochran 'iD
their midst" Cochran is at once an
orator and a fighter. No man can de-
liver heavier or more telling blows,
and no man can express himself mere
to the enthusiastic delight both of the
floor and of the galleries. Congress-
man DalZell had the exceedingly bad
judgment to make a personal attack
upon Mr.. Cochran. The object of this
was not only to embarrass that gen.
tleman and minimize his much feared
influence, but to add to the volume of
campaign material which it is the chief
occupation of the closing hours of con-
gress to heap up. It was rashly as
stunned that some good electioneering
stuff could be got out of Mr.. DaIzeIPs
remarks.
There was mighty little Of Mr.. Dali
zell left when Mr.. Cochran got through
with him, and nothing at all left of the
Republican party except such portion
of its anatomy as could not get into
the hole into which it speedily crawl
ed. Mr.. Cochran met the attack upon
himself with moderation and dignity.
His opponent having had the indecency
to repeat on the floor calumnies which
Mr.. Cochran had already expressly re-
pudiated, and for which there was not
shred of evidence except the ma
icious little tattle of party gossips.
Mr.. Cochran simply met in parliament
tary fashion the issue Of veracity be-
tween them. He declared that either
he or Mr.. Dalzell was unfit to remain
as a member of the house, and called
for a committee of inquiry to deter
mine which of them had fallen below
the standard of honor to be expected
from a congressman and a gentleman.
He did not stop there. Having been
charged with venality in the election of
1896, he so broadened the scope of it's
inquiry as to make it imperative that,
in clearing or blackening his own
quire into the whole circumstances of
that election and determine whether or
not the Republicans had bought their
victory. Instantly there was a terri
bic fluttering in the coop. Republican
members were aghast at the prospect,
and shouted protestations and points
Of order and questions of privilege over
one another's heads. They lost all appe-
title for the pursuit of Mr.. Cochran
and sought for time to save them
selves. Their desperate predicament
was relieved only by the device Of the
speaker, who held open the motion Of
Mr.. Cochran by declaration that he
must look into the precedents before
passing upon it.
Thus were the Republicans put
wholly upon the defensive and morally
convicted of cowardice and guilt The
pursuers became the pursued Rather
than have their own acts investigated.
they were obliged to refuse investiga-
ton to the man whom they had as
sailed and who openly courted inquiry.
Bourke Cochran is one of the worst
men in this country to run up against.
He possesses splendid intelligence, in
domitable courage and the power Of so
expressing himself as to carry con-
viction. The minority completely I'M
horsed the majority in this little tilt,
and the last hours Of congress were
enlivened and the country enlightened
by the ignominious retreat of the Re-
publicans, to which Mr.. Dalzell opened
the way.