The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-15
PARLIAMENTARY LEADERSHIP.
By Savoyard in Washington POST

VenSon was greatly outraged as he
was warranted in feeling, having Civ
en- up his seat in the House and the
Speakership, and many of the Wings
sympathized with him. clay saw the
injustice that had been practiced on
him and went to one of his friends
Van Buren,, possibly, or Wright, and
said: 81 have no objection to Steven
son, | simply wanted to give Web
ster a lesson. Tell jackson to again
send his name in for the English Mis-
sion, | will absent myself; Webster
will vote for him. and everything is
righted.'
That was done, Stevenson went to
England, and there he saw the coro-
nation of Queen Victoria, and he it
was who gave her the barrel of Abe
marie Pippins, which became her
favorite apple, and a supply of which
she regularly ordered every year dur
| ing her entire reign.
Some years later when Webster
| entered Harrison's cabinet, he select
! ed Rufus Choate as his successor in
| the Senate. ] am not quite certain
whether ii was then or earlier than
John Quincy Adams bitterly resent
| ed the interference of Webster with
his election to the Senate. If it was
earlier. it only showed that Webster
did not fancy Adams as a colleague
and if ii was now demonstrated that
| Webster did not want Adams for a
successor. Be the period when it was
Adams was, furious. and viciously as
sailed Webster who was defended by
George Evans, of Maine, the latter
closing his speech with the invective,
Il leave him to the contempt of his
enemies and the pity of his friends,
i or words to that effect Adams tells
how he prepared a reply, but he new
| er delivered it, and Evans remarked
to friend that Adams failure to re-
ply had deprived the House of a
great "eXtemporaneous" effort, which,
he said, he had burned much mid
night oil in preparing. If Evans had
/ had the lofty character and had led
the pure life of William Pitt Fessen-
den. he might have been President of
the United States. 1t is universally
agreed that, next to Webster he was
New England's greatest intellect.
When Choate got to the Senate, he
too, was cowed by the naughty AFRO
gance of Henry Clay and deeply HUI
INFLATED in a personal discussion with
him.
AS practical sGatesman-a law
giver-John Sherman was the great
est of all the Republican leaders. He
was no sentimentalist, like Sumner:
no doctrnaire like Chase: no refor-
mer like Schurz, but plain man. He
never sought trouble, and would go
out of his way to avoid it, He
did not live in yesterday. or tomor-
row, but in today, and his text was
sufficient unto the day is the evil
thereof. He combated symptoms.
He did not waste his time getting
to the root of the disease. What
will give relief for the moment -
that was the statesman ship of John
Sherman. When he was President he
facto, 1S77-S1, he gave the country
the best administrat ton his party ever
gave it, and it is a pity that he. in
stead of Garfield. was not nominated
in 1880. Garfield's place was the SEN
ate. He might have lived till this day
and it is certain that both Blaine and
Conkling would have long continued
4 his associates in that body. Garfield
was q very great man; but i do be-
lieve he was less fitted for the of
flee of President than any other man
| who ever attained to that great sta
ton. Had he lived. his party would
/ have been hopeleSsly disrupted. Bnt
in the Senate he would have been in
the front rank. Had his wisdom been
/ commensurate With his knowledge, he
| would have been in IL class to himself
above Blaine. above Conkling, above
! Carpenter.
Thomas b. Reid was another very
great man; and commanding as he
was in Congress, he would have been
even more SO in the Executive Man.
sion. He would have been one of the
very great Presidents, and / make
/ no doubt that he would have wrought
many reform. He was an honest
! man, but he was not Stingy His
administration would not have been
very cheap, but the people would have
come nearer getting their moneys
worth than they have in forty years,
! or are likely TO in twice forty years
next succeeding.
He reformed the House of Repre-
Sentatives; but his reform was 50
thorough that the immediate renre
| sentatiVes of the people have ceased
| to be adeliberative body When "Dick"
! Townsend, in the FOrty-Sixth Con-
I gress, introduced a bilf putting wool
| lumber, and salt on the free list he
| entitled it a bill to amend certain sec
/ tons of the general statutes. Randall
not knowing the support of the meas
/ ure, sent it to the Committee on Re
vision of the Laws, a free-trade lay
/ out. Under the rules it took Randall.
| the Republican party, and the Ran
| dali Democrats continuous session
of seventy-two hours and some 100
| roll calls get that bill referred to
| Ways and Means. Reed was a mem
| Der of that Congress and participated
| in that battle royal Under his rules
! you could change the reference OF
such bill in the twinkling of an eye.
The greatest debate ever witness
ed was that when Reed and William
| L. Wilson closed the discussion of the
tariff bill in February, 1894. 1t made
one proud of his country, and it made
one impatient when contemplating
the fakirs who are the hot gospeIers
of innovation and of change. They
% 1cQlx- fri nf |,