The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-05-03
SENATOR OVERMAN
IS ACCORDED HIGH PRAISE BY
WASHINGTON CORRESPOND.
Named as One of the Four Men
from the South Who Have
Proved Themselves Lawyers of
Great Ability and Fit Successors
Of Some of the Great Men of the
Past"
Atlanta Constitution.


One weak point in the kindly criti-
cisms our friends of the Northern
press occasionally level in the direc-
| tion of the South is the fact that they
are based on study or observation of
conditions in force several wears ago,
but now fast vanishing or undergo
| ing substantial evolution. We see,
here and there, intelligent, authori-
tative commentaries on our tempera-
ment and conventions from the other
side of the cline" but more frequent
~ the writer's or speakers lose sight
OF the fact that during the past
twenty-five years the South has re-
corded radical changes which extend
| from the base to the summit OF her
economic, social and academic svs-
TENS.
A case in point is furnished by the
following editorial extract from the
Boston Transcript:
| Probably it is because the North is so
much more given to business than il the
South that our Northern public men have
| fallen into what may be considered the
businesslike way of speaking, appealing
always to the reason but frequently to
| the emotions. But whether this expla-
| nation is sufficient or not, the farther
South one goes the more one encounters
oratory and its imitation. The Southern
| temperament is oratJrical because the
development of the South in industry has
not yet cramped the emotional nature of
! the Southerner. The effectiveness of , "a
| tory in the senate is and probably !, lg
| w ha h p
public is apt to reckon effectiveness in the
committee room as great test, but
probably the ideal Senator is one v ho
can defend or advocate OH the floor with
eloquence. If need be the legislative y. pp-
Osition which he has helped To frame
While We are willing tOaltrlbute 20
the foregoing criticism n degree OF
truth, rs Il wholei 1t requires cOnsiu T.
able qualification. Proof on this lat
ter score is supplied i'll the history of
the weighty legislation now under
way in the United States senate. 1t
will be found, specifically in connec-
ton with the railway rate bill, the
SantO DOMINICAN imbroglio and the
canal discussions, that while the
Southern contingent has acquitted
itself in committee deliberations
equally as well as the delegations from
the Northern and Western States, it
has been fully as effective, if not more
SO, on the floor OF the senate itself,
when quickness, abundance of infOr-
nation and accuracy OF expression
are the requirements.
The Washington correspondent oil
the View York Evening Post, for cX-
ample, declares that Senator Bailey,
of Texas, added ito his own prestige
and that of the senate in cone OF
the great speeches made on the rail
way rate bill this winter" Speaking
OF this debate as worthy of the sell
atc's best traditions, this correspond
ent states that the participants
"prOved themselves lawyers OF great
ability and fit successors OF some Oi
the great men OF the past This
high praise is accorded to but three
senator's from the East and West
while it is given four from the SOutl
Bailey, Rayner Of Maryland, Cul
bersOn of Texas and Overmau 81
! North Carolina. These men are
spoken OF as showing quality worthy
the admiration OF the foremost intel
lects of the country. To the quar-
tette might we'll have been added The
names OF the two Georgia senators
Bacon, long minority leader in the
senate, and Clay, whose speech OF
the railway rate bill was one Of tn,
earlier features OF the session. NOl
must the venerable Senator Morgan
of Alabama, with his argosy OF III
formation on canal issues, and hi:
effectiveness III the committee room
and in debate, be forgotten.
These men do not depend On fiDriC
or emotional oratory for their re
suits. Cool, well-poised, exact, well
informed, they are as successful bus
iness orators" as any Of the member.
from the chillier latitudes-nOt OK
cepting the impeccable Lodge o
Massachusetts. The TOnSfifUfiOn he
lieves them faithfully typical OF th1
J South and Southern Oratory. Herr
and there, as iii the North, there may
be n superfiuity Of adiectives ano
} metaphors But if the TraHscfip
doubts that ev DlutiOn even in thi
minor detail has not EXTENDED
throughout the section, 1T might senC
Il representative to any Of the South
: erm legislatures, or to TIA" cOunci
meetings in the larger towns anC
cities.
He would experience "a revelation
in the matter OF crisp, concise auo
direct speech i'll either instance.
!
Best for Women and Children.