Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15

Ladies and gentlemen, the big tent IS
rather dull these days. The performances
languish; the acrobats seem overtrained
some of the trained elephants are tariffiy
sullen; the donkeys bray discordantly and
pound one another with their nimble heels.
Let US forsake the middle ring; let us turn
our attention to one of the minor attrac-
tons; let us gaze upon the expressive coun-
tenance of the Arkansas feudist.
Ladies and gentlemen, l refer to the
member from the first Arkansas district.
He was born at Macon; he was christened
Robert Bruce. And yet with this handicap
he has managed to scale the heights and
descend into the gloomy crater of demo-
cratic membership in Congress.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Rob-
ert Bruce is unique in his day and generation.
He is of no particular consequence in the
House of Representatives. In this respect
he has lots of company. But ladies' and
gentlemen, the Honorable Robert Bruce re-
allies the fact; he has no delusions on TINS
score; he Is next.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Honorable Rob-
ert Bruce occupies niche in Congress all to
himself. He has the shortest autociogra-
ply in the Congressional Directory. Two
and a half lines Thirty words Count
them and be sure. He is not afflicted with
the idea that the people of this fair land
are sitting up nights TO read MS speeches.
He doesn't believe that anybody outside OF
his district cares hang when he was
horn whether he is n barber or a boiler
maker. whether he is married or single,
whether he has a couple OF children or pe-
lieves in the Roosevelt propagation pro-
nunciamento, or whether he served as
school commissioner of Jonesyilie or tax
collector at Smiths cross roads. Inc Hon
orable Robert Bruce is of no particular mo-
ment in the general scheme OF Things: lie
has slathers of company, too But, by Heck,
tba honorable Bruce is dead wise to the
fact He is on.
::
PERTAINS, you wonder, ladies and gentle
men how 1 discovered that the Honorable
Robert Bruce is an Arkansas feudist. List
while l explain few. During the fifty
eighth Congress the Honorable Robert
Rruce was a member of the House. 1
wasn't aware of the fact Neither was
ANYBODY else outside of the first Arkansas
district. But, ladies and gentlemen, the
Honorable Robert Bruce knew 1t. He
didn't think that the good people of Call
fornia hung around in the vineyards dis
cusing his speeches. He didn't have any
idea that the Esquimos of the frozen
north read his utterances by lncahdescent
whale oil. He knew that in the SIX months
night of the north diversions are few. But
he didn't believe the Esquimos ever got
as desperate as that
And so. ladies and gentlemen time roiled
on. The Fifty-eight Congress came and
went. The Fifty eighth Congress was born.
And 1t was not until the other day that
discovered the Arkansas feudist
1t was during the debate on the southern
mail subsidy that / saw the light There
was a hull In the debate. The Honorable
Robert Bruce secured the floor. He was as
white as chalk He was as cold as an
icicle. And drawing himself up to his i'm
pressive height of five feet two, he spoke
Yesterday" he began, as film OF ice
formed In the glass of water on his desk
the gentleman from North Carolina,
Small charged me with having uttered a
libel against certain railroad officials
then and there said In his presence that
the statement to that effect was an IN
famous libel against me-
Then, ladies' and gentlemen, the tempera-