The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-03
J. PROCTOR KNOTT
By SAVOYARD

allowed to take the oath, for e speech he had made in 1861 against secession. Fact Among the Kentucky members were James B. Beck. who subsequently became so distinguished in both Houses, and Elijah Hise next to Hum phrey Marshall. the most powerful in- tellect the Mississippi Valley ever pro- duced. if I may venture a dogmatism that is a fixed belief in my mind.
 a%s
 Mir. Curtis says that Knott's reputa- tion for wit and satire rests on no other foundation than the Duluth speech, that ''he never made g funny speech before, or since" Before the Duluth speech. the session before, Knott made the speech against the appropriation for paving Pennsylvania Avenue that surpasses in humor and fancy the Duluth speech as far as the Duluth speech surpasses s. s. cox's reply to Gurley. Here are passages. After citing what the Government had done to beautify the National Capital, Knett continued:
 If any gentleman entertains a doubt on this point. let him walk through Lafayette Square Let him sWlns around the circle south of the presi- dential palace, or stand on the splendid esplanade in front of the Agricultural Department. Let him sniff the fragrant air that hangs over the public gardens. Let him look at he broad promenades, paved with immense flags Of polished sandstone; the wide and commodious drives sweeping round up an easy ana graceful radius with the true llue or beauty. Let him tread the sinuous footpaths laid with an elastic concrete of white sea sand. bordered with shrub bery that would have lent new charms to Calypso's favorite bower, winding away in the Cretan labyrinth.
 Let him do this. and he will ind that the Government has taken care, so far as it Is concerned, that no staih shall pollute the satin slipper of the favored beauty as she glides along in sylph-Iike ioveliness; that no speck or dust shall settle on the costly laces of her gorgeous robes as she feclines in ecstatic languor upon the downy cushions of her splendid carriage; that even the perfumed zephyr, as he steals from beds of rare exotics. shall not kiss her velvet cneSk too rudely, nor the dancing sunbeam taste the ueii- cious frag ance that exhales from her honeyed lips, whlIe the tofl-browned daughter of the honest, hard-working, paying farmer, or mechanic. of In- diana or Kentucky, In her homespun gown, innocent of crinoline or train, must
 "'Skeipft on through dub and mirei .
 Despising wind. and rain. ana hfe.
 whether that fancy surpasses the iH- dignant pathos of the apostrophe to France an the Duluth speech is matter of opinions always, but there can scarce be two impressions that, for rollicking humor, the following pas sage in the Pennsylvania Avenue speech finds no parallel in the Duluth speech:
 "But, Mir. Chairman. have heard one reason very frequently urged Tor the massage of this biIl, which candor com pels me to admit, almost convincest me. that we ought not only to appropriate tbIs sum of S1S0.000, but any other amount that might be necessary 10 reuave Pennsylvania avenue at the very earliest possible period of time, and that is that 1t is much used by the horde of oficehoiders that thronB the fthoroughfares of this city Tn num- hers almost equal to the hosts which were hurled with Lucifer from the bat dement's of heaven. For, sir, If there Ia A being on this earth for whose comfort and convenience l entertain the profoundest solicitude; if there is one whose smallest want stirs my sympa tn etic soul to its serenest depths, if is your ofhceholder. your public func- tionary. when see one of that noble
 
 and all the sweets of private life, for which he is so eminently fitted by na- ture. to irnmolate himself on the altars of his country's service for foHr long years Homer's touching picture of the last sad scene between the noble Aec- tor and his weeping family rises be- fore my compassionate imagination. When see him plunge recklessly into an ofice of the duties of which he Is profoundly and defiantly ignorant, am reminded of the self sacrificing hero ism of Curtius, when he leaped into the yawning gulf that opened in the Roman forum. When I behold him sadly contemplating his majestic fea- lures in one of those gorgeous and costly mirrors. which are furnish ed him at public expense, my heart goes out to him in sympathy. When see him seated. sorrowfully, at a miserable repast of sea turtle and champagne, my very bowels yearn for him. And when I see him perform, perhaps the only duty for which he is full com- petent-signing the receipt for his 4nonthly pay-I am so overwhelmed with pity for his miserable condition thit I wish I were in his place."
 Pat Donan was brilliant man. who had served gallantly in the Confeder- ate army. After the war there was a publication in New York called The Metropolitan Record. It would have