The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-12-28
AN ANECDOTE OF
SENATOR CARMACK

From the Washington Herald.
The late Senator Carmack of Tonnes
see, whose tragic death shocked the
nation, bore a close resemblance to John
]. ingalls, of Kansas, in mental and
physical characteristics. The Washing
ton correspondent of the New York
Sun relates that Carmack had ingalls,
stature, almost his 1eaness and certain
facial chara cteristics of the Kansan.
He had ingalls, natural seeming pos
turings while addressing the Senate,
and his gestures were very much the
same. Perhaps Mr.. Carmack fell some
what short of the Kansan in scholar
ship, yet he was one of the ablest men,
ACCIDENTALLY considered, in the sem
atorial body, and his reading was pro-
found and well assimilated.
Like Senator Ingalls,, he turned white
in the midst of debate in which the
sparks flew. But he never achieved the
perfect control of himself in such cir
cumstances; that was one of Senator
Ingalls, most striking characteristics
and powerful weapons.
In conflict Ingalls, was ice outside and
inside, while Carmack was ice only on
the outside. The storm ragged within
him with such fury that sometimes he
lacked control over his words and his
mastery of vituperation got beyond
him. His scorn was the more unfor-
givable to those upon whom 1t was
wreaked because he invariably APP
peared to be cool while he was deliv-
ering himself of utterances that cut his
opponents like blacksnake.
Like ingalls,, Senator Carmacl1 was at
bottom a warm-hearted man. No doubt
he overdid the invective business be-
cause it was from this power that he
drew his greatest applause from those
who, unaffected by the barbs, view the
.f.~fH 80
lockers.
Senator Carmack was called a hard
loser. Certainly he took his defeat for
q second term in the Senate with a bit
ter spirit. He grew noticeably thinner
and more acrid In speech from the hour
he received the blow. To have been de-
feated by "Fiddling Bob Taylor was
hard for him to bear.
He did not entirely lose his sense Of
humor, which was strong, under the de-
feat few days after he received the
news of the failure of the Tennessee leg
islature to re-elect him to the Senate one
of his cronies on the democratic side
strolled over to his seat.
Say Ed" he SAND, placing an arm
around the Tennessee Senator's shoulder,
"do you want to take your folks to a
concert tonight? I've got couple OF Seats
but the wife wants to run over to New
York this evening to do some shopping
there tomorrow and OF course We got 10
go along with her. So we can't use the
seats. You're welcome to them If you
want Them
What kind of a concert is it"' In
quired Senator Carmack
Its Kubelik, the young violinist,' said
the other senator.
Senator Carmack, with great delibera-
ton removed the other senator's arm
from his shoulder and, wheeling In his
chair stared at his crony hard ana
solmenly for half a minute. Then his
/ face creased into a smile.
WELL" he said then, IT can perceive
clearly that you don't mean anything by
this. But I'll ask you to consider whether
in view of certain recent circumstances, it
would be natural to expect me to feel
overjoyed at the proposed prospect of lis
tening to f1dder?'
| The other Senator laughed and went
elsewhere with his Kubelik tickets.