Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-02
CAPITAL CHAT.
CONTINUED from Page One.)

House has been the best of decade 1t
seemed to come to 4 climax the other
day when Representative John DalZell OF
Pittsburg made speech in defence and
praise of the Republican party Tho
Democratic orators had been exceedingly
jaunty. They had been Dragging little
more than anybody else. They had flung
their taunts across the center aisle I'm
der all the circumstances they had been
making it uncomfortable for the Repub-
lican brethren. OF course they took the
negative side, showing what the Repub-
licans had not donc-how they had not
they had not kept tile country this Win
ter without soup houses in numerous
cities, how they had not supported their
President as they Should have done. and
SO on.
Mr.. DalZell is not generally an attrac
tive speaker. although he is a very pro-
found one. Like many another man in
public life he has improved with age and
service He is little man with piping
voice, but when he got warmed up and
was fully in action lie did give the DEM
ocracy fits. AS his Republican colleagues
titS'Itu INN Oh, he LOOK Ine POSITIVE sue
of the situation and told what the Re
publicans had done. The period under de-
bate has been the last IL years of Re
publican administration. He mentioned
all the Republican big wigs of that pc
Rod, just rs partisan orators do upon the
stump, and the House rang with ar-
plause, just as audiences out in the back
woods cheer
Meanwhile the Democrats on the oppo-
site side were silent as a church. In
their midst sat their leading orators, talk
ing notes, observing every plaudit and
gesture. They are now busy making more
phrases and gathering more material.
The great national debating society has
not concluded vet. There is a lot of red
hot work ahead. There will be attack
and resistance on both sides.
The debating this year has been more
or less instructive and above all it has
been very interesting. The old campaign
managers say that voters do not read
political speeches any more. They claim
that the circulation of speeches such as
the House has been making do not win
votes any longer. Perhaps if the speech
es could be circulated during the winter
| months when there is time for reading.
they might stifPn up a few backbones
and make a few converts. Every con-
| gresham who makes a star speech is
| likely to circulate it among his constit-
| uents but long before the copies get
! into the mails in pamphlet forms the
newspapers have picked the meat out of
| it and to the readers the speech has
! become an old story.
| However many u good slogan is forged
| in the white heat of debate. Many an
| idea is dressed IN in attractive guise
that the phrase-loving American people
will "catch on to"
Usually the more dignified and slowly
moving Senate gets into political scrap
or two before the present stage of n ses-
| sion has been reached. But the Senate
has not been talking politics. Some day
someone will drop n spark in the maya
| zine and there will be sputteri:ig and
| loud explosions. The Senate has some
good political debatcrs. Only their blood
has not been stirred yet this winter.
| One of the recent pieces of legislation
| which will be Of benefit to n Maine man
| is n resolution making n substantial in
! l,a c01a 20 IT