The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-04-27
MANY BRIGHT THINGS PASS IN
REPARTEE ON FLOOR OF THE
LOWER HOUSE.
Interesting Incidents of Mirthful Ma.
ture That Have Happened in Hall
of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, April 27.-(SpeciaD
| The evil that men do lives after
them; the good is oft inferred with
their bones" This, perhaps, is the
reason that the good things" that
have been said in the congresses that
have held forth their allotted periods
in the capitol have been, for the great
er part, lost in oblivion. But 1T trans
Dires that adroit scribeS have caught
on the fly, as it were, some of the
bright things that have flashed forth
in debate when one honorable senator
or member has had something to say
to the other honorable senator or MEM
Der and has said it in such manner as
to call forth recognition.
1t may appeal to many lovers OF
humor as unfortunate that the three
most brilliant latter day wits of the
house of representatives, namely, Tom
Reed of Maine, John Allen of Missis-
sippi and Peter J. Otey of Virginia,
are no longer heard upon 1.-THE floor.
These three members had each his in
dividual style. Reed, with his nigh
KEYED draWl seemed to utter, his most
telling epigrams in a sort of weary I'M
promptu Otey, like a trained actor,
making each information of the voice
and every gesture count in the de-
sired effect, and Allen, with Vocab-
ulary and delivery all his own. Reed
was nothing if not epigrammatic, and
some of these epigramS were as effec-
tive as bullets. Even the pompous and
picturesque Conkling made distinct
mistake when he alluded to Reed as
that cheerful young idiot from Maine"
A fv in amber presented a metaphor
to Reed, of which he made use upon
two occasions at least. One Of these
was when an interrupting member en-
deavored to confuse him in his remarks
regarding him-the interrupting MEM
Der Reed continued in the same, even,
cold, unimpassioned strain that formed
characteristic of his eloquence and
concluded his expressions concerning
the member with: and now, having
embalmed that fly in the liquid amber
of my remarks, I will proceed with
the serious matter under discussion"
The other occasion upon which Reed
employed this metaphor which has been
handed down to posterity was upon
his remarking in regard to an enemy in
the house: 1.-The gentleman possesses
a certain interest, like that of fly in
amber-there is nothing remarkable in
the insect save the speculation as to
how he got there"
Once when Breckenridge of Ken
lucky had concluded a speech of pom
derous and lugubrious periods, in which
as the saving is, tears might have been
Leard in his voice. Reed distinctly |
spoiled the effect by pretending to |
weep, holding a handkerchief to his
eyes and exclaiming to Cannon of Illi- !
nois the present speaker of the house, |
Joe, were you acquainted with the
deceased?" in that very audible but
suppressed tone of voice technically |
known as a stage whisper"
The latter ruse for spelling the effect
of what might otherwise have been an
effective oratorical effort recalls Ben
Buffers audible commentary on one of
S. S. (Sunset) Cox's oratorical efforts.
Cox had really impressed his hearers,
and general admiration hung breathless
upon his concluding words, when But
Ter turned to one of his confreres and
said: 81 always did like that speech
The impending applause was nipped in
the bud
During the time he was minority
leader Reed remarked: THE present
house has avoided its opportunities and
shirked it's duties and led a gelatinous
life, to the scorn of all vertebrate ami
malsi" Discussing certain of the lead
ers of the opposition, Mr.. Reed once
said, mentioning them by name: Mel
Their of them ever says a word without
subtracting from the sum total of hu-
man knowledge" While speaker, Reed
employed his epigrams with singular
effect. Soon after having made the
innovation of counting a quorum from
all the members present, whether vot-
ing or not, a member most emphatically
objected to being thus enumerated
''Does the gentleman continue to stand
there and persistently claim that he is
not present." said the speaker in his
weary but cutting tone. Mr.. Springer
of Illinois once became greatly exer-
cised in contending the right a man
has to change his opinions. Abiding
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