The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1909-03-26

| Structed on the plan OF Eugene
Hale would form such a senate as
the world might dream of in con-
nection with such a body, but
such senate as the world never
did see and never will. In point
of imperial dignity there may
have been something in old Rome
approaching it, but never since.
AS a type of what the SEN
ate should be we must all regret
the day when the veteran senator
from Maine shall have passed out
and beyond. AS the sole remain
ing relic and reminder of a great
past in that arena he towers like
lone pine of his native state, and
when he finally lies PROSTATE we
shall not look on his like again.
Such has come to be the
power in the senate of man who
is no orator. To him all the arts
of oratory are useless and I'M
worthy. IA a rule, the strong
men of the senate are the ones
who only say things when they
have something to say, and then
only as briefly as possible. The
mere takers are the orators, tho
they at times do some real think
ing between talks. Senator AL
drich only says things when it is
quite necessary, nearly always by
way of explanation. He is a plain
business man, like Senator Crane,
and no lyceum bureau manager
would give either of them their
board for seven nights in the
week on the lecture platform.
Oratory as such is no longer a
power in the senate. Only ladies
who have arrived at the age when
they are always ~tWenty-three
next June flock to the galleries in
search of frenzied defamation.
When it comes to protracted talk
the senate is not mutual admira-
ton trust. Not long ago a sena-
tor strolled into the chamber and
turned with critical attention to a
colleague who was doing a talking
part. After few moments of
critical attention he turned away
with the remark to a bystander
that that is the first time | ever
saw Skye terrier trained to
stand on his rear legs and con-
verse!" This is one aspect of
senatorial courtesy.
None of the voices of the indi-
vidual gods are so constructed as
to make heaven drowsy with the
harmony" That some might make
heaven or any other locality
drowsy is quite conceivable, but
not with harmony. For instance
there is the senior senator from
North Dakota, Porter James Nc
Cumber. For the first few min
utes the voice of that oleaginous
Highlander falls on the ear like
dripping of honey from the comb,
but its unctious and long-draWn-
out cadences soon become as
nauseous as a diet of cough syrup.
Another almost impossible combi-
nation of orator and statesman is
Weldon Brinton Hepburn OF Idaho.
Senator Hepburn has a voice like
the continuous discharge of mus
kerry on picket line, with a snap
and recoil to it which almost cleo
trifies the shock heads of the
pages across the desk from him.
He bites off a word and losses it
into the air like a hand grenade,
and there are always a lot more
where that came from. He takes
extremely serious, in this
respect only being eXcelled by the
little giant of the Wabash. He
is subservient to nobody and
honest in motive and
in criticism and always
heWs to what he considers to be
the true line, regardless of where
the chips may fall. His one OBJ
ject in life thus far seems to be to
place large and conspicuous
r. u MI in he fnpnGfrxr
vice in general and Clifford Pin
chot in particular. In this attempt
he has attained a certain measure
of success, Senator Francis Emroy
Warren of Wyoming to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
There is no more deservedly
popular man in the senate or out
of it than Alexander Stevens Clay
of Georgia, a true and faithful
of the best inter-
ests of the old and new South.
Steve" Clay is one of the people,
without any frills, and easily
makes himself heard when he has
to say. His voice in
action resembles nothing so much
as the filing of a saw in an empty
rain barrel. 1t is distinctly not
but it carries well. 1T
will always take the paint off a
board at twenty feet range, AMI
at a distance might be mistaken
Tor a railroad disaster. When il
breaks out and the cracker sena-
Ior begins to smite his palms the
1oorkeepers awake and take no
ice and the somnolent dove of |
peace circles apprehensively in |
he upper currents.
The opposite is true of Augustus
)ctavious Bacon, Georgias senior
senator, Every subject that can
possibly be brought before the
enate in any form is his best hold
md at once claims his attention.
lie embalms himself in every de-
,ate. He glides into every dis
.ussion wiCh a mild and healing
which indicates entire
amiliarity and perfect confidence.
70 the ungodly among the hab-
lees he is known by the sobriquet
# Birdie from mis- propensity
o cock his head on one sile and
freak out in song at the slightest
II with no provocation. Undoubt-
.dly he consumes more time and
lelays more business than any
'ther senator, and yet few have
more warm friends. He is an
arrest, welkintentioned man, anu
vithal a valuable member of the
enate. He is one of the best
constitutional and well equipped
awyers in the body, and his opin-
on commands deserved respect.
Senator Deliver is said to have
yon a considerable degree OF
anne as a platform orator, but
here is little evidence OF il in his
ecord as a member of the senate.
lis command of ideas is excellent,
nut he is handicapped by a very
L !. l. 1