The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-04-26
"A COTTON BELT DEMOSTHENES
who's Who And Why" i'm the Satur-
day Evening Post.

w NHeTeupOn, the senate being in
consideration Of the bill to create a
tariff board, the day being Thursday,
March 2, and the hour o'clock in
the afternoon, the Honorable Ellison
DuRant Smith arose and, proceed
ing to a convenient station at the end
OF the centre aisle nearest the main
entrance, turned to the Republicans,
who happened TO be in their accustom-
ed places, and let loose the long yell.
Presently, when Mr., Smith was in
the midst Of an eloquent and appar-
emily important paragraph concerning
raw materials, which he was deliver
ing with great declamatory effect and
with suitable gestures and elocu-
tionary eloquence, the venera BILE
Shelby M. Cullom arose, also, and
waited composedly until Mr.. Smith
had anunciated the immortal doc
trine that the producer Of raw mater
ial, under the law of trade, is fore
ed to sell at world prices if he pro-
duces sufficient to meet the needs not
only of his people but of the world at
large. Judging that a good point at
which to separate Mr.. Smith from
his flow Of thought, the aforesaid VEN
cradle Shelby M. Cullom asked mildly
that Mr.. Smith rest his larynx for a
time and allow the Senate to go into
executive session.
Mr.. Smith paused and tapped his
brow. Il yield" he assented, al
though 1 am not near through. This
Is the first opportunity l have had to
give my views on governmental af-
Airs. l have been a noviatiate in this
body and have tried to follow ths old
established rule that you have to be
here two years before you speak at
length; and I was desirous Of giving
this body a thorough sample Of just
what l was capable of when L was
In the Spirit on the Lords day-and
l am today"
The still venerable Shelby M. Gull
lom smiled benignly at Mr.. Smith and
asked for the question. 1t was put
and an executive session was declar-
ed. At the conclusion Of that execu-
tive session Mr.. Smith resumed both
his station in the centre aisle and
his speech. From this very moment
1t was evident that what Mr.. Smith
had said before his interruption was
as mere sounding brass and tinkling
cymbals to the real thunders Of elo-
quence he had in reserve. Having
stated, as he did, that he intended to
show the Senate just what he was CO
pabie Of he showed The Senate what
ne was capable OF. It was after
the Cullom break In the stream that
he first broke into poetry; and II
was soma Few minutes after ne broke
into poetry that he began to get
really good-before he really did
start showing off, so to speak.
Still, he had the goods. There is
no denying that. He had the real,
standard, genuine, time-tried oratori-
Cal goods; and he laid them down
where all, and particularly those Re-
publicans, who were not at luncheon.
might see and hear. He was no frivo-
lous youngster, bobbing into a debate
with line OF unconventional ideas of
producing new and untirad figures Of
speech. Not so. Here was an orator
who knew the good old stuff--the
stuff that always brings 'em to their
feet and sets 'em cheering and cry
ing.
His first sample was from the time
tried and always effective mother"
bin. Dashing back the hair from his
forehead, he raised both hands high
In the air and let go with few lines
Of bleeding and suffering-and then
remember one thing. Thank God.
the love that a mother and father
have for their children is not meas
ured by the number of dollars they
the fathers and mothers, not the chill
dren-"own. In spite of the calico
dress; in spite Of the work distorted
hands; in spite Of the scanned cheeks
from which the bloom Of beauty has
been smitten by the cruel hand of
poverty and adversely: in spite Of the
stopped form thank God. underneath
that calico dress, despite all those
physical distortions. the poverty
stricken mother loves the bright dar-
lings about her feet with as glorious
and divine a love as ever burned in