Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-10

Southerner-SO Southern John Shar,
that, when he finds himself
north of Mason and Dix
on's line, he feels as if he had been hurled
over the Chinese wall. He is lawyer,
cotton planter, and the son of man who,
when Colonel in the Confederate army,
was killed at the Battle of Shiloh. More
over, for the benefit of local color, he wears
a ragged mustache and forces Southern
drawl into his thin voice.
But, returning to the subject of brains,
it may be said that Williams Conscientiously
lives up to his middle name. If he hadn't
been blessed with more gray matter in his
head than there is in a London fog, the
amount of education he got would have
killed him or sent him to madhouse. He
tore off slices of education from various
schools, States, and foreign countries: He
is choke full of culture, languages, and lore,
having received his schooling in Kentucky,
Tennessee, Mississippi, and Virginia, and
not neglecting the textbooks of Germany
and other parts of Europe.
All this study and reading is of great
benefit to him when he makes speech; for
he backs up his knowledge with a mind that
works rapidly and keenly, producing sar-
casm that has a giggle in it and wit that hops
nimbly forth and bites its victim. This was
proved conclusively when he and Governor
Vardaman were chasing each other all over
Mississippi and driving the voters into
mysteries with the funny things they said
about each other. Vardaman would make
speech, and the crowd would laugh until the
tears ran down its cheeks. Then along
would come Williams, and the same fellows
would beg somebody to tell them a sad
story to break up their hysteria.
But, in the final showdown, Williams had
the best laugh of all. He won-by a squeak,
it is true, but he won, and in politics that
sort of thing is highly delightful, entertain
ing, and amusing.
The new Senator got his first political
laurels in the national House, where he rose
to be leader of the Democratic minority;
position that does two things for you, it
gives you ample opportunity to make two
or three speeches day, and it makes you
target for the criticism of the majority party,
the insurgents in your own ranks, and the
practised abuSerS throughout the country.
Occasionally this human target game got
on Williams nerve and once he threatened to
resign his job-but he thought better of that.
In the Senate, as was the case in the
House, Williams shines as an orator and
debater.
The second question that he puts to him.
self with wonderful frequency is, whats
the use of lying back on your veranda on
Tic Olu pidhIdIIoH uoWI AoiiIC anu ulillhilS
up all the mellow colors, soft atmosphere,
and pretty sentiment of Yazoo City
what's the use of doing that if you can't
translate it into a speech?"
Again he answers, "NOne at all.
He believes in the direct election of Sena-
tors by the votes of the people, yearns and
cries for lower tariff, and proposes at some
indefinite date to write history of Thomas
Jefferson. When he studies, he does it ac-
cording to all the accepted traditions con-
corning how that particular trade should be
piled. He burns the midnight oil, props his
feet up yard higher than his head, reclines
on his shoulder blades, and becomes wise.
But he is also fond of society and his
friends. and he will sit up to talk to good
fellow as late as he will stay awake to read
lanky, has fine, regular features, and looks as