Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-08-28

\ rNar0!
Nv have been asking
\h this question OF a list
Of public men more
or less noted as wits
and humorists. Per
haps the idea may stimulate some lit
ersry hack to make much more com.
plete compilation OF American humor
and supply want long felt in these
| days, when readers are being overfed
with the lurid, the morbid and the
tragic. The memory OF practically ev-
cry member and exmember OF our
various legislative bodies. federal.
state and municipal. stores up some
samples OF original repartee which
doubtless will be lost to posterity un-
less preserved in printers ink. says
John Elfreth Watkins In the Philadel-
phia Record.
In Washington the man who doubt
OF brtsk repartee in debate on the
floor OF congress is Speaker Champ
Clark. He recalls singing retorts
that have excited not only uproarious
laughter. but threats OF personal en-.
counter.
The retort which he considers as
perhaps the most effective was made
by Senator James Hamilton Lewis
when a member OF the house. Lewis
opponent had been the aggressor and
had been doing all of the vicious dig
ging. Lewis. as usual. was all suavity.
The speaker tells the story in this
way:
1T was one OF the finest bits Of
repartee | ever heard In the house.
Lewis and Lemuel r. Quigg OF New
York were having a cut-and-thrust de-
bate o, the trusts. Lewis assailing
and Quigg defending.
AT last Quigg made a particularly
vicious lunge at Lewis. to which the
latter. with the grace and politeness
OF Lord Chesterfield. replied;
"'Mr Speaker, do not wonder that
the gentleman from New York de
fends the trusts. for 1t Is written In a
, very old book that:
1.-THE ass knoweth his owner and
, the OK his masters crib
, That ended the debate very sud
denly"
, Speaker Clark gave me also the fol
lowing sample of repartee. contribute,
y not as one OF the wittiest retorts h,
, ever heard. but as that precipitatin,
' about the most ridiculous situation h,
ever witnessed in a legislative body
, Toward the end OF his term a
4 speaker OF the Missouri house of rep
resentatives Judge j. Il. Alexander
now a member of the national hous,
OF representatives, was solicited TO
recognition by large number of mem
bers standing in the aisle in front o
the speakers desk At last the Hon
James T. Moon, a very brilliant mem
Der from Laclede county. yelled out
Mr.. Speaker, | want TO know
: you recognize me-?
. Speaker Alexander, very grav
y and dignified gentleman, responded
"lt does seem to me that | hav
seen that ugly mug somewhere be
FORE"
- The immortal wit Of the late Sens
tor Jonathan Dolliver Is considere
'. by Senator LaFollette to be produ,
b tive of the very best repartee hear
d on the floor Of the senate.
r THE quickest fash OF wit that r,
O. CALL" said he, came after Senate
y Warren of Wyoming had delivered
p speech in behalf OF protection. A
II members Of the senate knew that Sci
8 atOr Warren owned sheep ranches |
X his native state and his earnest al
y peal bad already tickled the fancy {
q. the listeners.
N Senator Dolliver followed him an
O. had begun a discussion OF the tari
"a changes when Senator Warren. an
ious to join In the sentiment. r
marked:
~ quite agree with the senator @
that point. Like himself | am a
agriculturist and
\ You remarked Dolliver. simpl
| are the greatest shepherd since ABR
ham,.
Even senatorial dignity could n,
withstand this"
Representative Fitzgerald Of Ne
York, chairman of the appropriation
committee of the house. said that OIL
of the most effective shafts of repa
tee which he ever heard was hurl,
n, some years ago by a southerne
Al whose name he does not now recall.
,.- "A hot debate was on" said NJ
M Fitzgerald, "and a member OF the X
publican party began by assailing CO
nm gress generally and Democrats In pa
Itr