The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-02-03

story Of Montague Barnes, who be-
gan life poor boy with only one
parent and two shoes and who had
Just taken his seat In congress in firm.
resounding tones. It's all excessively
Interesting to me and would be. even
IL any Of the facts mentioned were
true. For I know Monty Barnes; I'VE
known him for years-ever since the
time we sat In the literary society to-
gether at Siwash college and Monty
used to get up and make speeches with
q voice that sounded like a dried leaf
In wash boiler.
I remember Monty's first speech as
plainly as If had heard.it. can re-
peat II word for word. He said: "M-mr.
Ch-chairman. I'll m-murn we ad.
3oove." He was holding on to two
chairs when he made It. Told me
afterward that he stopped them as
they were going around him and used
them as substitutes for knees. He was
the shyest man and the worst speaker
who ever got into the Gnothautii Lit
erary society. He had sat for a year
before he dared make the above speech.
And II took him another year to get
SO fluent that he could address the So
ciety with the aid Of only one chair.
4 remember how we used to look for
ward TO the nights when Monty ran
the snciety. AS chairman he remind
ed me Of puny child trying to herd
wildcats. You could chase him into
the rafters with a point Of order and
parnIyze him for a whole evening with
an. amendment to an amendment
Monty was so meek when we took
him In that he had to have a written
permission to sneeze In chapel. | used
to watch him trying to arrange his
knees when he wanted to speak. You
know how important It Is that your
knees shall be In good voice when you
want to address meeting. Time after
time he would get part way up with a
few remarks balanced on the end Of
his tongue and then his knees would
balk and insurge. and by the time he
had braced them up he had mislaid his
remarks and the meeting had surged
on. used to pity him, though good
ness knows wouldn't have gotten up
at that time for the world. was worse
than he. but ] was resigned to It.
remember. too. the night when Barnes
suddenly found himself sailing along
about one thousand miles above sea
level, riding his train of thought and
feeding new thoughts into his mind
as fast as he emptied II. | can see
now the look of ecstasy on his face
the look of man who has just discov-
cred how to drive'an airplane and ride
the gale on an even keel. From that
time on you couldn't head Barnes off.
He became society nuisance. He de-
bated and GRATED and remarked at
every meeting. and it was a common
thing for some member to rise In the
middle Of his eloquence and say.
"Mr. Chairman, | think It is about
time to cap the gas WELL"
And now little Barnes is In congress.
It's two years since he hung out his
law single. I'll bet be started politi-
cal speaking before he got his sign
painted. and I'll bet they couldn't stop
him. either. until he had said what he
wanted to. I'd like to have heard his
campaign. I'd like to have seen the
surprise of some Of the tough old poll.
ticians who rose up to smother him
with scorn and got banged on the head
with the unabridged dictionary. And
TIL bet congress doesn't worry him
either. He's had Gnothautii training,
Monty has, and no measly speaker Is
going to head him or when he has a
face full of words.
That's what old Gnothautii did for
It did lot for all of us, too.
There Is nothing In college that can
touch the literary society for teaching
d man to get up and slam few choice,
sentiments into the other
fellow at minutes warning. Looking
back on those society nights | cannot
feel surprised at the large number of
awkward youngsters who afterward
went out and began bossing congress
sional districts before they could raise
After a man has spent q
few years baling up and delivering his
IDEAS in the face Of parliamentary OBJ
Iections, whoops, yells. sarcasm and
sometimes furniture. little thing like
well-policed ward caucus
s only child's play for him. They were
10 fatally critical In our society. You
Gould talk to 1t as long as you inter
ested It and no longer. And the mem
hers were SO pleasantly frank about
vour little faults Of speaking. You
sldn.t have to guess at those faults
N no. At the end OF the meeting the
rritic got ND and told the society about |
lhen,. he made his meaning perfectly |
~,sln. we always took care to choose
! rritic who had good command Of
language.
Titerary society night was great
s.ssure .at old Siwash. Friday and Sat.
.srasy nights we frivoled and on Sum
W. nights we studied. Monday. Tues
49, and Wednesdays we flled up In
800 ANS unholy ways. but on Thursday
E ~ we went to literary society. On
ss<s,sdav night chums separated.
,ssSers parted and enemies lined up
I Z. /, s5de for half Of us went to