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Show Tht Decadenc of the Houit. There was a grand chance for some good debate in the lowe-r house of Congress this week. The bill regulating railroad rates has been under discussion and the House orators had the opportunity to soar. They didn't soar any more than a duck. They put about as much fire and eloquence into the debate as might be expected from a wooden Indian. There are undoubtedly some able men in the House, but they are endeavoring to keep their ability abil-ity a profound secret. Years ago it was a pleasure to read the House debates. The House excelled the Senate and the debates, impromptu or prepared, were glittering and often really great. Xow an ordinary or-dinary auctioneer is easily superior as an orator to ny member of the House. When one reads a copy of the Congressional Record Rec-ord he is moved to an "Alas, Poor Yorick"' sentiment. senti-ment. It is now chiefly remarkable for what it does Dot contain. It is a desert of words without an oasis of thought. Reading it is as much a waste of time as fishing in Great Salt lake. Several years ago a new member from Washington Washing-ton we forget his name got the floor when the Speaker was off his guard and made a first-class speech. He has never made another. On one or two occasions J. Adam Bede said some good thing. The voice of J. Adam is now as still as if his tongue were tilent in the grave. . The Speaker is the House and the present Speaker isn't the type of man that Tom Reed was. n Reed's time there was always something doing i the House. "Uncle Joe" Cannon thinks, hotter, hot-ter, that a mouth was primarily intended for the iiastication of tobacco and. that mere talk is folly, lie practices his belief and he has the rules in such irood working order that no one who has anything to say and the ability to say it gets the chance to make, himself heard. Occasionally they let a Democrat Dem-ocrat talk, but what does thafamount to? All the Democrats who have spoken at this session have done is abuse the leaders who conducted the magnificent magnifi-cent failure of last fall. The last really entertaining speaker in the House was J. Ham Lewis of the cerise whiskers, but the halls of the Capitol know his voice and whiskers no more. Well., the- compositors and proofreaders of the Congressional Record have our sympathy. They have to read the wretched drivel that is now given ' utterance in the place where the words of statesmen states-men used to ring. |