But I do not think you know much about
parliamentary law." To which he replied: "I think the sting
is bigger than the bee."
He never lost an opportunity to indulge his gift of caustic
wit, no matter at whose expense. When the morning hour was
devoted to acting upon the reports of committees in cases
of private claims, or pensions, he used to look over, the
night before, the reports which were likely to be on the next
day's calendar. When a bill was reached he would get up and
make a pretty sharp attack on the measure, full of wit and
satire. He generally knew very little about it. When he
got through his speech he would disappear into the cloak room
and leave the Senator who had reported the bill, and had expected
to get it through without any difficulty--the case being very
often absolutely clear and just--to spend his time in an elaborate
and indignant explanation.
Mr. Ingalls disliked very much the scrupulous administrations
of Hayes and Harrison. He yielded to the craze for free silver
which swept over parts of the West, and in so doing lost the
confidence of the people to whose momentary impulse he had
given way.
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