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Donn Platt's Notes On John Covode

Donn Platt's Notes On John Covode image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
May
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

John Covixíu ie one of tho stock clowns of the lower body of tho National Legiêkture, Drake ia of tba Sonate. Covode resembles an army mule in his oarriage, bray, propensily to pull in the winy team, and occasionally to kiek up Bis heels for recreation. He is cunuiug, without pride or concern for persnuul dignity or honor, ricb by siratcgotio approaclio?, acd politirs is as much a busido!s with liira aa brcedlng" stook or keeping shop. He has no abstract idea of power, or fame, or anything whioh im;igi",:iiivc eople üuppose would be apt to mako.a m;;i wis!i to sit in ' ihö Congress of the United States ; for ho beIongs to a run-do'.vn commonwealth WÜere tho higheat ideal of the natiou is that it is a sort of Indian'i stew pot, ■whore all tha States eit round fishing out Benofits and iavory morsels with their fingers, and John Covode grew up dirty and coarse on purpoao to qualify hii :3{ for this L;onoral grab. He can rui his arm down loycf, hopk put more fnt and unctuous picoes, and diges thum upon a moro omniverous and cast iroa &toinich than SpotteB Tail, or Hole-inthe-Day, or auy other well-bred savage familiarly known to the Indian asente in the lower story of the Patont Office Building. When jou oome Btatesmanship as a fine art, Covodo's proposition is that it consistí, in n personal sense, of putting as little nto the pot as possib'e, makiug the numerator email and tlio doriominatof aluiighty. He would have throwa in, had be been one Of Mr. Maubcth's witohes, the Binallest mfte of "blaspheming Jew" and hooked out the whole "raaw aod gulp" of the shark. He holda his seat in the presii t (ionqress by tho tenure of partisan injutice, haring been be.iten in the most manifest, marnier by Mr. Henry J. Foster, but given tho soat by a partisan oomnjittee ; and yet this grotesqae old rasonl quotes rare scripture and assumes at tirnts more honeety thau the incorruptible Stantou. He rominds me of Artemns Ward's saying of a certain mau tünt "he had but oue tooth, and yet this gifted being plays on the bass drum."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus