 Marshall 's wit is best remembered from a phrase he introduced to the American lexicon . During a Senate debate in 1917 , as Senator Joseph L. Bristow cataloged a long list of what he felt the country needed , Marshall leaned over to one of his clerks and said , " What this country needs is more of this ; what this country needs is more of that " . He then quipped , loudly enough for most of the chamber to hear , " What this country needs is a really good five @-@ cent cigar " , which provoked laughter from a number of senators . 
