Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-07-19
Ccrregpondence,o OF Cincinnati Commercial
ben WADE AT HOME.


Happening the other day, to be In ASH
tabula, and learning we were WITHIN ten
miles of the home Of Ben. Wade,We oetef-
! mined to avail ourself of an invitation, ex-
= tended by that gentleman more than
wear ago. to visit him at his home a dusty
ride over plank road, in numbering old
stage. and In two hours we were set down
before the hotel In the little village of JEFF
ferson. which was the home of Joshua r.
ii ,f3;ddincs, and is where Ben. Wade, for
more than thirty years, has resided. Jeffer
son is little inland town of less than one
thousand inhabitants, and dreary enough
locking place to produce great men nev-
ertheless it has furnished more men of note
than any other place in the State of Ohio,
except Cincinnati.
We found the venerable statesman at
law Office, surrounded by the village law
yers, with whom he was joking, laughing.
talking and telling stories as only an old
~ back woodsman Ecan.@ Poor MIR. Lincoln,
how he loved to tell stories of the days
when he was fatboatman, or split rails in
Illinois. SO Mr. Wade will sit for hours
and talk of the time when he drove cattle
TO New York, dug on the Erie canal with
Z. a spade, or chopped cordwood in Ohio.
After introducing us to his friends MIR.
y. Wade invited us to his house, near by, .and
there introduced us to his family, which
consists of wife, two sons and daugh-
ser-in-law, who is the wife of his eldest
aon, Gen. Wade.
MIR. Wade lives in plain white frame
y house, hid away among the trees, and sur
" rounded by ample grounds Everything
about him is like the man, plain, but sub
stantial. In the lot near the house, stands
y hts office or "den," as the family familiar
Iy term it, and here, for more than thirty
years, when not IN Congress, Mr.. Wade
~ has passed most of his time Entering it
with the Senator, we found two rooms, the
floors lined from floor to ceiling with book
cases filled with books. This library con-
tains nothing but public documents, maps
and charts, and is the most complete in the
country embracing all information con-
corning the government, from the founda
ton to the present time. Miles Register"
Madison's Notes, Knox Reports" and
81 many other books long out of print, can
3sbea found there. q 'T 70, RI.
A carpet lounge, an oldfashioned arm
chair, a few common chairs, a table and
some maps on the wall complete the furni-
ture of the rooms, which seemed dreary
and lonely enough in their isolated solitude.
Il
We asked Mr. Wade about his Lawrence
speech, and happening to have New
York Times in our pocket, we read to him
the report of his speech in that paper,and
what the editor said of it, At the conclti-
+ sion of the reading the old Senator laugh
cd heartily and said:
THAT is very garbled account, and
the editor purposely misunderstands me.
Why, sir if you would make an equitable
distribution of all the property in the Unit
ed States to-day among the people, in five
years it would again be in the hands of
few men. Such measure would not be
iust nor would it be of any practical adj
vantage to the poor people if done. The
editors and correspondents who have been
writing about my speech know very well
am not in favor of any such foolish thing
as the distribution of property, or of dis
tributing any way property rights"
We then asked him If he would not cor
tradict the erroneous reports made of his
speech. He said:
.1 "No; / don't care what they say about
me. never read my own speeches, or
contradict anything that is said about
them" aea.e4st "a
but, said We, "what they are saying
about your speech is injuring your pros
poets for the Presidency"
He laughed heartily and replied, "My
dear sir, do not seek that office / never
sought any office, and never will. l have
served the people only because they wish
ed me too, and not of my own choosing.
1T is thirty years since began public life.
i am an old man as you see and need rest
We urged the venerable Senator to give
us his views on the labor question, which
he did at great length, saying among other
things, THAT system Of labor which de-
grades the poor man and elevates the rich;
which makes the rich richer, and the poor
poorer; which drags the very soul out of
the poor man for a pitiful existence, is
wrong. We must elevate the laborer and
give him share in the proceeds of his la
bor."
= We asked him how that was to be done,
. and he said: - $685.
81 don't know. I have thought much
on the subject, but cannot solve it. The
man who successfully solves that problem
will do more for the world than any man
:. who has lived in 1t since the days of
=" Christ" 81.
We asked him if he had no ideas about
the matters
Yes" he replied, "many, but none
worthy of SO great subject. believe,
ID however, that the shadow of the great
struggle is upon us, and we must meet it.
There is a deep discomfort among the mas
SEES, and they will shortly demand that
their condition be made more comfortable.
Both in this country and England, there is
q restlessness, feverlsh excitement dis
contentedness with their. lot among the
poor classes that we cannot disregard. The
people want more recreation; more enjoy
ment they are casting about for relief
from their monotonous and halfstarved
condition, and they will have it,"
We related to Mr.. Wade Horace Gree
ley's plan of cooperative labor, and asked
what he thought of it, and what was his
opinion Of Mr.. Greeley.
He said Mr. Greeley is wise man
= he has done some very foolish things but
he perhaps has more knowledge on al
subjects than any man in this country.
think well of his plan and the idea of co
operation, if carried out among the work
ing classes, will do much to amelioratt
their condition. He then went on to show
how, in Cincinnati, New York, Boston ,ant
y other places, working men had combined
q started manufactures, and were d0ins
well. He showed how, by the principles
cooperation, laborers in large factories
could build or rent houses, keep little sup
ply stores, buy goods in large quantities
for their families, and in various ways save