Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1867-04-24
ONE OF THE LEGISLATORS.

The humorist of the New York Leg
isIature is one John Oakley, member
from Kings county, and the way Mr..
Oakley does things may be inferred from
the following report Of a speech made by
him on the bill for the erection of new
Capitol building in Albany:
Mr.. Chairman: I intend to favor this
bill, and yet should not. When re-
collect that the Goldfish aristocracy Of
Albany is not worthy Of decent red her
ring, I am tempted to say, "Oakey, do
not make an ass of yourself by voting
for tie new Capitol bill, " and yeti viii.
[ will vote for the bill, not because 1
like Albany, but because I love the
State.
Mr.. Chairman-I once thought that
to be a member of Assembly was to be
high cockalorum at worlds poultry
show. I have lived to see my mistake.
An Assemblyman is some pumpkins in
New York. He is looked upon as q
Cicero in Duchess county, and a Lycur-
gus in Schoharie. But it is not so in
Albany. In this city of surgeons and
stuck-ups. legislators are small potatoes
and few to the hill.
The first day after I reached Albany,
hunted around, with a shot gun and a
pointer, to find a boarding-house. I
found one Kept by French night cap,
and a mammoth waterfall, the widow of
a defunct gentleman, heavy in West In
l.. -..J- 7 o-LoJ ~ d, - J,-v Cc ,,;1
defunct if she desired another boarder.
She replied ''that depends on circum-
stances" I informed her that I was
member of the Legislature. She became
as cold as an iceberg, and informed me
that respectable boarding houses did
not desire patronage from Assembly men
or colored people. She shut the door
and I retired. I sought another lady.
She was more complaccnt, and she did
not mind boarding one or two Assem-
blymen, provided they would pay in ad-
vance. or give security. Is this the
way, Mr.. Speaker, to treat the successors
of Solon? I fancy not But while l am
down on the people of Albany as a com
munity I have found some individual
exceptions, who deserve the highest
marks of my esteem. A fewweeks ago,
a gentleman, loud in praise of the new
Capitol, says to me, quite in a friendly
wav. "Oakey, let's go to Peck's and get
some oysters" Oakley said in reply,
Nothing would afford me more plea
sure" We went to Peck's. We or
dered oysters. venisOn steaks, green seal
and all that sort of things NMy friend
left the room to obtain some cigars-J0
cents apiece. He did not come back
He has not come back yet. He left
Oakley to pay the whole bill, s17 and
63 cents! You may laugh, gentlemen,
but that is not the worst of it. He got
four fifty cent cigars and had them charg-
ed to me.
Last week I gave eight shirts out to
be washed. They came back in the
shape of five collars, four 'dickies, and
one corded shirt. Now, what do want
with corded shirt? l am not an old
granny, like my friend over there, who
believes the Eric Canal injured the State,
nor am a female brother like Susan
Anthony, or those other specimen ofun-
fcathercd poultry, who cackle at Hen
I do not want that shirt. |
A short time ago, l visited the Bap- |
tist Church. one of the great washing |
machines of the city. An elderly gen
tleman addressed the Sabbath School
children, and, pointing to this building,
said, My young friends, that IS the
Lunatic Asylum, to which l28 crazy
men are sent. every year, to make laws
for three million of gulls. I could stand
no moro. seized my hat and left the
,diRcc. I don't suppose 1 could have
carried it along, if l had tried, but I
hid not try. As I said before, l left
the edifce. But, while I cannot and
will not go much on the Red Herring ]