The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1873-06-25
HON. THOMAS coRwIN.

traordlnary popularity ever given to
public servant in a free country.
Wherever he went crowds followed at
his heels, and whenever he spoke there
was a perfect carnival of fun frolic,
logic and triumphs. What a wonder
ful and gifted man be was Of large
frame, broad, deep, heavy chest, a
complexion swarthy as savage, a
well made, large significant head,
brilliant eyes, and face so capable of
expressing every varying emotion,
that as a comic actor he would have
rivalled Burton in his palmiest days I;
and as a preacher, would have looked
more doleful than the children of Is.
rael, when they sat down by the riv-
ers Of Babylon, and "wept when they
remembered Zion.n
have often heard our friends de-
scribe him as he appeared during the
campaign Of 1910, when the people
reused to : pitch Of enthusiasm rarely
witnessed, with the cry of "Tippecanos
and Tyler too" followed Corwin wita
almost hungry eageFness, content if
they could only listen to his voice and
gaze into his magic couptenance.
Farmers and their wives would get
up in the middle of the night, fodder
the cattle for the next day, feed the
horses, put the household in order for
few days absence, and then drive
thirty miles over rough roads, and
through sparsely settled neighbor.
hoods, considering the labor we'll be.
slowed as midnight once more found
them, worn and exhausted, at home, if
they had heard the wonderful orator,
Tom Corwin, the "Wagon Boy of
Ohio"
AS a mere orator, Mr..
Corwin excelled any man it has been
my fortune to hear, So full of wit,
humor, pathcs, learning, history, i'm
agery; a manner 80 charming and
magnetic as to be fascinating beyond
description, and face so variable
and wonderful in its power of express
ing emotions that no man could look
upon il without yielding at once to its
bewitching influence. Ia private
life, at the social board, be was the
centre and idol of the circle, and
whea in Congress, iu the latter years
Of his life, he was always surrounded
by the members who loved and honor
ed him, and were only toe delighted
to listen to his attractive conversation.
| once went with him to
Buffalo, where he was to speak during
the campaign of 1864. In the course
of his remarks he urged the great i'm
portance of individual effort, and re-
lated the we'll known snecdote of his
defeat while running as a candidate
for Governor of Ohio, against Wilson
! Shannon, his Democratic competitor.
He said the day after election, he met
an old farmer and friend of his, who
condoled with him on his defeat, ex-
pressing at the same time his aston
ishment and dismay that such an ex-
traordinary and unexpected event
could have occurred, and such dis.
gracebe fastened upon the people OF
Ohio. Taking the old man aside he
asked him if he had gone to the polls
on election day, for, said Mr.. Corwin,
81 noticed your township did not give
its ordinary vote"
"Well," said the old man, evidently
grately embarrassed at the new turn
things were taking, "the fact is Mr
Corwip, election day was a very fine
day in these parts, and me and my
neighbors all thought you had sartin
sure thing, and as it was a good day
for cutting buckwheat, we thought we
would not 60 and vote, as it WASH
necessary, and that accounts for the
light voge you see."
"And so," said Mr.. Corwin, "you
sacrificed the best Governor that Ohio
ever had for paltry batch of buck,
wheat" "Bahl" said he, turning to the
chairman of the meeting with a merry
twinkle Of his eye, ~ was SO utterly
disgusted with that communication
Mr.. President, that have never been
able to eat buckWheat cake from
that day to this one" In
1880 he was elected to Congress, and
was reelected for each successive
term until 1910, when he was nomin
ated for Governor of Ohio. 1t was
during his last term that Mr.. Isaac Z,
Crary, a member Of the House from
Michigan, went out OF bis way to
make coarse and violent attack upon
the military career of General Har-
rison, criticising it with great unfair
ness and partisan vigor. During
most of the time while he was speak
ing, Mr.. Corwin was engaged in writ
ing letters, but as the speaker oceas.
ionally bore haIshly upon General
Harrison, Mr.. Corwin would lSok at
him with his peculiar smile, shake his