The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1875-11-11
From the New York Mercury.
Aleck Stephens.
Stephens and Ramdoph-Dyi for
1soenty YearS-A Congressional Re
miniscence- Victory Ovcr Gro,o.

W1neScence-A Vtctory OUer Gr0to.
A dispatch from Georgia prematus
roly announcing that this venerable.
cratic gonitts was suddenly attacked
by dangerous disease, and was in a
critical condition, furnished our COR
respondent nm opportunity to relate,
from his own experience, some inter
estlng "reminiscences Of a remarkable
man. Alock Stephens has been, like
Randolph of Roanoke, dying for
nearly thirty years, and yet contin-
ued through all this time, and in spite
Of his moribund condition, to tako an
important and prominent part in all
the grave public events that twonty
years since first saw him on the floor
OF tho House of Representatives at
Washington. His physical weakness
was 80 marked that everybody spoke
about it, and all doubted his ability
to live through tho session, which
ended March 4, 1875 But the hack
men and undertalcrs in the city knew
him bctter. They all said that Ste
phcns was an lmposter in the matter
OF health, that for ten years previous
ho had pretended to be dying, rails
ing the hopes of the undcrtakers and
cab drivers for lucrative employment
ut big Congressional turnal, but had
always cheated them out Of it by over
seeming TO be dying, and yet mover
dying. Ho has thus lived on over
since, passed through tho fierce con-
test over slavery, secession and tho
var, and managed so well that, al
though Vice President of the Confed>
cracy and author of tho celebrated
manifesto that "slavory was tho corr
ner stone of the new Consideration of
American Statcs," he yet, of all Cons
tederates, attained the most popuariA
ty in the North, and was the first of
them admitted to q scat in Congress
after the war, and treated with the
highest regard by Republican mem
bers, though not acting with their
party. But all these things arc recent
history, and well known, hence they
need not be repeated here. But one
OF his conflicts in tho House in ante
war times. and in which member
from the State of Now York was
personally concerned, is worth tell
ing.
Orsamus B. Mattcson represented
the Utica District, and served on the
Committee on Pensions. A Mr.. Tripp-
lett, pension agent at Washington,
had compiled volume of the laws
and regulations concerning pensions,
and Of decisions of courts relating
thoreto, and this book he was anxious
to sell to the Government. Congress-
man Matteson cxerted himself stren-
uously in favor Of Tripplett's work,
and ho carried through Congress an
appropriation for its purchase, at
fixed price per volume. 1t leaked out
subsequently that this prico was
trific higher than the retail plico at
which the book sold at the store, and
that the cXccss went to Mr.. Mattcson
as compensation for his labors Charg
os were preferred on these facts,
and committee appointed to invos,
tigato thcm. Alock Stephens was tho
Chairman Of that committee, and Ga
usha A. Grow, Of Pennsylvania, one
of tho members. Tho committee made
two reports, ono by Stephens, to cx-
pei Mattcson for corruption, the other
by Grow, to ccnsure him only for
careless conduct in allowing himself
to bo found out. This occurred in
1851 Grow was new convert to
Ropubicanism, having changed over
from Democrat only in the previous
Congress on the Kansas Nebraska
troubles, and he determined to win
his spurs rs ono of the leaders of tho
now party in conducting tho defonse
of Matteson, also q Republican. The
contest in tho House rested solely
upon Stephens and Grow, and they
| were well matched Thev arc hotb