The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1875-11-11
From the New York Mercury.
Aleck Stephens,
Stephens and RandoPh-Dying for
1wenty Yedrs-A Congressional Re
mlntScence-1 Victory Oucr Gro,o.

"
A dispatch from Georgia prematus
rcly announcing that this venerable,
cratic gcnitts was suddenly attacked
by dangerous disease, and was in a
critical condition, furnished our cor
respondent IN opportunity to relate,
from his own experience, some inter
esting "reminiscences Of remarkable
man. Aleck 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 take an
important and prominent part in all
the grave public events that twcnty
years since | first saw him on the floor
OF tho House of Representatives at
Washington. His physical weakness
was so marked that everybody spoke
about it, and all doubted his ability
to 1.-Two through tho session, which
ended March 4, 1875. But the hack
men and undcrtakcrs in the city knew
him bottor They all said that Ste
phons was an imposter in the matter
Of health, that for ten years previous
he had pretended to be dying, rails
ing the hopes of the undcrtakew and
cab drivers for lucrative employment
at big Congressional furnal, but had
always cheated them out Of it by ever
seeming TO be dying, and yet never
dying. lie has thus lived ON over
since, passed through tho fiorco con-
test over slavery, secession and the
var, and managed So well that, all
though Vice President of the Confed>
cracy and author of the celebrated
manifesto that "slavcry was the corr
mor stone of the new Confederation of
Amcrican Statcs," he yet, of all Cons
todcrates, attained the most popular--
ty in the North, and was the first Of
them admitted to 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, hcnco they
need not be repeated here. But one
OF his conflicts in tho House in ante
war times, and in which q member
from tho State of Now York was
personally concerned, is worth tell
ing.
Orsamus B. Matteson represented
the Utica District, and served on the
Committee on Pensions. A Mr.. Tripp-
lett, pension agent at Washington,
had compiled volume of tho laws
and regulations concerning pensions,
and of decisions of courts relating
thereto, and this book he was anxious
to sell to the Government. Congress-
man Mattcson cXertcd himself stren~
uously in favor of Tripplett's work,
and he carried through Congress an
appropriation for its purchase, Mt
fixed price per volume. 1t leaked out
subsequently that this price was u
triae higher than the retail plico at
which the book sold at the store, and
that tho excess went to Mr.. Mattcson
as compensation for his labcrs. Charg
cs were preferred on those facts,
and committee appointed to invos,
tigatc them. Alecll Stephens was the
Chairman Of that committee, and Ga
Iusha A. Grow, Of Pennsylvania, one
of the members. The committee made
two reports, ono by Stcphons, to cx-
pei Mattcson for corruption, the other
by Grow, to ccnsure him only for
careless conduct in allowing himself
to be found out. This occurred in
1857. Grow was q new convert to
Republicanism, having changed over
from a Democrat only in the previous
Congress on the Kansas Nebraska
troubles, and he determined to win
his spurs rs ono of the leaders of the
now party in conducting tho defcnse
of Mattcson, also q Republican. The
contest in tho House rested solely
upon Stephens and Grow, and they
were well matched. They are both,