The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-05-04

to be known as "the WeeVu candidate"
At that time the eloquent and inimit-
able humorist, s'Tom Corwin," was at
the height OF his fame in Ohio; and he
was appointed by the Republicans to
make some stump speeches in Cox's dis
trict in opposition to the "weevil candi-
date." In his book on Congressional
Humor, Cox tells this good story on him.
self:
Before the day of debate Gov. Corwin
was sent for. The campaign was In his
vein. He seemed to appreciate its points.
| He was a deyotee OF that
| "Goddess fair and free,
! In heaven yclcpt Euphrosyne-
BY men, heart-easing mirths"
He came. He had been Governor, Sena-
tor, Secretary of the Treasury; but, most
of all, he had been, and then was, the
rarest of all the Buckeye humorlsts and
orators.
| First he went to Ciroleville. "What
shall l speak about p' said he to the COM
mittee. That body in full chorus re-
sponded: "Weertl. Ourmemper is dodg
| ing the Lecompton issue; he Ignores the
English bill; he seeks to delraud honest
agriculture by seeking votes through
weevil. Governor, hold him up to the
| scorn Of an indignant community" Cor
win liked the issue. He told me after
wards that he enjoyed the campaign.
"Fellow-c -citizens,' he began, "your
member has voted on both sides Of the
| Lecompton question. He desires you to
forget how he disliked Buchanan and
deserted Douglass. He would persuade
YOU that he is for Free Kansas, and that
| il the people can't vote directly for it,
under the English bill they may vote it
down. How does he do thisW
At this pause the Governor produces
nv anti-weeyiI sack. He shows the
chaff, cheat, dirt, rust, and SO forth,
clanaestinely introduced, for political
effect, into my innocent sack; and with
one Of those wonderful grimaces and
gestures, which would have made his
fortune on comic stage, he says:"Y our
Imember asks you to vote for him as a
saddle-bag candidate, ON both sides of
Lecompton. How would he persuade
you? wont you take little weevilp"
| The roars of laughter among my enemies
were indescribable for noise and exte Mt.
| When he went to Newark to speak in
the fair grounds, was SO audacious as
| to 90 out to hear. fastened my horse
and buggy in the woods, crept near
quietly, hiding under slouched hat,
and with hickory tree as q barricade,
sat on the grass within hearing dis
tance. When l reached the grounds
| there were five thousand excited RepuB-
i Ilicans already assembled. There is TN
usual commotion in the throngs. The
Governor is driven up In barouche
4 with six white horses. On each horse,
above the ear, is O fiag-"Doton q0ith the
WgeyiE Candtddtei' Banners are borne
up amid the masses, amidst shouts,
Ibearing notices "For Congress, Lucius
Case, the Farmers Friend, and the
iOpponent OF. W eevill" "Sunset has Gone
lDown Behind q Wheat-fieldW .aFree
Kansas and a Fair Haryestp Quite a
tumult arises ON the stand as the Repub.
llcan magnates rise to receive Governor
: Corwin. Tae band strikes up, ''see the
Conquering Hero Comes"
Il A Chairman was appointed. knew
him well. He was my. aversion. lie
was frem Granville, a Republican town
ship, which always gave over two hun.
dred majority against me, although there
fwere several churches and college
there, and but one tavern, where nc
liquor was sold except slyly. may
mention that L got some support there
from water cure. But thar Chairman
was my bete notr. lie had often put
iquestions to mo about taasatisn ON d
ratio OF representation, though l learned
that he never paid any taxes, and repre-
sented only bankruptcy. Still he was a
model OF a class Of politicians. OF the
pietistic sort.
/ peep around my tree to hear his
opening. He says: "Feollow.citizens,
before Governor Coraoine begins his ad-
dresb / desire to, propeound an inter-
J reogatory. Is there any one here in the
crowd who has any of the weeyil wheat
sent out by our member of Congress2"
AT this point dozen sacks are pitched
Into the stand. l trembled Tor my repu-
tation. "a committee is sitting ON the
hind eend of This stand, examinin' into
the genooiness OF this new tangled
wheat. [Cheers.] We will nnmask this
, demagouge who sends it out. He pre-.
tends 10 be the farmers friend. Hp is
the enemy of their Incomes and hearths
iHe would crawl like the animiles oil
: Holy Writ, into the very kneading
, troughs Of the. honest people he has
betrayed us on the Lecompton bill
[cheers.l Is the committee ready. to re.
portW
the front OF the stand. They are led by
long, gangllng, lchabod Crane sort Of
the singing OF. exh0rtation. Before he
begins, the string band, consisting OF
three fddles, q fife and tenor drum,
strikes UP "The Girl Left Behind Me.,'
l sympathize with the tune and the girl;
but the music does not soften the tea.
lures OF that chairman. He advises the
people thus: :"Mr. Cheerman and FeIio W.
citizens-The committee appinted 10 ex-
anime this wheat have concleuded their
labors, and are unanimously OF the opin-
Union there's weevil in itD [Cheers. ]
After which a stray Democrat from New.
ton Township. a little lively on the sub
ject OF grain and its juices, proposed to
whip the crowd. He was ior ssWeeyil
and the Constitution, and could lam any
Abolish In thatmeetin'."
1t is needless to say how the meeting
treaped this friend, and Governor Cor.
win that report. He began, as he said,
seriously on Ceres. The joke was too
classical. He pictures the condition Of
Kansas--the' biigDt Of slavery on its vlr,
, gin soil, the men Of blood and grimes