Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-11-23
A Campaign Reminiscence.


A Campaign Reminiscence.
The most rafting and amusing fea-
lures OF the Ohio campaign were given
to it by Gen. Geo. A. Sheridan, Of Lou
isiana, who contributed bits of his auto
biography in manner which kept his
audience in a roar of laughter. Presi-
dent Hayes had requested him to rec
ommend the best man he could think Of
for the collectorship at New Orleans.
He asked Hayes to give him time to re-
fleet. The President cheerfully did so.
and it was by the way the only thing
that he did give him up to date The
result of his conscientious thought on
the subject he states as follows:
spent two Or three days in prayerful
dellberatlon upon the question, and at
last came to the reluctant conclusion
that perhaps. all things considered. I
came nearer filing the bill than any 9th
er man in the State who was likely to be
appointed [Shouts and cheers. | was
deeply anxious for the business interests
OF this city. Laughter My moral
character was, well it was as fair NOR
al character as somewhat tropical man
could develop in very tropical coun-
try. As for ability, | knew [ possessed
that; upon this point | was unanimous:
| might possibly have had shadow of
doubt upon some other questions, but
upon this point | was solid Great
laughter I knew | was representa-,
tive man, for had once served in Con-
gress with great satisfaction to my con-
stltuents. 1t is true | did not serve
long, but that was not my fault.
would have been serving the State vet
if the people would have elected me
Cheers and laughter | was elected
for two years; | had hard contest for
my seat; 1t was finally awarded me
about four hours before the adjourn
ment of the Congress to which | had
been accredited hadn't much time to
make up record, but | worked hard; I
voted on both sides of every bill that
came up; yelled Mr. Speaker every
chance | had: | called one member liar
and told another he was a fool; | put my
boots on my desk, spit tobacco juice on
the floor ogled the ladies in the CALLER
les, went into innumcrable committee
rooms to take look at the documents.
borrowed some money and went home.
Long continued laughter Consider
ing the time had | made pretty good
average member record" Several peo-
pie told me they actually took me for
an old member. [Great laughter
The President received his consent to
take the place with great cordiality, and
then commissioned a man Sheridan had
never thought of for the place.
Do you blame me for thinking the ad-
ministration failure? The solid earth
seemed to slip from under me. | felt
the Republic was gone-clean gone In
the distress of my soul | cried ont:
Is this what | made l27 Republican
speeches for in the last campaign Or,
to state it more correctly. the same
speech 127 times. Immense laughter
Can this Government go on if [ am left
out? Alas! poor country, who will care
for you now that | am banished by the
edict of a tyrant and can have no chance
to sustain you, to say nothing of sus-
tanning myself? | said something of this
kind to Mr. Hayes; my words moved
him, moved him to console me, moved
him to advise me- He advised me either
to pull down my vest, or to go west, y
Hong continued laughter which, owing
to the excitement | was laboring under
at the time Of the interview, cannot
certainly remember; but it is one or the
other, and as he is known to be liberal
man, perhaps it was both. My first i'm
pulse after listening to the consoling
words of the President, was to go and
take-a stroll | did; | took three or
four. They braced me up. | felt better.
[ Laughter. Notwithstanding am not
Collector of Customs in New Orleans,
the Government still runs on, the reve-
nues are collected and the Republican
party lives. | have reluctantly come to
the conclusion that | am not absolutely
essential to the maintenance Of repub-
lican form OF government upon this con-
tinent. [Cheers and laughter.] That
there are men as well qualified to ad-
minister an. Office as | am: that the
President, being responsible to the ma
tion for the acts of his appointees,
should be allowed the largest latitude
in their selection, and that true sense
and true patriotism should convince me
that in declining to give me the position
L aSkeu. tne freSluenC acted Tor what
he felt and believed to be the best inter
ests of his country. My fellow citizens,
those of you who, like myself, have been
disappointed in your aspirations and am
bitions, will, | think, upon calm refec-
ton, reach in your cases the same con-
clusion have reached in mine.
The audience was convulsed with
merriment during the delivery of the
above. Sheridan is said to have looked,
while talking, the personifcation of in
jured innocence, and seemed to think it
strange that the audience found any
thing to laugh at in what he was saying.
So that, although the Ohio campaign has
made the Democrats laugh since the
election, they didn't have as good reason
as the Republicans heard Sheri-
dan $ speeches before.