Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-11-07

the impending danger, and rc.ntin-
bering that "eternal vigilance is the
price Of liberty
MATTHEW'S HOTEL BILL.
These are very interesting items
about Matthews. If they were not in.
teresting we should not publish them.
They are from the New York Times
of Friday:
at was q mistake to suppose that
Immediately after the Ohio election
Mr.. Matthews took to his bed and
died. Undoubtedly some men under
such circumstances would have
promptly died, and it is quite possible
that Mr.. Matthews wished that he
were dead but, nevertheless, he con-
tinues to live. His conduct in this
ma ter should be judged with chari-
ty. Extreme sensibility is rarely
found in connection with q really gi-
gantic intellect, and Mr., Matthews
chief characteristic is intellectual and
moral greatness rather than delicate
sensibility. That he is alive is evil
dent from the fact that when a news
paper correspondent recently men
toned that Mr.. Chandler had paid a
large bill for Mr.. Matthews hoard
and lodging, the latter sent for the
correspondent and informed him that
he was liar and scoundrcl, but did
not mention that he had repaid Mr..
Chandler.
WHEN THE Tn0URJ.F REGAIN
When the electoral commission was
about to meet, in order to ascer-
tain whether democrat or republi-
can had been elected President, Mr..
Matthews volunteered his services as
counsel for Mr.. Hayes. Mr.. Chand-
ler, chairman of the republican COM
mittee, accepted Mr.. Matthews offer,
and promised that his personal ex-
penscs while attending the sittings OF
the commission should be paid. Mr..
Matthews thereupon went to Wash
ington, assisted for four weeks in sup
porting Mr.. Hayes claim and sent to
Mr.. Chandler hotel bill for 1900,
which the latter paid out of his own
pocket.
THE BILL ASALY2ED.
"If we assume for a moment that
the story is strictly true, it cannot be
denied that the bill was seemingly a
large one. Mr.. Matthews personal
expenses included his board, lodging,
washing and cigars. Now, if We
suppose that he was washed to the ex.
tent Of $l2 per week, and that he
smoked within the same period ST.
worth Ofcigars.-bofh of which est-
mates are certainly very liberal--he
must have eaten and slept at the rate
of $500 per week. If the Washing.
ton hotel keepers follow the usual
method of making out their bills, one.
fourth of this sum represents the cost
Of Mr.. Matthews room, leaving tho
remaining $50 as the cost of supply.
ing the eminent Ohioan with .
weeks food. That western states
man should eat $3.50 worth Of porl
and corn bread per week, would bt
Regarded by most people as incredi.
BILE; but it must be remembered tha
Mr.. Matthews is not an ordinary
man. A giant intellect needs pro
portionately large dinners. Al
amount of food which would be suf
ficient to enable an ordinary man Il
sustain an average amount Of intel
lectual labor would bea mere mouth
full for man like Mr.. Matthew'S
Danniel Webster had a large brain
and it is matter of history that h'
ate large dinners, but to attempt Il
keep an intellectlike that of Mr.. Mat
thews in running order upon a,
amount of food that would have beer
sufficient for a mere Webster, woul(
be as foolish as to try to drive tn
engine of Cunarder with singh
scuttle full of coal.
HOW 1T CAME ABOUT.
"The cost of Mr. Matthew'S food
as shown by his Washington hote
bill, my be thus readily explained =
One hundred and fifty dollars pc
week is nearly $2l.45 per day. Tn
latter Is, then, the precise cost o
working Mr.. Matthews intellect vi
to its highest horse -power--if tn
metaphor may be used without in
fringement of the rights of other an
imals. Who shall say that this sun
is excessive, or that Mr.. Matthews at
more thanwas absolutely necessary t
repair the consnmpt ion of tissue caus
ed by the tremendous efforts of hi
colossal mind2 1t is unnecessary 4
argue that no man ever did or can ca
over $2l dollars worth of pork an,
corn bread in a single day. Thos
that take this ground will please cx
plain how it came to pass that, If Mi
Matthews did not cat to the exten
above set forth, his bill could hav
reached the enormous sum of $500.
ut is true that there are person
who allcge that Mr.. Matthew
brought his family to Washington
with him, and that in the bill that b
sent 10 Mr.. Chandler the expenses o
his family were included. This i
one Of those libels which should b.
instantly repellcd with scorn, nailet
to the counter, and subjected to othe
contcmptu0us processes. Did Mr.
Matthews family volunteer to act a
counsel for Mr.. Hayes, and did Mr.
Chandler accept that extraordilar,
offer and guarantee to pay the fami
ly's expenses OF course no such of
fer was made or accepted, and hence
Mr.. Matthews could not possibly hav'
) sent Mr.. Chandler q bill for the ex
penses of his family. The bill whicl
/; he did send was for his own private
individual and strictly personal ex
penses, and hence it follows that h
must have eaten $21.45 worth Of foo'
per diem, incredible as the statemcn
may seem to ordinary western states
men, whose intellects can be worke'
at full pressure on $2 worth of por
and corn bread"
A correspondent asks: "Why doe
. the Times always speak of the Prcsi
, dent as Mr.. Hayes, and not as Presl