The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-01-12

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showed itself. The farmers, headed by one
of their party, joel Vaudeveer, of Orange
county ohjecting to bank stock as insecure,
wished the money invested i'll bond and
mortgage of real estate. AS soon as it was
evident that they would vote against the
bill because of this obnoxious feature,
quietly called the leading education men,
together in my room, and we agreed to side
with Nandeveer, and thus defeat the bank
men, which we did. Then Vandeveer's
party, triumphant, introduced their bill.
with the bond and mortgage feature in it,
/ but the entire proceeds still to 60 for inter
nal improvements. Thereupon we changed
sides, going over to the bank men, ard de
! feated their opponents by vote of about
/ two thirds.
Thus we came to dead lock; the House
divided into three nearly equal parties, each
resolved to carry its own point. No move
was made during two or three weeks
Meanwhile | held secret conference with
my friend Vandeveer.
II thought" he said, "that you educa
ton men were going to vote for our bill
Don't you prefer the bond and mortgage
investment ?"
think most of US do. But we are
de,ern,iuad vote against any bill which
gives us nothing for lsSbl &c schools"
You can't expect hs1A-.o gu re o"'e'S
a thnd of the House )"
1--WE given up all hope of half; but ~
being one third, isn't it reasona BILE that we
should have e-third of this windfall?"
! THAT seems fair enough
"Then, frankly, Vandeveer, I've come
to make you and your friends proposal. ="
"Wello"
"Ill draw up bill, with the bond and
mortgage clause in it; the first and third
| installments of this surplus revenue to 90
for internal improvements, the second for
public schools; and I'll do my best to mus
ter every education man in its favor if you'll
do the same by the friends of your bill.
You can't defeat the bank men in any other
way
perhaps not. I'll see about it. You'll
present the bil?"
"That would be bad policy. I'm in the
minority, notorious education man. You
are the proper person to present it,
And so it was settled; he and I agreeing
to keep the matter profound secret from
the bank men until Nandeveer introduced
I,il
ular field day.
The dismay of our opponents when this
masked battery suddenly opened upon them
was ludicrOus. Nandeveer said but little.
and, after | had added few words, recon-
mending the friends of education to vote
for the measure as the best we could ex-
pect to get, stepped into the lobby back
of the speakers chair, where overheard
a scrap of pithy conversation.
"W hat in the Ii is the meaning of all
this Jrf?' asked young lawyer, leaning
over the steps leading to the chair and
whispering in the ear of the speaker Mr.
Evans.
1T means that the dogs dead. We're
whipped. It's all some of that id
OWENS work.
| smiled, to think they were giving it up
so readily: but we had fiery debate first,
of which Vandeveer had to stand the chief
brunt, being soundly berated as an apps
tate from the internal improvement faith.
The most tlowery speech on our side was
n han
fresh from college and classical recollec-
tions, Joseph Wright. A poor boy, he had
entered the State University rs ianitor, and
after"ard became, first, governor of the
State, and then foreign minister remem
Der that he was descanting, in a somewhat
sophomore strain, on the duty of Indiana
toward the children of the State, her best
treasures. when his eye was arrested 10y
chubby little fellow of seven or eight, son
of one of our members, who had been sit
ting on his fathers knee and had strayed
off, coming down the center aisle toward
the orator.
"Ah, there.' said Wright, extending his
arms to the boy, who stopped, abashed at
the sudden address. look there, am
reminded, when l gaze upon that little one,
Of a pleasant story from the annals of
Rome, in her old republican days. 1t is
related of the mother of the Gracchi, when
several of her lady friends were exhibiting
to her, somewhat vauntingly, no doubt,
their costly ornaments, while she, simple
in her tastes, had little to show them in
return, that she turned to her children
playing in the room, and exclaimed: These
are my Jewels? p Let us learn wisdom,
gentlemen, from the mother of the
Gracchi.'
The mother of what?" exclaimed, in
an undertone, rough young country
member, named Storm, and whom, because
he seldom opened his lips except to move
the previous question, we had nicknamed
"Previous Question Storm" His exclama-
ton was addressed to the member next
whom he was sitting, Thomas Bowling, cf
Terre Haute. Now, Of all things, Dawling
loved from his heart a good joke; and this
was too good one to be lost. So, com
posing his feature, he replied gravely to
Storm:
"Why, don't you know her? It's
noted old woman in Park county where
Wright comes from. Everybody knows
her there. You get up and ask Wright,
and no doubt he'll tell you all about her
We succeeded. however, in main
tanning our bill against all the violent
attacks that were made upon it. Then it
went to the Senate, where it was amended
by giving two thirds of the amount to the
common school fund, and one third only
for internal improvement. When the bill
was returned to the House, we had another
hard fight over it. But the Senate held
firm; and when it became evident that
they would rather see the bill defeated
than sacrifice their amendments. the House
concurred. Thus the bill became law.
and half million of dollars IA large sum
in those days was invested in schools;
/ IL. L Al