The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-01-12
RECALLINGS FROM A PUBLIC LIFE.
WESTERN PEOPLE AND POLITICIANS FORTY
YEARS AGO.
LEGISLATIVE JOKES.

Like most of my colleagues who lived III
remote portions of the State, | travelled on
horseback to attend the legislature; part
of the way along bride paths, sometimes
swimming creeks, or, if we were fortunate
enough to find a canoe, depositing therein
saddles and saddle bags and trailing our
horses swimming behind. A trunk for
those who INDUCED in such a luxury was
sent on by a carrier.
The legislature was composed chiefly OF
farmers, plain, honest, genial men, with a
few sharp, witted lawyers and other pro-
fessionas often taking prominent parts.
Now and then I could not forbear smile
| at the ignorance, especially in common
facts in science, that sometimes peeped out.
The hall in which we met being often ir-
regularly heated by two large cast iron
stoSn my friend, Chris. Graham, member
from WNwick county, moved that the
doorkeeper Be aattnrroo i-zsd to buy two Their
mometers so that an event. tsPefa'u.e
might be maintained. Thereupon an -.
farmer from remote county objected. He
did not know, he said, just what sort of
machines the gentleman wanted to keep us
warm: but these out of-the-way patent con-
trivances were always expensive, and he
supposed it would need man to attend to
each and keep it in order; for his part, a
stove, or-what he liked much better-a
big wood fire, was good enough for him.
But if science was not adequately repre-
sented among us, sound Judgment in many
practical matters and an earnest sense of
duty were. The venality which now stains
so many of our legislative bodies was I'M
known. Economy, occasionally degenerat-
ing into parsmony, was practced and |
am very sure that no member went home
richer than ne came except by what he may
have saved out of three dollars day after
paying expenses. And they were lively,
genial body in their way. Nothing took
better with them than a merry story or
stance came very near having serious
result.
1t was toward the close Of the session,
when we were waiting to receive bills from
the Senate, with little else to do meanwhile.
Several young ladies of my acquaintance
came into the speaker lobby, where then
happened to be. One of them told me
that, a few evenings before, Mr.. Cutter,
young member, had made to them a solemn
promise that he would introduce bill tax
ing old bachelors, and that they had come
to see that he had kept his word: would |
please tell him so? | did her bidding, of
course.
Now, e. W. Cutter was. oar poet, and
one of no mean order; author of the cele-
brated Song of Steam,'' beginning:
Harness me down with your iron bands
b. cure of tour curb and reu:
For sc"rn the power OF Your puny hands,
As the tempest sc"rn chain.
How laughed. a. lay conceal ed from sight
For many countless hour.
At the childish boast of human might
And the pride of human power,
apoem which Backwood," not overprone
to commend American literature, pro-
nounced to be "the best lyric of the cen
tury." Its author afterward married the
well known actress, MIS-. Drake, many
years his senior.
When | delivered to him the message
from the young ladies, he was at first in
clined to shirk the matter; but when en-
couraged to 60 through with it, he drew
up bill at once providing that on every
bachelor over the age of thirty there be
imposed an annual tax of ten dollars the
amount to 90 to the school fund. sug-
gested an amendment, which he incorpor
ated in his bill, thus: " Provided that if
such bachelor shall make it appear to the
satisfaction of the court doing county bust
ness that he has twice offered marriage and
been twice refused, he shall be exempted
from said tax"
Then posted the speaker as to what we
had on hand, and he recognized Cutter as
soon as he rose. The rules were suspended
and the bill was read twice. Thereupon
we had a jovial debate, iuterspersed with
all manner of gibes against bachelors. One
speaker opposed the bill.
So We have adopted the nd ralorem sys-
tenn he argued: " we tax according to
intrinsic values. Therefore, we impose no
tax on the contents of the rag bag, or the
chips in the wood yard; why, then, on any
article so utterly useless to society as an
old bachelor ~
Finally, the rules again suspended, we
actually passed the blll.-rather taken by
surprise, when the vote was announced, at
what we had done, and little concerned
as to how our constituents might take it.
But we were in no mood to reconsider the
vote. So we urged the clerk to report to
the Senate at once. Then. having adjourn.
Cd the House, we followed, accompanied
by the young ladies to see the result.
The spirit of frolic is infectious. The
Senate took up our bill at once; it was read
atirst and second time, and put on its pass
age. Then two or three of the more
"grave and reverend seignors " made a
serious stand against it; and finding the
tide for the time too strong against them.
awaited themselves of the .lateness of the
hour to procure an adjournment of the
senate. Next gay IL was lald on the table
by small majority.
| afterwards asked our Governor if he
would have signed it.
"Why not? '' he replied. 81 see no i'm
propriety in the bill; and as to it's expe-
diency, you gentlemen of the House and
Senate would have been responsible for
that
LEGISLATIVE STRUGGLE.
The most important matter that came
before the Indiana legislature in the three
years during which ! was a member was the
distribution of what was called the surplus
revenue. Loaded down with a national
debt as we now are, most of us have prob
ably forgotten the time, though it is little
more than forty years since. when the in
come of the government, under low reve-
nue. tariff left unexpended balance of
more than twenty millions in the treasury.
1t was divided among the States according
to population, Iudiana's share being some