The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-05-27
Horace Greeley and the Two RoblnsOns,

hOi oOO piNNiNg anu ehO 1HO hVpih9VhSs
The New York correspondence of the
Sacramento (Cal.) Union gives this
reminiscence OF Horace Greeley: The
annoyance caused by the sameness or
similarity of names was largely shared
by the late Horace Greeley, in respect
to two politicians named Robinson, if 1
remember Alright. They were both from
this State, both members of Congress /;
one a Republican from the Buffalo dis
trict, the other a Democrat from the
Brooklyn district They were frequently
confoundCd by the public and press.
Even the TribVne, which then had a
night editor but slightly acquainted
with politics, intermingled them fire.
quently. This provoked the wrath and
disgust ofthe chief, who believed any
journalist not possessed of every polit-
lcal fact included in the history OF the
country for at least forty years to be to-
tally disqualified for his position.
Again and again the night editor pre-
sented the VI. C.'s in delightful be ewider.
ment. He would have the Republican
voting for Democratic measure, and
the Democrat making Republican
speech, not once only but repeatedly. In
fact, he rarely failed to make a mess ofthe
Washington dispatches, so far as the Rob-
insons were concerned. The effect OF
these continued blunders on Greeley's
mind may he imagined by those who
knew him, though they can scarcely be
conceived, by persons unacquainted with
him. They worried him exceedingly;
to use his pet expression, they crucifed
him, and it is said that they aroused
him at times to a degree of mild, per-
haps justiiable profanity. He under
took to instruct the obtuse night editor
in the respective politics of the Robin
sons, and frequently thought that he
had been successful in imparting a ray
TO the Arctic night of his mind. He
would say to somebody in the office:
Well, guess I've made - see at
last that no sane man can be sincere
Republican and violent Democrat at
the same time. l hope he's got it
through his thick skull that there may
be two distinct Robinsons in the United
States" and when he had begun to con-
gratulate himself on his conquest OF
dense ignorance, he would again see in
his cherished Tribune the Republican
Robinson voting among the ayes on
strictly Democratic vote and the Demo
cratic Robinson Offering thoroughly
Republican resolution. Then Mr.. Gree
ley would groan; declare that if he had
hair enough to pull he would tear it out
and tell the managing editor that they
must get rid Of that illustrious nincom-
poopi that idiots might ans wer on the
staff generally, but that to keep so in.
curable an idiot for night editor was
ruinous. And then, in the naive kind
ness of his heart, he would refrain from
discharging the man, knowing that he
would find it hard to get another situa
tion. One morning, Greeley who had
been off lecturilg somewhere, returned
to town, and, unable to buy Tr1-
bune on the cars, got another paper
and discovered that the Democratic
Robinson was dead. Il am glad OF
hat" he said to an acquaintance beside
him. "That fool OF night editor can't
get the two Robinsons mixed up any
more. 1t was absolutely necessary for
my peace and for the existence Of the
Tribune that one of those men should
die, and I'd little rather it would be
he Democrat u" Very soon he found
copy of the Trtlane and opened it to
read the obituary of the Democrat.
Fancy his dismay and distress when h.
read there the obituary Of the living r.
publican, written by order of III It illus
trious nincompoop and idiot in. chief, as
II. G. rut it, of the New York Tribune.
lie groaned more deeply than ever, but
was silent. Words were powerless.