The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-05-06
''B0bo TOombs and ssBen" Wade.


THE DUEL THAT DID NOT COME OFF BE-
TWEEN THESE TWO SENATORS.
General Brisbin in Philadelphia Press.
It was Mr.. Wade who originated
and brought forward that great meas
ure, the Homestead BILL" or, as he
was pleased to call it, LAND for the
landless." The Southern men at once
antagonized this bill with the slavery
question, and Mr.. Wade, accepting
the issue rushed to the contest with
the battle cry of Land for the land
less againstniggers for the niggerless"
The Southern men sought in every
way to defeat the bill, but Wade made
powerful argument, and for a time
completely routed his enemies.
While the bill was under discussion,
Mr.. Toombs referred to it with sneer
as measure for white paupers, when
Mr.. Wade Immediately arose and
said:
Sir, you sneer at the Homestead
bill because. it gives land to the land
less, do you? What is your pet
scheme? Buying Cuba? Stealing
niggers for the niggerless? We will
go to the country upon it-land for
the landless against niggers for the
niggerless!'
Wade one day replied to Toombs,
and to all appearance used language
which would compel Toombs to chal-
lenge him. Several friends went to
Wade and begged him to desist; but
the old man grew more and more vio-
lent, until Toombs indicated his in
tention Of calling Wade to account
for the language he was using, when
Wade quietly sat down, seemingly
having accomplished his object. The
Southern men looked at each other in
surprise, and it was manifest to all
that Wade had deliberately sought a
quarrel with Toombs
That night friend Of the Southern
Senator called on Mr.. Wade to know
if he would retract the offensive words
he he had used. mo ] won't take
back id word" was Mr.. Wade's
emphatic reply. "Then,'' said the
friend Of Mr.. Toombs, ut will be nee
essrry for Mr.. Toombs to challenge
you to mortal combat" ''That is just
what want, and we might have got
to the point without all this palaver,
said Wade. "You surely cannot be in
earnest, Mr. Wade?" said the South.
erner.
"Why, Of course I am. You see
sir, we Northern men don't like to
fight. Now, am opposed to the code
and so are my constituents, but yor
fellows have broken Summers head
and we must spunk up little or yot
will break all our heads. The short
esl way to end the matter is to kill of
few of you, and [ have picked OF
old Toombs as my man. He will hav,
to challenge me; then, of course,
will have the choice of weapons, ant
I'll take my old rifle, and id me i
/ don't bring him down at the frs
crack
When Toombs heard what Wad
said he replied: Il can't challeng
him; if I do the old brute will likel.
kill me.
1t appears that Toombs and Wad
had been out together shooting wit
rifle several times, and while Toomb
could shoot well with a pistol he wa
poor rifle shot. Wade was an oil
hunter, and at distance of hundre
yards could hit a dollar almost ever
shot. Mr.. Wade afterwards said
me:
''If old Toombs had challenged m
that time, as | expected he would,
would have put patch ON my coz
over the heart, and made him do th
same thing; then the old fellow woul
have got demoralized when he saw N
drawing bead on his patch, an
would have missed me, while d-n N
if | wouldn't have cut his patch IL
first fire"
Not only did Mr. Toombs refuse
challenge Wade, but no Souther
member Of Congress could ever be il
duced to send him a challenge, Il
matter what ha 1nioht sav