Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-04-23
ROBERT TOOMBS.
His Difficulty With Ben Wade While in
Congress.
Philadelphia Press.

Philadelphia Press.
1t was Mr.. Wade who originated and
brought forward that great measure,
the .homestead BILL" or, as he was
pleased to call it, Gland for the landless."
The southern men at once aDtagonize1
this bill with the slavery question, and
Mr.. Wade, accepting the issue rushed
to the contest with the battle cry Of
"Land for the andless against niggers
for the niggerlessp' Che southern men
sought in every way to defeat the bill,
but Wade made powerful argument,
and for the time completely routed his
enemies.
While the bill was under discussion,
Mr.. Toombs referred to it, with sheer,
as a measure for white paupers, when
Mr.. Wade Immediately arose and said:
"Sir, you sheer at the homestead bill
because it gives land to the landless, do
you? What is your pet scheme? Buy
ing Cuba? Stealing niggers for the Mig
geiless We will 20 to the country
upon it-land for the landless against
niggers for the niggerlessl"
Wade one day replied to Toombs, and
to all appearances used language which
would compel Toombs to challenge
him. Several friends went to Wade and
bt gged him to desist; but the old man
grew more and more violent, until
Toombs indicated his intention of call
ing Wade to account for the language
he was using, when Wade quietly sat
down, seemingly having accomplished
his object. Thesoutnern men looked
at each other in surprise, and it was
manifest to all that Wade had deliber-
ately sought quarrel with Toombs.
That my Int friend of the southern
senator called on Mr.. Wade to know if
he would retract the offensive words he
had used. mo, won't take back a
id word," was Wade's emphatic
reply. Then" said the friend of Mr..
Toombs, at will be necessary 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 can not be in earnest,
Mr.. Wade" said the southerner.
"Why, of course am. You see, sir,
we northern men don't like to fight.
Now, am opposed to the code, and so
are my constituents, but you fellows
have broke Summers head, aud we
must spunk up % little, or you will break
all our heads. The shortest way to end
the matter Is to kill off few of you,
and | have picked on old Toombs rs
my man. He will have to challenge
me; then, of course, | will have the
choice of weapons, and | will take my
old rife, and id me if don't bring
him down at the first crack"
When Toombs heard what Wade said,
he replied 81 can't challenge him; if
| do the old brute will likely kill me-"
1t appears that Toombs and Wade
had been out together shooting with
rifle several times, and while Toombs
could shoot well with pistol he was a
poor rifle shot. Wade was an old hun
ter, and at distance Of q hundred
yards could hit dollar almost every
shot. MIR. Wade afterward said to me:
at old Toombs had challenged me
at that time, as expected he would, |
would nave put patch on my coat
over the heart, and made him do the
same thing; then the old fellow would
have got demoralized when he saw
me drawing bead on his patch, and
would have missed me, while d--n
me if wouldn't have cut his patch the
first time"
Not only did Mr.. Toombs refuse to
challenge Wade, but no southern mem
Der of congress could ever he induced
to send him challenge, no matter
what he might say.