National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-08

thing is occupied at present in weeping over the
wrongs of the poor, prosecuted Poneas; but it may
find time to look into the wrongs of that cat con-
sidering it is not child.-Ffom a Boston Letter.
| "THE IMMORTAL SEVENTEEN
The Last Survivor OF the Band Recalls
the Days OF IS24.
From the Neg York COMMERCIAL
1t is seldom that newspaper is favored with a
historical contribution from an actor in history
who is on the shady side of his ninety-eighth
year" The following communication from Alvin
Bronson, the only surviving one of the seventeen
senators who in 1924 voted against the bill giving
the people the right to choose presidential electors
will be read with interest The proceedings of the
joint meeting of the Legislature of 1924, which
made choice Of presidential electors, show that
Mr.. Clay was defTauded out of four electoral votes
which in honor and good faith he was entitled to.
This carried Crawford's name into the House of
Representatives as a Presidential candidate, and
thus prevented Mr.. Clay's name from going there:
| To The Editor of the Commercial AdreTtiSer:
| DEAR SIR: Almost three-score years ago l. with
sixteen other senator's committed what was con-
sidered at the time the objectionable political sin
of preventing the people of this great State from
choosing electors of President and NicePrcSident
| by direct vote, and now of the immortal seven
teen" senators of the senate of 1874 alone sur
| Vive. When a man is on the shady side of his
ninetyeghth year IL Is perhaps tTile late TO in
dulge IN newspaper controversy; but the article on
Ancient American Politics > in the issue of your
paper of the 11th instant, attacking me and other
senators with whom l acted, has so revived old
times in my mind that feel inclined to exercise
the old mans privilege of talking of the days that
In 1923 I was elected to the senate and for ceg-
tain perpOSe namely TO cast my vote IN the pTeSl-
dental election. which was at had
went to the senate with that object in view, and
was there met with the plan for taking the ballot
from the Legislature and giving 1t TO the people.
With sixteen other senators l voted against the
measure, and il was defeated. The cry went up
from New York 10 Black Rock that this was tyranny
that the people were defrauded and could not eX-
erciSe their right of suffrage. Then the old coffin
handful" appeared, headed with the words, Hung
be the heavens in black" and underneath the
names of the infamous seventeen senators III
large black type indicative of the political death
| and burial of myself and colleagues. had made
up my mind 10 perform certain duty, and all this
| clamor about a free ballot could not Swerye me
from il. Not that the measure was not right; on
the contrary il was in every way good plan, save
that it was ill-timed. We were on the verge of a
severe political struggle, and the time for such
important step was not when il was brought up as
a campaign tactic by 4 certain faction was not
! q Crawford man, as the writer of the article in
question seems to believe; but, on the contrary
supporter of Henry Clay. We, as State had earned
the right to make ourselves felt and if the mode of
appointing presidential electors had been changed
we, under the circumstances would have split up,
and the result would have been that we would have
counted for as much perhaps as Maryland or Della
| ware Vermont cried out against Us for doing as
We did and why? Because She thought the pTin-
ciple was wrong? No; for she cast her electoral
vote we did. Vermont did not clanOr against
US for principles sake, but for Adams sake.
The strongest individual effort 10 influence me
III the matter was made by Chief Justice Spencer,
of Canandaigua, who urged upon me the necessity
of maintaining my popularity before the people.
/ assured him that / should do what deemed
right and should leave the rest to the future And
! so took my piaceamOn infamous seventeen"
yet il 10 sense politician. My political disgrace
/ and coffin" did not bury me for long, for 1 was
. within u few years reelected TO the senate. and
he'll nCr
3D. Before closing, let NE refer 10 history, and re
mind your readers that the " coffin did not con-
sign 10 their political graves several Of my col
leagues of the " seventeen" Silas Wright became
comptroller Of the State, Senator i'll Congress
| nominated for Vicc-President by the Democratic
! convention held at Baltimore IN May, ISL ana
would have been elected but for his dtclen>iOH Of
/ the nomination. The same year he vas elected
Governor Of New York by 1908 majority over Nil
lard Fillmore; while the presidential ticket Polk
over Clay, had but 5,lO6 majority. Charles Z. Dud
| lev succeeded Martin Van Buren, in the United
States Senate. Edward P. Livingston, who made
Lii tiff Ia tf I'll ms
! Governor. Walter Bovine was chosen mayor uf
J New York city. Bowman Earll, and Heman J.
Redfeld filled the Office of canal commissioners,
and RSdfeld was appointed collector fthe port OF
| New York by President Pierce. James Mallory
was appointed to position on the canal. Thus II
will be seen that afteTthe excitement had subsidized
and the sober second thought" had obtained
| sway, Onehalf of the Infamous seventeen" al
| though ;hey had been burned or hung iRcfigy all
over the State, became leaders of their party and
famous in the political history Of New Ie Gork
| OswEGo, n. Y, December p, 1880.
Booths Short Cut.
The nationally gratifying fact that Edwin Booth
has just madeso palpabIe hit in London in Shy
lock calls TO mind little story told by our leading
star to the writer one Sunday during his last visit
here while taking a look at the Golden Gate from
the lantern of the Point Bonita lighthouse.
"Once during the days of my early struggles in
the profession said Booth, and while we were
transforming down in Virginia, an odd thing
happened, which illustrates the shifts to which
the poor player was then put in order TO get
along. We were playing showing they called
it then-One night at little place named Lees
Landing, and the tobacco warehouse we had I'M
provised into theatre was crowded by the plan
tiers for miles around. We had arranged n take
the weekly steamer that we expected would touch
there late that night, and between the acts were
all busy packing up. The play was The Mcr-
chant of Venice and we were just going on for
the court scene where the Jew insists On his
pound of fiesh when we heard a whistle blow, and
the manager came running in TO say that the
steamer had arrived ahead of time and would
leave again in ten minutes.
Gas that was our only chance ofgetting down TO
the Chesapeake for week We were naturally in
terrible quandaFy. If we stop right here and ex-
plain said the manager, the audience Will think
they are being cheated and go in for free fight.
The only thing we can do is for you fellows to get
up some sort of a naturallike, improluptu ending
for the piece and ring down the drop. Go right
ahead, ladies and gentlemen, and take your cue
from Ned, here and he hurried away To get the
luggage aboard.
"Ifit had been in any other quarter Of the cOun-
try / wouldn't have had the assurance 10 do
as he said but the ignorance Of the clay eaters,
or ordinary Virginians of those days, was some
thing marvellous, so when old George Ruggles,
who was doing SiyIock, got to where he sharpens
his knife OH his shoe walked sOlemniy up 10 him
aud said:
"'You're bound to have the flesh are yoUE
"'You bet your life, said George, under the i'm
preston that he was improyisins very skillfully
indeed.
Now, I'll make you one more tiieker.' con-
tinued I'm addition to this big bag Of ducaIs Iii
throw in two kegs of niggerhead terbackr a shot
gun. and couple Of the best coon dog ii the
State.
"'rm blamed if don't do it, said nvivs. 1.iIctt;;
to tns appreciation of the audience. vino were 20
bacco rasefs aid coon hunters from The ground uD.
land to show that there IS no hard feeling
said Portia, tucking up her legal g5T-u, well wind
up with Virginny reel
And as the prompter struck UP Money Musk
on his fiddle, we danced 4 couple Of figures and
made break for the boat as the curtain fell, amid
thunderS of applause.
"when We got on board the steamers captain, +
who had Witnessed the conclusion 81 the play with
great delight rendered the troupe the compliment I;
of a hot supper, and remarked as We sat down 20 |
what was a rare treat in those painy days Of lie
DRAMA
I'D like to see the whole of tina: play some !
time gentlemen. I'm blamed i'll thought that fell /
low Shakespeare had so much suap - linn"