Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-05-25
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS.
His Roy hood and Manhood.

happened to know all his life, from his
youth to his death, better than any
other Of these distinguished men, and
it CHANGED in this wise:
On the 9TH of August, 1881, return
ed to my home in Csnandaigua, Onta.
rio County, New York, fiona Hobart
College, at Geneva, and entered my
name rs students t-law in John G..
Spencer's Office, as the youngest of six
clerks,
Stephen A. Douglas ard myself room
ed and slept, and studied law and latin
and everything else together, from 1881
down to 1888 when broke away to 60
West and left Douglas to come after
me in October, 1888, when he was to
meet me at Cleveaed, O., and we were
to go to New Orleans and practice law
together.
May 9th, 1888, l left Canandaigua in
a stage-coach for Cleveland, O., and the
last hand | shook was that of Douglas
who was to follow me in October. On
the old steamer Ohio reached Cleve.
land in five days. / was sea-sick and
homesick, and so went to Detroit,
where had kinsmen, and there went
to the law. Cleveland at that time had
about $500 citizens, Detroit, 500 To-
ledo 0, Chicago 300 In October Doug
las left Canandaigua, and on the night
of his departure the girs gave him val
edictory party, and as he left them to
go he said: "Young ladies, good night.
You Will never see me again until am
on my way to congress, )" ana in Octo-
Der, lS43, just ten years thereafter, he
went on visit to his mother and these
young ladies, having in his pocket his
commission rs member of congress
from the great state of Illinois. Well
might he exclaim, ''veni vidi, vici T"
But let us fill up. the gap OF ten years.
Coming to Cleveland, he entered his
name in .that Office of John w. Allen,
Esq, then the leading lawyer on the
| Western Reserve; but his money was
gone, and he was suffering from fever
sore on his leg So he wrote me and |
helped him to money through Ralph
Granger; and down he went to Illinois,
where he began teaching school. Soon
he became member of the Legis-
lature of that state; repeated his great
Andrew jackson speech of 1888; was
appointed Receiver of Public Moneys:
went to the Capitol to live; had plenty
of money, and everybody was his
friend; was SOM elected Judge, and in
the year 1912 was elected to Congress.
All these ten years was plodding in
Detroit; but when met him in Wash
ington, in 1913, was United States
District Attorney under Tippecanoe
and Tyler too. But Douglas ascent had
amazed me; for, although knew he
was a man of talent and industry, yet,
when he was elected Judge, was sure
he would fail there; but, being in
Chicago, where he had Just held court,
in 1888, met that old cynic Snarleyow,
but most through lawyer, Justin Bitter
field, the bitterest Wig in Illinois, and
/ said: "Well, Justin, my old school
mate Douglas, is Judge; and / sup
pose he made an ass OF himself on the
bench here" To which he replied
'No, no-by now means. | thought |
! could handle him but--that lite squat
| ty dem ocrat Douglas he il the very
best and most acute Judge in all this
black Democratic State. He listens
patiently, comprehends the law and
grasps the facts by intuition, then
decides camily, clearly, and quietly,
and then makes the lawyers sit down.
No, no-Douglas is the ablest man on
the bench to day 1888 in Illinois," He
never had an equal there until David
Davis was appointed.
My next meeting with Douglas was
in 1913, in Washington, during the
fearful contest between John Tyler
and his fraction, and Henry Clay and
the glorious old Wig party. Douglas
has been very i'll, almost unto death,
with that fever-sore on his leg, and
had been repeatedly ut his room, but
could not gain admission. But one day,
when full vote was required in the
House, and all the Democrats were
mustered to vote with the Tyler guard,
Douglas was taken with his bed carried
up to the House, voted, then tainted,
and was carried to his lodgings, directly
opposit Gadsbys, now the National
Hotel; and on his way down he saw
me on the avenue, called to me, and |
helped carry him to his bed, where he
tainted and thought was gone. As
soon AZ he was revleo he sat up in bed
and asked me "Wha. he dould do for
me--what l wanted ?" | replied that
Tyler's Democratic friends in Michigan
were trying to remove me. He instant
directed his colored servant TO bring
him pen and paper. We braced him
up in bed, and wrote to Mr.. Reid, then
Assistant Attorney-General, to come To-
his room, sent the note 10 the Attorney
Generals office, and soon the Assistant
Attorney General appeared. Calling
him out one side Of the bed, and my
self on the other, he put my hand IN
his and said with vim: "Mr. At
torney General, this is my old school
mate and friend, and d Wing and Clay
man. Go to President Tyler, and tell
him if he removes him, or touches a
hair Of his head, that he will hear from
the little giant Of the northwest" The
message was delivered. Tyler sent for
me, retained me in Office my full term,
and was always ready 10 do all that he
could to aid me, although he knew
that | was rank Clayman.
On another OCCASION my Official nc.