The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-14
A KENTUCKY ORATOR.
He Is Likewise a Congressman and an
AnaniAs. but Solid with His Constitu-

He Is Likewise Congressman and an
AnanIAs. but Solid with His Constitu-
ents.
National Republican.
General Frank Wolford, representative
from the Eleventh Kentucky district, is de-
scribed as wiry, nervous little old man
with peculiar long nose that looks like a
beak, and bold, prominent hawk eyes. This
odd facial com bination taken in connection
with forward stoop of the shoulders and i
fashion of extending his long arms and gaunt
talon-like hands, gives to him the appear
ance of a bird OF prey getting ready to fly.
He is one of the best. types of the true
mountain orator l ever saw" said Ken
lucky friend to the Man on the Avenue.
He made q record during the war as a man
OF indomitable courage. AS colonel of the
First Kentucky cavalry (Federal) he made
himself terror to the Confederates through
out Kentucky and Tennessee He had a regi-
ment of mountaineers like himself-one of
the best bodies of men in the service.
was IN the Confederate army, and our COM
mand never began to march that we were not
confronted by old Wolford. We had to
lick him regularly every morning all one
summer. His riders would make Il stand
and tight like the devil, and then when they
found themselves outnuubered they would
scatter and come together that night to re-
sumo the fun the next day. l never saw
such command in my life. AT the close OF
the war old Wolford settled down and be-
came Democrat, and most of his men did
the same thing. When the Democrats gave
him the nomination for Congress last fall
the Republican State committee sent Gen
eral Speed Fry up into his district to coun-
teract the influence of old Wolfords war
record. Fry started of, intending to remain
in the district six weeks and speak wherever
Wolford did. He was back in four days.
Whats the matter, General? asked the
chairman, in surprise, as he stalked in,
black as a thunder cloud
q 'Matter Why, matter enough. II you
want man to go into the Eleventh district
to talk against that-old scoundrel Wolford
you will have to find somebody else beside
me. I'm done. When Iagreed to stump the
district I supposed L would have sensible
men 10 talk to; instead, | find them all a lot
of blankety blanked fools and liars, and
scoundrels.
Didn't they treat you right?'
" Treat me right Oh, yes, they treated
me right They treated me like prince.
When l reached the first town, old Wolford
met ME with a cordial welcome, and, to my
surprise, he gave me the opening and closing
of the joint discussion. l spoke for one hour
and half on national issues-the tariff
finances and the standing of the party-and
dwelt with especial emphasis on the magma
nimity shown by the Federal government in
its treatment of the Confederales at the close
VI the war. ADOuL Hali Ot my dUuleHCc udu
served in the Confederate army, and | saw
was producing good impression.
Now, what do you suppose tibet old hook
nosed rascal of Wolford did? Why he got
up and began talking, never paying the
slightest attention to what had said on ma
tional issues but after brief introduction
taking IN my goodwill plea. Don't you be-
lieve word General Fry has told you about
the magnaminity of the Federal government
and the Republican party he shrieked. It's
all lie. What did they do with General
Lee after the surrender at Appomattox?
Why, they took him outand hung him right
between tine lines IN plain W
Hold on / shouted, that is not true.
General Wolford, you know you are peryert-
ing facts
Instantly two or three of the old First
cavalry boys sprang to their feet and swore
that they had been OH the ground and seen
General Lee hung, one of them remarkihg.
with swagger, that if anybody questioned
the statement he would have to chew on the
barrel of a six shooter
What did they do with jeff. Davis after
he had surrendered?' continued old Wolford.
Why, they tied 1900 pounds of iron to his
legs, threw him into dungeon and starved
him for eight months and then took him out
and hung him. That's what they did with
him. A hi of maguanimous government
that
81 interrupted to say. that jeff Davis was
alive now and healthy, but two or three
First cavalry liars stood up and swore they
had seen him hung. and that if any man dis
puted it they would make him eat his words
or six inches of cold steel, And there the
the old scoundrel stood, hanging Alexander
Stephens, Longstreet Joe Johnson, Hamp
ton, and every Confederate OF
prominence he could think of. and
proving what he said by eyewitness from
the First Kentucky cavalry. What show
did have talking to such crowd OF Anani-
asses as that? If old Wolford had said the
Republican party had cructied Christ and
in his regiment would have made affidavit to
the correctness of the statement 1 quit
then and there. If you ever get me up there
in those mountains again you may shoot
me-