Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-20

sentative OF the same state. This honor
he held for seventeen years, that is. till
1917: In 1861 he was made colonel of the
ga massachusetts, volunteers. The high
est Office to which he attained was that of
Vlce-presldent of the United States, which
post he held from 1872 to 1875. the year
OF his death. Henry Wilson was held at
the time of his death in general and hear
ty esteem for the valuable services which
he had rendered for thirty-tive years to
his country. Like many other
famous sons of St. Crispin.
the "Natick CobbIer'' was a friend
of freedom and sworn foe to all kinds of
tyranny. For many years he stood side
by side with the best men in the northern
states, fighting the battle of liberation
for the slaves, and at last was permitted
to rejoice with them in the triumph of The
good cause.
One is very much tempted to multiply
instances of men like Wilson, who, having
begun life as shoemakers, found their way
into the congress of the United States.
Seven such men at least have sat in con.
gress during the present century. These
are Roger Sherman and Henry Wilson, al
ready noticed, and Daniel Sheffey. Gideon
Lee, William Clafin, j Ohm B. Alley and H
T. Baldwin. In answer to the question.
What shoemaker has risen to political or
literary eminence in the United States ?'
a. writer IN the Philadelphia Dispatch,
besides speaking of the four. re-
markable men we have selected as
examples, >says: "There are Other famous
names of graduates from the profession.
Daniel Shelley, of Virginia, learned the
trade and worked at it many years, and
from 1909 to 1917 represented his district
in the congress of the United States. His
retort to John Randolph, of Roanoake,who
tainted HIM on the floor of congress with
his former occupation, was: The differ
ence, sir, between my colleague and my
self is this, that if his lot h ad been cast
like mine in early life, instead of rising, by
industry, enterprise and study, above his
calling and occupying a seat on this floor.
he would at this time be engaged in MAX
ing shoes on the BENCH Gideon Leeds,
mayor of New York city, and a member of
congress from about 1910 to 1914, was a
working shoemaker, and afterward
leather dealer. William CIaf1in, ex-gov-
ernor of Massachusetts and member
Of congress, worked at the shoemaker's
trade when young, and is now as the head
OF very large shoe manufacturing firm.
John b. Alley, ex-member of congress
from Massachusetts, was in the shoe trade,
as was also II. P. Baldwin, ex-governor of
Michigan, and ex-congressman from that
state" 1t may also be mentioned here
that franklin, in his autobiogra ply speaks
of member of the Junto, ''William Par
sons, bred shoemaker, but loving read
ing, who acquired considerable share of
mathematics" and became surveyor
general and that Philip Kitlaud, shoe
maker from Sherrington, Buckingham
shire, who settled at Lynn, Mass, was the
founder of the immense trade in boots and
shoes for which that city has obtained an
unrivaled name throughout the states.
No man in New England, nor indeed in
the states, has earned better title to the
thanks and esteem of his fellow country
men than the Quaker poet,' who began
the hard work of life by blending tire duties
of the farm with the occupation of shoe
maker. Whittier college, at Salem, Iowa,
was established and named in his honor.
Whittier has never forgotten his connec-
ton with the gentle craft in early life; nor
| has he been ashamed to own fellowship
with its humble but worthy members.
What he thinks of the craft itself, and of
the spirit of the men who have followed it,
may be learned from his lines addressed to
the shoemakers in the Songs of Labor
published in 1850.