The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1883-01-20
POLK AND PKENTISS.
IN. 0, CITY Itcu.l

n. y. Clty llcnl.l
The late unpleasant incident in the
history of member of the Polk family
revives memories Of the long ago III
which the statesman and patriot, James
X. Polk, figured with more or less OF
prominence. Well does the writer of
this remmeber one fine day, some forty
years or SO ago, when, with something
more of youthful ardor than he feels
at present, he was induced to visit a
court house in one of the interior towns
of Tennessee to listen to political speech
from the inspired lips of James X.
Polk. The building was so packed
that there was no chance of getting
out, and for five long hours this depon-
ent was compelled to listen to an eX-
pose of the political sins Of Brown, the
opposing gubernatorial candidate, fol-
lowed by 4 eulogy of the superior vir-
tues of unadulterated Democracy. The
affair was rather tiresome; but the
wearicd auditors, at length released,
went out in search OF Il late dinner.
Prior to this, James X. Polk had at
taiued prominence rs Speaker OF the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton, Such was his position during the
memorable contests between the cele-
brated Whig orator, S. 5. Prcntiss and
his Demcratic opponent, for the honor
Of representing Mississippi in the halls
Of Congress. The title to the seat was
vigorously contested on each side, and
Prentiss went to Washington to speak
in his own behalf. On the evening
before he was to be heard, a number
Of the prominent Wings at Washing
frn nd n,rinl N|nhStnv pal1rH
on the Mississippi orator at his hotel and
were disgusted when they found him
sitting on the floor of his room with q
bottle of brandy between his legs.
Knowing that his sole chance of success
depended on tho brillancy of his effort
on the morrow, they lost all hope and
left him in despair.
But when the morrow came PrentiSs
was himself again. His faithful servant
had revived him by an early and vigor-
Gus sponge bath; and when he entered
the House all traces Of his previous
nights carousal had DISAPPEARED. His
speech was indeed one of the most
brilliant and beautifu!-even ifnot the
most severely logical-ever delivered
before an American assembly. 1t closed
by a fervid appeal to the House to vindi.
cate the integrity Of the ballot box, and
with the declaration that if his right
to the seat he claimed was denied, it
would be as well at once to blot out the
star which represents Mississippi On
our country's flag, while the stripes
might be left as Il fit emblem of the
degradation imposed upon her.
When the vote was taken it was
found to be a tie, the last name called
being Yell, of Arkansas, who voted
against Prentiss, though the Prentiss
party thought he would vote
on their side. The casting
vote was then given by Speaker Polk
against the admission of Prentiss.
After the defeated orator returned to
Mississippi friend inquired how he
had thus been left out in the cold.
"Oh," he replied, "he unterrificd
raised Yell, and 1 was Polkcd out"
In 1914, James *. Polk was elected
President Of the United States, and
Prcntiss' joke about being Polked re.
appeared afterwards in the refrain of
Democratic campaign song:
'The Wings we Pollled i'll Forty-four.
We Pierced in Eity-two.'