Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-04-03


PHILADELPHIA WHEN SHE WAS FAR
DIsTANr-How SHE LOOKED AND HOW
SHE ACTED THE MORNING AFTER HER
HUSBAND WAS HANGED.
The nicknaming of prominet men,
particularly of those mixing in poll
tics, is practiced in this country more
perhaps than in any other, and as
rule, the recipient takes to it kindly.
Thus General Jackson was as well
known as ''Old Hickory" and more
readily recognized than if called Pres
ident jackson. Senator Benton in his
. life time was almost aa we'll known as
"Old Bullion" so-called from his ad-
vocacy of gold and silver currency
and his inveterate opposition to banks
and paper money. The late Thomas
Ewing, of the State, while Senator
in Congress, had his nickname of
"Solitude, and 1t so stuck to him that
even now long after his death, the prefix
is still given him, to distinguish him
from his son and namesake, General
Tom Ewing.
Senator Ewing was in Congress
when he made the speech in the Uni
ted States Senate which fastened the
"Solitude" upon him. The United
States Bank was at that time engaged
in its war to break down the Admin.
istration of General Jackson, and thus
to coerce recharter. rapidly con-
tracted its loans and forced tue local
banks to follow its lead, for with its
vast means it acted the part, as In
so many words it claimed to be the con-
troller of the currency. 1t was death
to any bank not to obey behests; for,
by the aid of its branches, located in
every State, it could easily gobole up
the notes of an obsteperous bank and
force it to a suspension bya demand
for coin, or else so cripple it that if
the bank was honest it could not issue
its notes without funds on hand to re
deem them. Coming suddenly and
without warning upon the country,
this state of affairs, produced money
panic, and prices of all kinds fell and
with 1t the produce of the country de-
preciated in value. The men who
traded on borrowed capital could not
get their notes in bank renewed, and
absolute distress fell upon the country.
Instigated by the United States Bank,
petitions and distress memorials, signed
by thousands of names-some real and
others gathered from tombstones-
were poured into Congress, and the
antl-Jackson papers devoted much
space to their gloomy contents. Con-
gressmen of the same party made
speeches, all on the gloomy state of af
fairs--mechanics out of work, shops
shut up, farmers produce rotting in
graneries, the overs having neither
money nor credit to prepare it for OF
to remove it to market, even if a
market could be found. In one Of
these debates Senator Ewing took part
and in it, after depicting the distress
of the country, he spoke of the me-
chanic being out of work. and that the
busy hum of industry is beard not ir
this the busy season of the year, and
wound up with the assertion that "oul
canals are solitude, our lakes bu
desert wastes of water"
Shortly after this speech the United
States Bank found that it had carried
its game too far for its own safety,
and was forced for its own protection
to loosen its grasp and extend it:
loans. The panic was over; the coun
try was soon like giant refreshed
with slumbcr. Business revived--the
country banks extends their discounts
the prices of produce and of wage
rose and there was a demand from
Europe for American produce. Busi
ness, SO long stagnant, seemed Il
spring up like magic, and by the time
Congress ad iourned it was booming
A number Of Congressmen-severa
of them Senators, and more than hal
OF them emocrats-made up party
to return to their homes by they New
York Canal. The West was the'
sending its produce to the East vis
lake and canal, and the Congressiona
party found that the canal trade, j
judged by the number of boats met
was immense, and it was standing
joke with the Democratic member
when feet of boats hove in sight t.
call Mr.. Ewing from the cabin Of tn
packet-boot to look at his solitude
At the lower end Of the canal ther
had been break, and large number
Of boats were usually in sight. O
course, it was fun to see them and t.
point them out to the Ohio members
but was not on his side, nor to his lik
ing. At Rochester just as the packet
boat landed, freight-boat was dis
charging cargo, and Mr.. Ewing ant
the other Congressman were lockers
on. BY some accident, a hogshea'
filled with molasses had its head burs
In, and the contents poured into tn
canal. An Irish laborer, standing
near to Mr.. Ewing, without knowing
who he was, exclaimed: "Jases, mon
that must be solitude swatened!" Th
other Congressman roared with laugh
ter and Mr.. Ewing was forced to joil