Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1885-02-09
THE ARKANSAS sENAToRsHIP.

The following is full report of Represen.
tative Bakers speech in the Arkansas Legis.
lature last Saturday in casting his voto for
the Hon. James K. Jones, the successful
candidate for United States Senator:
Mr.. Baker, of Benton, when his name was
reached, rose to his feet and said: "Mr.
President, cast my first vote in this sena
torial contest for G overnor James II. Berry,
and have continued to do so up to the
present time. know him and I like him.
He is good man, and We'll qualified to fill
the office an honored citizen, 81 brave sol
der, and an able statesman he ID high in
the esteem of the public. lam rough man
myself-a man from the mountains, and l
am one OF those men who stick by their
friends-I stick by my friends when they
deserve it, when they are able and well
qualified. until they fall, and even then I'll
not desert them--I fall with them. | hated
to see Gov. Berry withdraw from the field,
but when ! saw it must be, looked about
me and took the thing under consideration
and thought on it. thought long and care
fully over it, and slept with it. Laugh
ter / saw l must cast my vote for some
other candidates. I'll tell you how / did il.
looked over the field I have met the
other two, and had studied them. I met
the Hon. Poindexter Dunn, and Isaw in him
many good points. saw fine head On him,
I greatly admire fine head,) and saw
in him u great coming man. But tell you
what did the work for me- met Mrs.
Jones, the wife of the Hon. James X. Jones.
and that settled it. This is how it was: l
met her and went and called on her; yes,
/ did. The room was full of beautiful
women. didn't hardly know what to do,
but she sat by the piano and asked her to
play little tune on it for me laughter 4
asked her that very thing-asked her if she
could play My Old Cabin Home She
said she would if would sing Il verse of it,
and I said ia try. Cries, Sing it now,
let's hear it, You wait. Il said | would,
and she touched up the piano, hit the very
key note of the piece-the tune know and
love best on earth. It rang and echoed
about the room. The place was full Of
women and pretty women, too. Applause.
And among them / saw Miss Roane, the
daughter of old Gov. Roane, the lady OF
whom Mr.. McMillen spoke SO beautifully
while ago. They crowded around, and
right there | stood aud / sung the verse.
Cries Of 'Sing-sing-give Us the verse.
All right, gentlemen, to accommodate you
I'll sing IT, and, clearing his throat, the
gentleman from Benton struck up bari
tone solo, and sung
Well hunt no more the grizzly
In the nook,
Well leave the canyon ali
So dry:
Well drink no more of the
Clear crystal Brook,
So, my log. cabin home, good.by."
AS the good by" floated up among the cobwebs
in the dome of the hall, the densely packed throng
burst into cheers and shouts tornado of applause
shaking the old house, while burst OF laughter
broke out like thunderbolts, and handclappings
sounded like hail among the confusion. At
length the orator succeeded in getting silence
again, after bowling and gesticulating several
minutes and said: Hold on-wait. and hear the
chorus" and then he sang:
well mind no more but play.
Inevcr shall forget
That log-cabin home
That log-cabn home, far away
Again the storm broke forth, and il was sew
eral minutes before he could proceed. When n
lull came he continued well, those ladies crowd
ed around me, aud when Mrs. Jones stopped play
ing I seized her hand and said, Madame am in
love with you fShouts. Yes, told her l had
fallen in love with her, and she said she wished
I'd fall in love with her husband as we'll She
treated me nice-they all did, too. Now l am a
rough old man, but ladies have great attractions
for the old mountain boomers. They looked go
sweet and nice I swanted to hug them all. l
know do [chccrsl and never forget that visit
When met Mr.. Jones l looked at him closely,
and saw in him man l could well support. He
had {. big head, too-a head like washtub eyes set
away back in and deep thinking look in them
aud SO, with all this to think of, after looking
we'll about ME, after considering the matter well,
after sleeping with it, have concluded to vote
for Hon. JAS K Jones'"