Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-09
TOM CORWlN.
His Failure to Entbuse the People of the
Western Reserve.

| A Columbus, Ohio. correspondent Of
the Louisville Times says Of Tom Cor
win: One time, however, he scknowl-
edged himself beaten. During the
campaign of 1874 he was billed to make
speech at Warren. up in the Western
Reserve. When he reached the town
he discovered that the meeting had
been fixed for 10 o'clock in tho FORE
noon. The hour was SO unusual that
his apprehensions were excited. and
they were by no means allayed when
he learned that the meeting was to be
held in the church.
The farmers of Trumbull and the
adjoining counties were promptly on
hand, and took their seats in solemn
silence in the stiff-backed pews. There
was not a whisper to be heard when
the great orator-blushing to his ears
ascended the pulpit and was introduced
by the moderator" Tom was not in
the habit Of surrendering even to ad-
verse circumstances.
He began by discussing the moral as
poets of politics and the necessity of
religious thought. teachings, and train
ing in the management of the affairs Of
the government. For q full hour he
handled the subject in q mastery way.
but there was not sign Of approval,
not a word Of response from his hear
ers. He felt that he was on the wrong
track and took another.
He grew eloquent on the subject of
free government and the protection of
American industries, and denounced,
as only Corwin could denounce, the
aggressive policy of the democratic
party in the direction Of territorial az
grandizement. His philippics were
barbed in sarcasm and dipped in gall.
A full hour in this strain ELECTED not
the faintest shadow of approval. Again
he felt that he was on the wrong track.
and made another change.
He tapped his inexhaustible reservoir
of humor and for two hours it poured
forth in a deluge. His facial contor-
tions were enough to have brought .
grin to the face of a craven image. and
his inimitable drolleries would have
convulsed convention of John Bulls,
but not a snicker, not a smile not
demonstration of applause or enjoy
ment. Corwin sank into Q chair, eX-
hausted and disgusted.
Then away over in one corner of the
moeting-house a gannt. cadaverous-
looking citizen arose and said, with .
nasal twang:
MIR Moderator, l move that three
chairs be given to Mr.. Corwine for the
able speech he has delivered-ah!'
The three ''chairs' were given with
the mechanical precision of clockwork,
and the moderator solemnly adjourned
the meeting. Tom didn't get over his
experience for years. and it was next
to impossible to get him to 60 up on
the Reserve to make any more speech
es. But the people at Warren didn't
forget his four hours speech. They
regarded it as the greatest thing they
had ever heard, and would have sat
and listened to the orator twenty-four
hours if he had spoken that long.
1t was seldom that Corwin made any
enemies. especially in his own party.
On one occasion, however, he changed
one of his warmest admirers into q
rampant democrat with . bit Of sar-
casm. 1t was in the campaign of AZ.
He spoke in Lancaster, and stopped at
the principal hotel, kept by whig.
The biscuits seem to have been heavy
enough to attract the Wagner Boys
attention.
When Corvin was about to leave for
the next town the landlord was all
smiles and good wishes, and said:
Mr.. Corwin. if there is anything l
can do TO aid you in defeating Wilson
Shannon you have only to mention it."
That's very generous. said Cor
win.
But l mean it." said Boniface.-
"Only tell me what can do and will
do it"
There is one thing you can do" re-
piled Corwin. but l dislike to refer to
so delicate a matter"
"Out with it. Mr.. Corwin; out with
it. I'll do anything for the cause. On
ly mention it. that's all"
..Well. Mr.. Landlord. I'll tell you
what you can do to defeat MIR. Shan.
non. He speaks here next Thursday, ]
believer"
Yes"
Manage some way to get him to
stop at your hotel"
''Oh, the arrangement has already
been made. He will stay with mo all
night
And then feed him on the same
kind of biscuit. We had this morning.
Get half dozen of them into Shannon
and he will weigh SO much that he
can't run at all"
Corwin whipped up his horses and
was off, but the landlord had under
gone political transformation. From
whig he changed to democrat, and
was ..ferninst" Tom Corwin for the
rest of his life.