The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-12-31
A TALK WITH AIKEN.
The Suffering Congressman and his Pain
ful Illness.
Correspondence Nc,rs and Courier.

Correspondence Ncsus and Courier.
CoKEsBuRY, December 25.-In accord
ance with your instructions I visited
Col. d. Wyatt Aiken at his hospitable
home at this place to day. found him
lying in bed and suffering severely from
the ailment which has compelled him to
leave his seat in Congress and come
home. He is in bad way, I fear
although I hope that perfect rest and
careful nursing will restore him to
health. Although, as already stated,
Col. Aiken was suffering intensely, he
consented to give me an account of his
illness, and spoke as fully as his condi-
tion would allow upon some of the lead
ing questions of the day.
/, COL. AIKEN's AILSfENT.
"What is the matter with youP" L
asked Col. Aiken.
"This question is difficult to answer"
replied COL Aiken. "If you will allow
me I will give you the history of my
disease. Last winter, while at home
during Christmas, l fell upon my right
hip, which panied me for several days;
q month afterward fell very heavily in
Washington on the Ice on the same hip,
and the stroke was SO heavy I was unable
to rise from the pavement without help.
From that moment had no release from
pain, nor have / had for one minute
since. I continued attending to my
duties till Congress closed. | then went
down to New Orleans to visit the Expo
sition, and worked like a laborer lin
endeavoring to see everything there on
exhibition in ten days time. While
there my hip hurt me worse, almost
every day, but I still thought it vas a
simple pain that would of itself cease
after awhile, as could find no external
evidence Of injury. I returned home
about the first of April, and found, after
an effort, that / was unable toride horse
back. Then I began to fear something
serious was the matter. I consulted
physician, who examined me and pro.
nounced it sciatica. Not knowing what
sciatica meant, for had never heard the
word before, l continued in hobbling
way to attend to my business. Finally
I had a;chill--three chills in succession
three weeks after had three more chills,
and three weeks after three more. Ny
physician pronounced my, system 30 full
of malaria that I should go9to the noun
tains to avoid the chills that were quite
common in the s;sinity of my home.
About the first of August / started for
the mountains, andin Greenville I con.
suited physician; who advised me that
he had been cured Of sciatica by, the
spout baths of the Hot Springs of Vir-
ginia. I went there Immediately. On
arrival 1 was told that twenty baths
would tell the tale. I consulted the
resident physician, who said ] had no
sciatica at all, but that quinine and hot
sponts would knock the disease out Of
me. Istaid there long enough TO swal-
low two hundred and fifty grains of
quinine and took forty two baths, return
ing home with my general health much
improved, but no release from my suffer.
ing hip. I remained at home about
forty days and did almost nothing except
to take a hypodermic injection Of NOR.
phine to secure me a good pights repose.
Early in November went to Baltimore
to consult DR.. f: T. Miles, who has a
national reputation as specialist in
nerve ailments. He gave me four weeks
attention, advised me to 60 home, take
my bed and remain there ninety days
and would be we'll man. I came at
once to my bed and here yon find me.
1t is we'll, probably, to say That Or,
+ Miles pronounced. my ailment ipaamma-
ton Of the sacrum pleris Of nerves,
caused by those two falls last winter"
THE SILVER QUESTION. -
"What are your views on the silver
question:" asked the correspondent.
s,I am suffering SO much this morning
from the pain in my hip: Col. Aiken
answered, "that l can scarcely speak in
;telligibly on that subject. Suffice it to
say, that I was an out and out silver man
until I found Warner, of Ohio, who
claimed to be chief of the chiefest in ad-
vocacy of silver coinage, proposing that
the Government should buy silver as
product. I questioned to myself why
should not the Government buy any
other staple crop of the country, and one
answer should be the same for my ques-
ton and Warmers proposition. This,
however, did not shake me much until
I read Mr.. Trenholm's letter, and, unless
I read it amiss; I concluded that he
thought the continued coinage would not
only impoverish the country, but would
add many millions of dollars to the
vaults of the banks, and therefore he
opposed it. Now, I consider Mr.. Tren-
holm as belonging to the creditor class
of the country, and when they oppose
any action Of the country that throws
money into their vaults think there is
something wrong about their proposition,
hence Mr.. Trenholm's letter threw me
back to the point from which Warner
had driven me and to-day scarcely
know what my position is or should be
upon that subject"
THE TARIFF.
"What are your views on the tariff
question ?'' asked the correspondent.
Col. Aiken: ~ believe it should be
revised. I think the tax on tobacco