New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-20
A SENATOR AND HIS WIFE.
sENAToR spooNERs sEvEREsT CRITIC.


fyRox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rRisUSAi
WARRINGTON. June 19. Senator SpOOnef
savs bI. wife Ia his severest critic suspect she Is some
times his inspiration aswsll Mrs SpOoner 10 always
seen In the senate gallery whom her husband mas'ss
sreec They say Is his desire. and that her presenos
Is worth him than full galleries without nor
week ago. whom he delivered the eulogv on the Iate
Representative Rankin, Of Wis ,onsin Mrs. spooner sac
in the front seat gallery reserved for sepatorS
families The eldest OF their boys lad just tnrned
seventeen years, stroed in from the Congressional
Library with a book and sat down few seats BACK"
his mother Here he read until his father got up !"
sneak when he his book moved for ward and gave
his whole attention to the eulogy. Mrs spooner haa
her husbands father her right Judge spooner' "h
Wisconsn who Is past seventy years and who was
making his first the National Capital wac toid
that the Senator'S election to the senate happened on Ms
fathers seventy rtn birthday The old gentleman PAD
heard his speak tho Senate until the daJ OF INC
euogy need hardly be said that he WIS gratincd ana
showed pardonable degree OF pride, though this sas
more apparent face than In his few woris AFTER
ward The euogy occupied the half hour from bai PISS
till O'clock At that hour there are few people n 'n"
galleries and this occasion the audience was small
But unusually large the hoor Three quarters
Of the Senators in their seats what Is ass
unusual, in fact they were all paying close aen-
ton TO the speaker. There neither writing nor
reading OF newspapers. Senator Edmunds VINO "hen >"
bis seat. has his back 10 Senator spooners uess
went over Democratic side and sat where he coua
face the Wisconsin Senator Others turned their char'
squarey about and gave that silent Interest whch tho
speakers words AMI manner commanded ana "h'ca
made the scene Impressive. | have rarely seen sucn
attention given b. the senate to one OF It's memDers-
Senator Sawyer who at all tunes fraterna toward M
spooner, boverei ABOUT him 10 a nervous way making
little fussy signs OF preparation. Tbsn he sat down ~
near to spooners desk lie could well get ana
with look of supreme satisfaction would tilt bis chalr
forward and smooth the manuscript every time shees
laid down by the speaker The senior senator iros
Badger Is often, and not without anecs""'
called Papa SAWYER" He looked IL on this occasion
and stranger might thought Mr. spooner was to
old eeutlemans son so fathery Mr. sawyers mari-
fesations OF interest Senator spooners manner was
wholly from aud yet cutie as free from any
stiffness. The eul gy itself was brief but simple
tribute to a personal fiiend and political opponent
There praise out a eood deal OF hoh's'
tender feeling throughout in plaiu words aDou' pam
man who when living was very human In his faults aud
his virtues. / said Senator spooners manner was
wholly free gesture. one movement ne dii hahe'
with his right hand, when he half turned to 'en'tor
Sawyer with the words, As my honoret colleague kns~
him" refe. ring of TO Mr.. Rankin Win I'M, sh-e
exception there no gesture The quiet pose 'ui's
him and he has al previous time appeared 20 suca
advantage
gentleman speaking Of him aiterward said: sem
sor Spooner's wife has brought the change Hex
criticism has done it, Now. when he made his speech on
the Edmunds resolution, his style full OF vehement
gestures like those OF lawyer In the court room you
know. Mrs. spooner has cured him OF all That Inc
remedy very funny and rs che Senator tells me
story on himself enjoys it too. may repeat H. He
said home that day. expecting oi course 10 ges
some little praise from my wife. though was modest
in my expectations I thought If such Evar ;.
Edmunds Hoar aud sherman old Senator'S all approved
Of any thing had said that wife would be pleased.
fully looked little tafy at least But she dihns
say a word my speech. waited FOR nee TO speak,
and as she didn't inclined to do so CACHED tho
subject myself told her about the CONGRATULATIONS pr
the Senators and thought would be su to evoke
some expression. either one way OF the other f'iy
| asked What do you think OF itP Well she got up
and without word took her pocket handkerchief Ke
ball IN her hand and threw 1t with full force on tho
table This she repeated several times making Voeas
gestures and throwing the handkerchief as II she W'ntei
10 hit something or somebody. | was speechless WIN
anazement. began 70 think some Dreadful tnh2 nad
happened and that she didn't know what she was
doing For Heavens sake, Anna what IS the mat'ef'
| exclaimed. But she went right on thrown, her
handker chief in the seDseless way All al once IL
flashed through my mind that my wife was taking mo
or At instant she saw the recognition OF tho
fact in my face and burst with laughter, deeiafines
. Ye. Won did, l. It seems explained when she
could stop laughing. had made just such gestures Bot
was entirely unconscious of having done anything OK
the KIND. didn't II, and mad supposed that my
manner was quiet and dsnud enough 10 suit even my
wife, VINO by the way, is not easily suited "
Mr.. -pOOncr is ambitious woman lOr her Hi,pani.
She was greatly opposed 10 having him come TO the
Senate She felt that entering politics ani llvas IN
Washington would sacrifice much OF their nome He
She preferred that her husband Il he gained promi-
nence should gain it lawyer. Bat now that he Is IN
the Senate ambitious III her way Ms Logan
Is in hers General Logan No two women CONF be
more unlike But IL Mrs Logan is an Inspiration to
Jack" Mrs spooner inspiration to john" she
IA no politician. But her tandard "a high and she Is
ambitious that her husband should holi q i0rrniost
place as q They are exactly the opposite 10
temperament The Senator is retlcent aud quiet; his
wife Is impulsive and clever taker with keen sense
OF the ludicrous In many things then tastes are tho
same Both are extremely fond OF music and Mr..
spooner has a finely cultivated voice They thought
nothing OF running down from their home at HulSon'
WIS., Chicago to STAY through an opera season Ihey
are Ode Oh the temperance ana their boys know
that their fathers example Is for their benefit They
are alike loyalty to friends senator spooner would
refuse nothing III his power 1T request Was mails IN
the ght spirit Ills determination to be candidate ior
the Senate about in curious way. Tue turn Of
word would have made him the supporter OF General
FairclJd They had close friends before farcni
went abroad Consul at Liverpool They were
together in and aiterward when Falrchd wat
Governor OF Wisconsin -pooner became his private
secretary. General Fairchii Remained ABROAD tweiye
years when lie cainc D'ck lie reosned as Mih9ter %
Snuln He returned to Wisconsin AMI WITH tue luten-
tiou OF becoming ScDat0r He hai been very pop .r -
Governor and still had lots OF frlends Mr.. spooners
about Milwaukee as rairchl. The ter called on ann
day. spoonoI nsd almost ha.e uP MS ihii, ~
t OF him To give up Tor tue present all
t0uyut o. the senate. He then hal lucrative practice,
too good to reinqis and he was gaining aud could
afford TO wait tue senate. Fairchd, unfOttnnatey
for himself. al out Il IN tue wrong way lie tod
spooner that he not known. that Milwaukee would
be against and that he was sure to he dc'eat,d
II was probably his assertIye manner moro than Ills
words that hunt spoonrr IL was ia enect an attempt
to ueli;tle Spooner Fachd forgot tAat III MS we've
wears absence from the country he had gIOwn away
rnm tie people OF Wisconsin had been partly lost
sight or: a-o that these twelve years spOOner had
been steadily growing 10 the people aud had gone
hay ths n % secretary.
ON Falrchds part not to have approached eloOner
differently. Well, you know how the contest ended.
Drring the canvass -poouer went TO Milwaukee, where
FairchId said ne hadn't friend Ii looked IKE IL
too He got there rainy dark night everybody
fold him II was no lse-tuat Milwaukee was Tor FAIR
child He drove up through the wind and rain 10 tho
home OF Representative Van scnack without beins ia