The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-12-04

Some of the men who are retired
from public life by the election just
held will probably never find their
way into congress again, says a
Washington correspondent. There
is Wyatt b. Aiken of South Caro-
lima, for instance. He has not been
a day in his seat in this congress.
He was only able to be here a part
of the time during the last congress,
but he was reelected in the hope
that he might recover his health
and serve the state again.
But there seems little hope that
he will ever be able to represent the
state in any legislative body again.
He was so feeble this fall that when
the primary election was held he re-
quested the ballot-box to be brought
to his beside to cast his vote. This
was done, for little stretching of
the law such as that does not count
for much in South Carolina, especi-
ally i'm primary elections. He was
shot through the lung during the
early part of the war, and has never
recovered from it. His departure
from the house removes one of the
most ardent opponents of the Blair
Education bill. He thought it un-
wise and unconstitutional, and did
not hesitate to say so. He was one
of the earliest men in the South to
predict the nomination of Mr.. Cleve-
land.
Another man who is likely to bid
a long farewell to congressional life
is Gen. Bragg of Wisconsin. Bragg
made pretty good record in the
Forty-seventh congress, but he has
not accomplished anything in this
congress except to make him un-
populur, and there are very few who
adopt his expressive language, sand
love him for the enemies he has
made" Bragg is a natural fighter
He is never happy unless he is in a
fight. He is a little fellow; weigh
ing perhaps a hundred pounds
always neatly dressed /; always look
ing around for somebody to knock
chip off his shoulder. He is watch
ing the senatorial fight in Wiscon-
sin with the hope that some day he
may slip into the senate, but there
is little probability of it.
Congressman Cobb Of Indiana
retires from the house, and proba-
bly, from public life. 1t is just pos
sible that he may come to the sur
face some day as a candidate for
the senate, but that candidacy seems
to be pretty well monopolized by
Joe Mcdonald. Cobb is bellig-
Grant fellow, and his bout with
Laird, last summer, and that with
the member from Chicago a couple
of years ago, have not helped his
popularity at home.
Ex-Gov. Curtin Of Pennsylvania,
the war governor Of that great state,
has no thought of returning to pub
lie life again. He will be 20 years
old at his next birthday, and feels
his weight of years good deal. His
has been a very busy life, and he is
glad to take n rest at this age. 1t
is Just as well that he does so, for
there are signs that the old man is
not so strong naturally as in former
years. Yet he is a central figure
in the house. His tall, slender
figure, white hair and clear, ringing
voice command the attention of
everybody whenever he gets on his
feet. There is always a crowd about
him when he speaks in the house,
even on the most commonplace
subjects.
Mr.. Hewitt of New York undoubt-
edly expected, when he declined to
be a candidate for the house again,
that this should end his days in
public life. He is ga year of age,
and not fond of the details of life
as a member of either house. Yet
it is not impossible that he might
like a term in the senate, and there
is a possibility that he may get
there.
Congressman Singleton of Mis-
sissippi, who retires at the close of
his term, will probably bid farewell
to public life forever. He is grow
ing very feeble. He is seventy-two
wears old, and has seen a good deal
of public life. He was here in the
Thirty-third congress, over thirty
years ago, serving continuously un-
til his state seeded, when he with
drew and was elected to the Con-
federate congress. After the war
he was sent back to his old seat in
the house, and it is only his ex-
treme age and fcebleness that retire
him now. He is not brilliant
man or a speech-maker, but ne has
managed in some way to retain a
remarkable hold on his seat in the
house.