Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-12
a rALk ABour anEAr IEN.
Views OF Beprssentsuvs Of the stat
wArt MuGwump.


heen more or less prominent, although
holding no Office. His father was con
tractor and the son followed 10
his footsteps. He WIS contractor
on the Champlain canal, and with
bjs brother built jetties at Charleston and
Savannah before Eads had projected the
Mississippi ietties. He was "a delegate 70
the Republican National Convention IN
1880, having previously attended slate
and national conventions as looker-oh
and delegate for quarter OF a century
He was one Of the '306." as the peIsoh-
al friend Of ex-senator Conklin&, ne or
ganized the dght in C0uruand ana Ohoh-
da0a counties by which many hepuDl-
cans knitted Mr. Blaine. A reporter met
Mr.. Bangs at the Hoffman house, where
he IL amending several days, and asked
MIN about his political "reminiscences. He
INV first interest in politics was az
barn-burnerin Van Buren's time. / saw
Van Buren, at Undertook and in Wash
ington. ] knew his son, John Van Bu-
rem, intlms tely. ! was at work on the
Champlsin canal contract when john Van
Buren, and William Cassidy came iniO
that region TO make speeches for the par
~. / took them from Fort Edward 70
Lake George. They made speeches there
and at Glens Falls. He was fine speak
er,withs wonderful hold on the people. he
was an able man aud 81 one time Attorney
General OF the State. He was a sWagger-
ing sort Of man by nature. ! was 81
syracuse when he came back from trip
he had made TO Ohio. There was mass
meeting at Syracuse for his father, and
they wanted John to speak. lie wouldn't
20 on the platform, but stood up in the
crowd and spoke for some time. j re-
A. A. - ks.a hoo
and looked as IL he had been 10 hght.
His reason for not going upon the stand
was that be did not want his hat SEEM
"Dd you know Buchanan or Doug
sass?"
Il met Buchanan. but was not &C
qdanted with him. Douglass knew
sIm .,oIv not 1870 asquo or 1850 "l'H
met him at Saratoga with mis- wife in 1861.
] took him over to Gleus Falls and Lake
George and back 70 Saratoga the same
day, and he made three speeches while we
were gone. He wGs untIring. He made
speeches that year all over the country.
His ambition was boundless. His hold
upon the people was due 70 his great
earnestness. think his wife was enc Of
the most beautiful women ever saw. AT
ter Douglass died she married Gen.
Williams Of the United States army"
"Were ven thrown in contact with
ThurlOw WeedW
"Mv first knowledge Of Weed got from
my father, Manlius Village Is about two
miles from Fayetteville. Weed came
there in 1915, 70 run weekly paper. The
plant was not worth more than 81 800. He
went 10 debt to buy it and ran it about
four years. When he got to Albany and
edited the Journal he became the Whig
leader. / was a Democrat. Edward
Crosswell, of the Albany Argus, and
Weed we're the opposing leaders OF their
parties. Weed was the best manager Of
party 1 ever knew. he wanted nothing
for himself. but he always looked out for
his friends. Ny father came to Fayette-
vile the year before Weed planted him
self at Manlus Village. That was in 1914.
| was bora ten years later In a lock
house at Frankfort. just east Of Utica. on
the Erie canal, OF which my father was
the first superintendent"
"Was that in Horatio seymour's
time9o
cit was earlier. Ny father built IS
miles OF the CheDango canal in 1894. EX-
Gov. Wns1Sz Z BOuck was Canal Com
missioner at the beginning OF the work.
HOracio Seymour's father succeeded him.
HoratiO Seymour was a clerk OF the com
missioner, and / first saw him then. La
Ter Was well acquainted with him. In
1872. when my father was dying, Horatio
q long time about old affairs. l heard
Seymour ask father the question:
"'DO you remember when / used 10 pay
you money on your estimates, acting as
clark for my fatherT
"ssYes,' said father, 'and / remember
that you always paid me whatever
asked for, on account
"MF. Seymour rejOined:
"'We had no red tape in those days,
but It is ali red tape now. / don't see
that there 10 any more honesty, thought
"Mr. Seymour used to visit in Cazen0-
via, where his sister lived. / saw him on
the train going from there to Syracuse not
hing before be died. stopped at Syracuse
with him. He took my arm as we went
ap the street. he was quite weak and
aaid tome:
ssYou see am growing old
''rhe thought seemed 70 give him
pain"
about CleVeland-you know him pref
tywsllf"
II nave known him from boyhood. He
was then living in Fayetteville, N. Y,
where his father was a clergyman. His
family have always looked on Fayette-
Vile as their home. He was considered
what you call bright boy. After be left
Fayetteville we did not know much about
him until after be got into practice OF law
a. Buffalo. know Of his arguing cases |
IN TIE United states District Court at
Syracuse, and heard that be was a strong
lawyer and had worked has way TO the
head Of big legal firm. He is a man
hat the people can rely 0n-that when he
says thing it is as good as done. His
word Is as good as his bond"
VIII he be renOminated by his party 20
IF he will consent 10 be a candidate.
ne viii be renOminated by acclamatlon.v
viii he be re-electedPp
Undoubtedly
Would he have the same support that
he had befOrep'
Yes, and more.0
You knew Roscoe ConkIlng better than
any Of thesep'
Eyes. first became acquainted per.
sonally with Conkling when be was sena.
Tor In washington. When the Republican
party lost him they lost a leader.0
"Mill the party get him back aQainp
mot az long AS the tincture Of Blaine
my opinion"
"Did you see Conkling In 1912
''Mr. COnkling took no active or omen
steps against Blaine In 1884. But IL was
his influence That changed Oneida county
and gave IL 10 Cleveland by few maiori
~. ] was President Of the stalwart Re.
publican organization, In CORTLAND and
Onondaga counties, that was opposed In
l. III A.