National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1888-04-15
ODDS AND ENDS.
Gossip About Men ana Women in
Public and Society.

fubItC ana society
Senator Justin $. Morrill,, Of Vermont,
who last night celebrated his 18th birthday,
is remarkable instance of what industry
and strict attention to congressional duties
will accomplish. Mr.. Morrill, was originally
merchant in STAFFORD, VT, and was elect
ed TO Congress in 1854, taking his seat In
December, 1855. lie has served in either
the House or Senate continuously ever since,
period of over thirty-twO years Mr..
sherman Is the only member of the thirty
| fourth Congress now In public life, anu his
congressional service was interrupted by his
four years as Secretary Of the Treasury under
| Mr. HAYES. The secret Of Mr.. MORRILL, great
| political success has been the faithful man
| ncr in which he has attended to the business
Of his constituents. lie personally answers
| all letters cf Importance addressed to hiln
and no request of friend or supporter is
disrcgardcd. The consequence OF this has
| been that although there are In Vermont
| very many aspiring men, no one has been
found who had the temerity to oppose SEN
utor Morrill,, and his rc-elections to the SEN
ate have been practically without any dis
| sent Although advanced in years Senator
Morrill, Is still vigorous and his admirers
anticipate many more years Of usefulness
for him ns the honored representative OF the
"Greon Mountain State"
! @.#
| nc dangerous Illness OF cN-scnHlOr
Roscoe Conkllng has recalled many of his
peculiarities while member Of the Senate
and n resident of Washington. Mr.. Conk
ling was first elected to Congress in 1859,
and except for two ycars--lS63 to 1866
served until he resigned from the Senate in
1851. III all this long time, about twenty
years, he never kept house. lie lived pre-
Nious to the war at Willatd's, and after the
war at Wormley's and Chamberlains.
Walters who served him say that he was a
most fGstidious eater. If q steak was not
done just as he liked It he would not touch
IT., and hot bread in any shape
or foim was his abomination. lie
was never seen to drink whisky or
brandy, but was partial TO the light wines,
such as Sauternc and claret. Mr.. Conk-
ling was steady patron of our street cars
Until just before he resigned from the SEN
ate he did not Keep u horse When Mr..
Arthur was elected Vice President Mr.
Conkling purchased fast animal, and it
was the habit of the two friends to drive to
the Senate chamber every morning, as they
roomed in the same house on Fourteenth
street. Before then Mr.. Conkling rode in
the cars to the Senate, and he utilized his
time by opening his mail, which was always
vOluminOus. In the matter of his hat, Mr.
Conkling differed from others. lie did not
affect the silk or derby hat. lie wore one
him specially. The crown was of silk
and the brim was exceedingly broad aud
straight. 1t protected his eyes fully. The
ex-senator was partial to what the boys
call ''salt and pepper clothes, aud his suit
was of that material generally. lie never
wore scarfs, but invariably Il small tie of
some becoming color II has been said of
Mr. Conkling that he was naughty and over
bearing, but the newspaper men of WASH
ingtOn will bear willing testimony that he
always gave them II courteous hearing, and
never failed to acccde to their requests when
ii was proper for him to do so.
One of the most distinguished men that
New York has produced in our time was
the late Henry c. Murphy, of Brooklyn,
who for many years represented the City
: Of Churches in the state senate. Few have
any idea how near Mr.. Murphy came to
. being President of the United States. II
!, came about in this way: When the Demo.
cratic convention met in Baltimore in ls5S
it took repeated ballots for n presidential
candidate. Marcy, Douglass, Buchanan
and Cass were first one and then the other
in the lead. Daniel $. Dickinson was pro
posed and would have been agreed upon as
, a compromise had 1t not been that he fell
u that he was so allied with the cause of Gen
Cass as to prevent him from honorably nc
y ceptng the nomination. Finally, wher
n the excitement was at a fever heat
the Virginia delegation asked leave t.
o retire for consultation. When they met to
:, gethcr two names were suggested for TIN
u nomination lit being agreed that the on,
receiving a majority of the delegation shoult
y be presented TO the convention as the choic,
o of Virginia.. These names We're FrankliI
J. Pierce, Of New Hampshire, and Henry G
Murphy, of New York. The ballot resulted
! in a tic. Mr.. John $. Barbour, the chair
II man of the delegation, and the father Of tn
u senator-clect from Virginia, and who hat
served in the House with Gen. Pierce IN tn
forties, gave the casting vote for him, ant
/; on the next ballot Virginia gave its unaui
! nous vote for the New Hampshire states
y man, who received the nomination on th
u subsequent ballot. Mr.. Murphy always de
clared that had Mr.. Barbour voted for hin
! he would have been the President instead o
n Gen. Pierce
Delaware is n very curious state, poiti
l. cally speaking. 1t has been dominated 70
+. many years by three famlies-the Claytons
|" Bayards and Saulsburys. In his life tim
John VI. Clayton, who was Secretary o
IS State in the Cabinet OF Gen. Taylor, wa
e supreme among the wings, and Jane
y Ashton Bayard among the Democrats
e just before the war the Saulsburys, Ken
family, came to the front, Willard Saul:
T. bury having been elected senator in 1856 I
Il succeed Martin W. Bates. In 1864 James A
II Bayard resigned from thcSenatc because Ii
y believed that he had been forced to tax
- the irOn-clad oath unconsttutiOnally. Upo
:, the death Of Mr. George Reed Riddle
~ who had been elected to suC
~ ceed him in 1868, he was apponte
le by the governor to the vacancy, and whe
10 the Legislature met he was elected, and o
the same day his son, Thomas f., was elccte
n to succeed him for the term beginnin
c, March 4, 1869 This was very remarkable
r. but in 1870 an event even more unusual OF
10 Cured in the same state. The term of WI
), lard Salisbury in the Senate was about t
expire. Although n man of undOubte
10 talent, he was so conyivial In his habits a
r. TO have lost strength in his state. Whe
,c the legislature met 1t was composed {
Il. thirty-onc members all Democratic. Thre
Q, brothers were nominated for senator, an
Is no one clse--Willam Salisbury, Gov
salisbury, and Eli salisbury. Gov
e. salisbury received IL votse, Willard 10, an
n Eli vote. The balloting went on fror
N day to day until at last Willard Saulsbur
:, declared that he would not be a candidat
la against his brothers and withdrew His
- votes were cast for Eli salisbury, who wa
elected, as against II votes for his brotht
le Cove. Willard salisbury is and has bee
~ for years the chancellor of Delaware; GOV
~ salisbury is dead, and Eli salisbury col
is tinues in the Senate having been re-electe
II IN 1877 and 1888.
It ogo
Prior to the war very few members {
4. Congress kept house in Washington, {
(, the senators Mr.. Slidell, of Louisiana; NJ
~ Gwin, of California; Mr.. Bright, of Indian,