Evening journal., 1888-08-08
DEATHS OF STATESMEN.
WHAT A CONGRESSMAN THINKS OF
THE FUNERALS OF HIS FELLOWS.
Queer Observation-Disclosures Disease a
Common One--suicides and Public Men.
Congressmcn's Collins and Their Costly
FuneraIs-Thc Best Time to Die.

Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Aug. Each statesman
hes hobby, and tits funny how curious
some Of these hobbies are Scott, Of Penn
! sylvania is wrapped up in horses. Leland
Stanford can talk by the hour on horse breed
| ing, and Senator Kenna likes nothing better
than developing an instantaneous photo
! graph. Ex-Congressman Belford, "the Red
Headed Rooster Of the Rockies notwith-
standing his bibulous tendencies, had hobby
Of theological study, and the same is true Of
Judge T. b. Taylor, Of Ohio. Judge Taylor
knows all about the religions Of the past and
present He can tell you just what each
tribe on the face of the globe now worship,
and he is not SO illiberal but that he finds
some good in ALL Gen. Logan was also fond
OF theology, but he ran more TO biblical study
than to the study Of the sacred books Of other
religions. lie was proud Of being the pos
SCISSOR Of one Of the lost copies Of tho rare
books of Jeshur, and his library would be
valuable addition to theological seminary.
One Of the queerest hobbies, however, in
congressional study is that Of a western CON
gresham whom nature cut out for an under
taker, but who was by good education and
a bright mind forced into politics. He has
been in the house for number of terms He
has good national reputation, and were
permitted to give his name this phase Of his
character would be a surprise to all but his
most intimate acquaintance. Said he to me
last night:
Death and burial has always had curl
Gus fascination for me. attend more funer-
ais, perhaps, than any man in the house or
senate, and l could give you an outline Of
tho history Of funerals in the past know
all about cremation as it is practiced by the
Hndoos and the Siamese, and have pict-
urcs at my house illustrating the method Of
cm5alming used by the different nations of
the past. / believe l could give a receipt for
em0alming fluid of hand, and l have never
studied medicine or worked in drug store.
have visited, perhaps, more tombs than
any other public man. l have wept over the
remains of Abelard and Heloise in the Pere
Ia Chaise in Paris 1 have stood above the
dust OF Dante in Florence, have spent hours
NJ wandering among the monuments in
westminster Abbey, and have examined the
interiors Of the pyramids with a magnesium
hight can tell You, perhaps as much about
Inc deaths OF noted men as any other public
man, and have neurology in the shape Of
n blank book which l have filed with clip
pings about how great men have died.
shall die myself some day, and have given
direction that my Obituary shall close the
volume"
What disease carries of more public mel.
than any othersn / asked.
II should say replied the statesman.
"Bright's disease Of the kidneys A careful
diagnosis shows that this has more to do with
our great funerals than any other. The pub
lie man of the United States lives high. Here
at Washington he gets in the habit of Winning
and dining, he disturbs bis stomach with
highly spiced terrapin and heats his liver
with cold champagne This was the cause Of
Salmon P. Chase's taking Off He might
have lived to ripe old age had he stuck to
the cold water temperance diet Of Wauke-
sha springs. He went to Waukesha a few
years before he died, when he was in a bad
way. BY eating oatmeal, beefsteak and
drinking pure water he rapidly improved
and he soon regained his old vigor. Hecame
back to Washington and his table, and it was
a table that fixed disease upon him. It was
the same with Senator Anthony, Of Rhode
Island Anthony stood the big dinners of
Washington for nearly generation, but
they carried him off at last he was one of
the greatest epicures we have ever had. and
hours when their legs were under some other
mans mahogany. Poore had enough bills Of
fare in his memento collections to have
started paper mill, and he used to smack
his lips when he told the story of the good
dinners he had eaten. There are a number
Of the leading public men Of the United
States who are afflicted with Bright's disease
today. They say little about it, however.
and as a rule they do not appreciate that it is
carrying them closer and closer t. TIE grave.
Heart disease continued the obituary
statesman, "has carried Off a good many
men. 1t was this that killed Senator Fenton
2 few years ago. He died at his desk while
reading his correspondence. Sheridan's
trouble is heart disease, and Marcy, who
was a former secretary Of war, was found
dead with volume OF poems in his hand, and
it was heart disease that killed him. George
Washington died from catching cold. His
chest vas hollow, and it was his out Of door
life that kept him from consumption
Numerous public men have died Of cancers.
and this disease seems to DO constantly on the
increase. know Of an Illinois congressman
who has cancer on his throat, and the death
of Gen. Grant and the Emperor Frederick
are too recent to need mention. Judge KEEL
ley had a cancer in his cheek some years ago.
and it came from smoking. He had it cut
out, however, and he is now as good as he
was forty years ago and does more work than
he die then.
Another disease which has carried of
many bright man is suicide. Yes, l call
suicide disease, and don't believe any man
in good health ever attempts it. Take Preston
King, whose body was found floating in the
river near New York with a twenty-five
pound bag of shot attached to it. King was
too fat TO be healthy. He weighed between
three and four hundred pounds, and they had
10 have an extra large chair for his use
the senate. 1t was said that he died from
the annoyances Of office seekers, but l don't
believe it, He was sick and morbid and the
disease caused him 20 commit suicide. Hse,
of Kentucky, / knew very well. He worked
himself to death, and it was his low spirit
that brought on his felo dc sen
show about Edwin NJ. Stantonln
Il don't believe Stanton committed suicide
His character was too strong to permit him
to do so, and the evidences are that his throat
was not cut rs was stated. / have talked
with the man who had charge OF his body.
and he tella me his throat was as whole as
yours is tosay."
"What doyou think Of statesmen's funerals
and of the government paying the costTa
Il think they are all right, and il we poll
ticians leave our homes and como here to
work for the government at Washington it
ought to at least do as much as the Chinese
immigration companies, and take us back
f.sas~s a e..4 -.