The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-12
OLD TIMERS STILL WITH Us.
Men Who Represented New York in
Congress Whom People Think Are

From the Ne,r York Grophic

FROM me Netc YORK Graphic.
The generation of budding statesmen who
are in the front rank of politics in this city
to-day know little about the men who pre-
ceded them in party management Every
years some of the old timers drop away
from active participation in the struggle
for place and prominence, but their seats In
the councils of the party are soon filed by
| the new men whom the everyday changes
have brought to the front.
| 1t looks like the history of very far away
times when one glances back over the names
| of the men now living who once represented
| New York City in the House of RepreSen-
tatives at the National Capital. Some of
them are hale and hearty yet-others
among them are quietly awaiting the ar
| rival of the grim reaper whose coming can
not be much longer delayed, and few are
yet lingering ON the outskirts of politics hop
ing for regeneration which will never
warm their political blood.
| Let us run over the list of those who have
| dropped out of public memory and who are
live statesmen no longer.
| The Oldest man now living who once
represented this city in Congress is Hamil-
| ton Fish. It was away back in 1913 that
Mr.. Fish, who was a Wing in those days,
ran against John Mckeon for Congress and
beat him a couple of hundred votes He
only stayed two years in the House and then
was a member of the State Senate. His
after record as Governor of the State,
United States Senator and Gen. Grants
Secretary of State, has become a part of
| the history of the country. Eighty years
of age md yet full of vigor, he is passing the
waning years of his life in the retirement
that he has earned by his services to the
| State and nation.
Every one of the men who served in Con
VII. NaAx hat
session and all of those who were elected
| from the same districts for the next six years
have passed to their account.
In 1850 Emanuel B. Hart was sent to Con-
| greSS by the Democracy, and 1t is one OF the
| truthful legends handed down to us that the
| sturd.y old fellow, now n years OF age, was
| then one of the dandle<t militia colonies in
| this region. and made the canvass for his
place in full regimentals But Emanuel al
ways had an eve to the main chance, and
accepted the place of Surveyor of the Port
| from President Buchanan aft4f the COM
| pletion of his term in Congress, He has
| been employed i'll cultivating that main
| chance ever since and if one keeps an eye
on the list of referees and commissioners APP
pointed by the Judges of the Supreme Court
in this city, Mr.. Harris name will occasion
| ally be found cropping out,
One of the queerest looking and heartiest
old boys about town is John Wheeler, who
served one of our city constituencies in the
| House for four years-frOm 1858 to 1857. II
! all accounts be true the jovial, dried up old
| gentleman whose face reminds one of an
empty paper match box. would accept a
nomination to-day and whoop things up
for the Washington bloods, not with
standing he is nearing three score and
| ten.
1t seems like very old times to talk of the
days when Dan Sickles and John COchrane
were in Congress together. Theywere both
elected in 1857 and served together -four
years. John is getting fast into his upper
seventies, but is still among the Sachems OF
| Tammany, and is as bright and sparkling a
talker as he was when he used to run the
big east side district with the music of his
| mellow voice Only the other day Dan
Sickles, who will never be out of politics
until the coffin lid is screwed tightly over
him, was made President of the State Civil
Service Commission. He has been before
the public so long that most people believe
him to be very old, yet he has several
| years yet before him to reach the age when
most men seek rest But Dan Sickles will
never rest.
Frederick A. Conkling and James E. Ker-
rigan went into Congress together ill July,
1851, when the war clouds were lowering
over the country, and both of them served
out that one term and then buckled on their
armor and went into the army. Since those
DAYS the career of the two men has not been
alike Mr. Conkling's lfeways have been
| laid through pleasant places, and he has
passed in elegant leisure the later years
| that have crowned his forehead with
the blossoms of seventy-two sunny sea
| sons.
| Col Kerrigan's career has been romance
and one full of adventure and dangers that
would have long since terminated life less
| sturdy than his. No struggling people who
needed his aid have been denied the aid of
| his quickly springing sword, and be has
| given his time and his services to many a
weak cause without hope of gain or fear
| of danger a bright brave, noble-hearted
| fellow who despite his Fastening years would
HE himself away tomorrow to the ends of
the earth in aid of any people struggling to
| be free.
| Col. Ben Wood was serving his first term
| in Congress at the same time with Mr..
Conkling and Mr.. kerrigan, but ne re-
NAMED two years longer and a few years
ago served another term from the old Bat
| terry District 1t is not very likely the
| Colonel cares to visit Washington in a
Representative capacity again, though if
| he did he would have no difficulty in get
ting there, for the influence which he
| exercised twenty years ago among the
bows of the lower wards has not diminished
| with the lapse of time. But he Is getting
close to 20 and loves his pleasant, quiet
life.
Morgan Jones is another old-times Con-
gresham, whose genial countenance yet
shines upon the Sixth Ward. 1t was in
1864 that Morgan ran for Congress and the
fight in the district was one of the bittereSt
known for many a year. His opponent
was William Walsh the father of the present
Warden of the Tombs. All the clans were
on the wal path, and the politicians of the
| ancient times down there tell TO this day
with gleeful tones how heads were cracked
and ewes blackened when the contending
forces met each other on Chatham Square
and among the narrow lanes of the east
side.
Just twenty years ago John Fox and
| Thomas +. Stewart were in Congress to-
gether-the one a Democrat and the other
a Liberal Republican. They are both with
us vet. Mr.. Fox is one of our most success
full iron merchants and Col. Stewart is at
the St German and lives his life of ele-
giant leisure in the midst of the memories of
past years.
There are dozen others who were prom
inent in the halls of national legislation,
and who went there from this city, whose
names would sound strangely to the poll
ticans of to-day. They have passed out
| of the domain of public notice and are
known no longer in the places where the
| influence they welded was once so po-
| tent.