Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-14

Ing the seat the most trying ana delic6 Q time
in the career probably of any one wi o ever
occupied the chair was precipitated hv the
contested presidential election of 1873 lie
added to his reputation for fairness and JUS
tice during the excited period of the ele ctoral
commission. There was no hesitation in his
rulings; they were prompt, and the iron will
of the man was never more thoroughly tested
than at that perilous period; aud it stood the
test
Could Choke OF Obstruction.
This memorable dispute excited congress
to condition bordering on fury, and al
most brought the country 20 the ge of
another civil war. Suspicion was so keen
that ordinary parliamentary courtesy to a
political opponent was the cause of severe
party criticism, and for the last month of
the session the speaker had to exert al his
ability and strain to the utmost his inf lence
with his party to steer the ship of state safe
ly. Through that exciting ordeal he passed
with pronounced Success expediting in a
marked degree the settlement of the vexed
question which agitated the country. While
he could fllibuster when necessary to defeat
a bill lie considered very bad he was quite
as able to choke off obstruct on when the
country was in peril from it. AS speak or he
was not tender in the administration Of his
office. He was a commander and rulel the
house with heavy hand While he was
thoroughly eOnversant with the rules and
always judicial in his decisions, lie frequent
ly denounced in vigorous and emphatic Ian
guage the unruiy behavior of Soma of tho
members. He was leader in the chair as
well as on the fieor, and when he grasped
the gavel he welded rod of iron.
Other Services In Congress.
IL
1881, when the Republicans obtained con-
troll again, and later, when his party friends
were in the ma jority, he was set aside and
Carlisle chosen. This was principally on
account of Randalrs stand on the tariff
He was protectionist and his views ON this
question gradually alienatei him from the
majority of his party. both state and ma
| tional; and although no man impeached his
fidelity or sincerity to the principles OF Dem
| ocracy, yet this separation from his asso-
ciates had un1oubted greatly weighed upon
his mind, and added to the other drains
upon his physical system. He served in
| turn on all the important COMMITTEES. buJ it
was as chairman of the appropriations com
mttee that he was best known and in the
| strictest sense the dominating power in his
party in congress. He was thoroughly ia
| miliar with all the details of the business of
that committee and his word was the law.
An Absolutely Honest Man.
| During the whole of his service in congress
no one ever imputed 10 Samuel j. Rand Ill,
| in the slightest degree, dishoHor His in
tegrity was impregnable He died poor,
| lived modestly within his income, VIII ch
| was little more than his salary as represent
| alive. and devoted himself TO the work to
which he was elected He spent little at
| elections, and insisted on barring his own
expenses in that line, refusing contributions
| of friends and returning thoSs sent him,
| notwithstanding that the expenses neces-
| sari incident 10 political campaign were
heavy drain on his meagre purse The
lobby could do nothing with him. y lawyer,
who was his bosom friend, tells that he car
ried SIC, 600 in his pocket for months, having
| undertaken TO give it to Randall US retainer
in behalf of a certain corporation, but could
| never muster the courage to give it to him,
| or even breach the subject
Drew the Line at the Beginning.
On one occasion wealthy blanket man l.
facturer, knowing that Randall was a very
! poor man, and having very profound al
| miration for him, sent him a check for $500,
saying that as an old friend and constituent
he believed it his duty and privilege to make
this subscription to help pay his election eN
penses The check was promptly returned
with letter SO curt that 1t would have NOR =
tally offended the one who did not make a
lowance for RnndaIpS Iufirmity of temper ia
this respect When aske / one if he did no t
carry his independence or indff -rence in
| such matters to an extreme, ne replied: NO !;
there is middle ground in such matters
| draw the line at the beginning
Characteristics aud Habits of Life.
# .4.fl1
bis freedom from what is called "nepotism.n
Though loyal to his friends, he would never
assist relative to office, and despised any
one who did. Not even his own brother
could obtain n word OF recommendation
from him. He was an interchangeable worker
and had the faculty of application to a
markable degree. In work he was method
ical, but could drop the thread of one sub
ject at a moments notice and pick it up
again later with wonderful facility. He
worked at the Capitol and at home, fire.
quently taking great bundles of papers to
his home to busy himself with during the
evening. He bad few amusements or recre-
ations. He was devoted To his wife, who is
a daughter of the late Gen Ward. She is
of retiring dispos ton anl in social mat
ters she ruled her husband
He was reticent to degree. The corre-
spOndent who tried to pump Ran lali had q
dry time. After President Cleveland out
outlined his message to Mr.. Randall at the
famous Oak View conference, he was asked
what he knew about it, and replied: II did
hear that they got as far free whisky
He refused 10 give correspondent an out
line of his life when his name was men
toned for the presidency, saying that all
worth knowing would be found in the con-
gressional directory. Turning to that the
correspondent found that there were less
than 100 words of it. His popularity where
he was>rell known is shown In the fact that
he was regularly returned to congress from
Philadelphia district which as regularly
voted Republican on all stat issues