The Arizona champion., 1890-04-26
Washington Letter.


 shall be feeble, and every spiri shall faint"
 "For these things weep, min' eyes runneth down with water, be cause the comforter that should re heve my soul is far from me; my children are desolate because the enemy prevailed.
 This is the text from which an eminent Washington minister an intimate friend of the late Samuel J. Randall delivered a very feeling discourse Friday evening, and is a true index of the hearts of the peo- ple here with whom his sterling qualities and noble manhood had erdeared him.
 Mir. Randall was regarded as a WashingtoHian; as much as any resident is. His only possession, a modest residence was located here and Washington has a special cause to mourn for him.
 Death is so common an occur renee that even when he strikes an ordinary unenber in the House of Congress, that body extends the customary courtesite in rather perfunctory way; but an air of gen uine sadness pervaded both the House and Senate Monday at the announcement of Mir. Randall's death. His was the most powerful personality in the House. He was not particularly scholarly, nor was he a finished orator. In this re- spect he was like Cromwell. He carried his point by what he said and not by his eloquence. He nev- CT made a statement without being absolutely certain of the facts, and this well known sincerity secured for him the respect of all his collea- gues and the country at large.
 He is one man who has gone through public life holding as i'm portant places as this government requires, and the voice of calumny was never raised against him. As head of the appropriations commit tee, and possessing wider knowl- edge of fiscal affairs than any other member of the House, he practi- call controlled the appropriations of the entire government. There was no man from whom few words re hting to fiscal affairs would have such influence upon the House; yet such was his single devotion to t'e duties for which he had been chosen, and such his rugged honesty, that this man who yearly controlled the current cf millions of dollars has left his famils only one little house to shield them from the storms.
 His biography is briefly told in Che Congressional Directory.
 Born in Philadelphia October 10, 1923; rv;eiveI an Academic cduca- tion, and engaged in mercantile pursIits; was member of the City Council of Philadelphia four years; W.s member of the state Senate in fS5 and '59, was elected to the Thirty eig!;t Uongre ,s, and had been te-clected tn every Congress since. Was elected Speaker at ths last Session of the Forty-fonrth Con- eress and reelected for the Forty fifth and Forty-sixth. Rpadal!'s pstsip.iSnG as statesman was some- thing not common, and the same motives actuated him in the dis charge of his duties, as induced him to enlist as a private upon the fall of 1t. Sumter, and then when he had influence sufficient with the Secretary of War to have his Col onel, Thomas, promoted to the rank of Briga' fer General. He was elected to Congress while serving under Col. Thomas, but on the opening of the Gettysburg cam paign, as a Congressman he again enlisted as a private and served through that campaign.
 When Mr. Randall put business kside he was most genial compan-  Ion and fond of humor. Col Ike Hill, Asst. Sergeat-at-Arms of the House, recalls witty tit-bit of Mr. Randall's. Ike cannot describe the Colonel's inimitable style of ,ellino