Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-18
A GREAT MAN GONE.
Samuel Jackson Randall Passes AWAY

Samuel Jackson Randall Passes AWAY
At his home in Washington city, at
5 O'Clock last Sunday morning, in his sixty
first year. Samuel Jackson Randall of Thil-
adelphia, for twenty seven years member of
The House Of Representatives, died. Around
the bedside were gathered the family, the
physician and Postmaster General Wanna
maker, who had all kept a constant watch
over the dying man during the night. A
few moments before his death he had opened
his eyes, and looking tenderly at his wife,
who knelt over him, said in low tone !:
Mother word instinct with all the
fondest recollections of their long and happy
married life, and by which he always called
his wife when none but the family were
near. He looked into her eyes as if he
were about to say something more, but he
seemed to have no strength left, and in
few moments he had passed away. Death
had come with the coming Of the dawn.
The watchers saw that all was over, and
the brave wife and daughter who had nurs-
ed and cared for him during his long ILL
ness could restrain their feelings no longer,
but gave way to their grief, while the ply
stefan and Mr.. Wanamaker endeavored to
console them as best they might, though
their own grief hardly permitted them to
speak. Mr.. Randall's death had been eX-
pected at any time during the past three
days, and his family and friends knew that
he could not last much longer.
HIS ILLNESS.
MI. Randall s illness was caused by an
internal malignant abscess of cancerous
character which developed five years ago.
The character of the disease was to the last
kept from him by his physicians, and he
supposed that the trouble was simply hem
orrhoids. Up to short time ago Mr.. Ran
dali had confidence in his ability to pull
through his sickness, and told congress
SiOnal visitor that he thought he was mend
ing and that he would be able to resume his
congressional duties. He joined the Pres
byterian church about two months ago.
MI. Wanamaker spoke to him on this sub
ject, and MI. Randall replying that he had
been thinking OF this matter for some time
and would like to become a member of the
church, arrangements were effected 10y
which he Joined the Metropolitan Presby-
terrain church, on Capitol Hill.
A friend of MI. Randall said that when
he joined the church two months ago, Mr..
Randall fully expected to recover. Had he
lived, from what he had said, he would un-
queStionably have taken a decided stand in
church matters. His conversion was the
result of his having leisure time, and had
been as thoroughly studied by him as an
appropriation bill. There was no sham
about this, as there was no sham about
Samuel J. Randall in anything. He became
thoroughly convinced of his need of relig-
ion, and after that, his mind being at rest,
he became happier than he had been at any
other time. All the family noticed it.
HIS EARLY DAYS.
Mr.. Randall was born in Philadelphia,
October 20, 1928, and was the son of Josiah
Randall, a prominent old Wing. His educa-
ton was received in the public schools, and
he commenced business life as clerk III a
dry goods store and soon after became a
partner in wholesale iron house. He was
elected to the city council as an Old-line
Wing, but i'll 1856 became a Democrat and
commenced his public life as Il member of
the Pennsylvania Senate. When the civil
war came on he served short time as
private in the Philadelphia City Troop in
1861. and was elected to Congress in 1862.
When he entered the House of Representa-
tives in 1868, Blaine and Garfield also en-
teled it on their first term.
HIS LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS.
In all respects he was one of the most re-
markable men of his times. In the long
period of his twenty years of service
in the House Of Representatives there was
no man in either branch of Congress who
displayed such striking individuality, Oh
whose hand was more firmly felt in all the
councils in which he participated. His
moral and his physical courage reached a
standard which has never been excelled by
mortal man.
1t was impossible for one to look in his
piercing black eyes and not feel there was
man to whom fear was unknown, at whose
glance corruption would wlther, and whose
foot would never sWerve one inch from the
path in which he set it. He never argued.
He would define his own position, state his
recollection of a circumstance OF his under
standing Of a fact. If disputed, he made no
reply. When resolved upon a course, neither
duplication nor imprecation could move
him. In the minds of those who knew him
well there exists no doubt that in his whole
public career his action was prompted by
motives which he believed to be right.
The weakness of a character so grand in
many respects, lay in his bitter prejudices,
his implacable resentments, his inability to
see any but his own side OF a question and