Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-17

Incidents in the Life of the Late Samuel j.
Nh <laH

WASHINGTON, April 14-The express
sion of regret at Mr.. Randahs death
| was universal and sincere None paid
| him higher tributes of admiration and
respect than did his Democratic col
leagues in the House who differed with
him vitality upon one important measure
in Congress Many kilograms and let
ters of condolences have been received
by the family. The funeral will take
place Thursday morning from the
Metropolitan Presbyterian Church.
which Mr.. Randall joined some two
months ago.
BIOGRAPHICAL
Samuel Jackson Randall was born in
Philadelphia. October 10, IS 9. His father,
Josiah Randall, was lawyer OF high stand
fling in thar city. His mother was Ann wor-
rail-, daughter of General Joseph worralI.
a Democratic leader in the days of Jeffer-
son. Young Randall received an academic
education and engaged in mercantile pur-
suits. He married Fanny, a daughter of
General Aaron Ward, of Sing Sing. n. Y. He
served four years in the ty Council Of
Philadelphia and one term in the State Sem
ate of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. Randall was a member OF the First
troop Philadelphia cavairy," a voluntary
military company organized In liza II was
then known as the Light Horse of Phila-
deipha" and acted IA body guard to Cen
eral w Washington. crossing the Delaware
with him and participating in the battles on
New Jersey soil. The company was one OF
the first to tender its services to the
Government when Fort Sumter fell
and was ttached to the Second
General George Il. Thomas. Sergeant S J.
Randall acted as Quartermaster Of the COM
pany and was speedily promoted to a rank
corresponding with that of Captain in the
regular army. When the Confederate army
marched north of the Potomac in June. 1864,
Captain Randall hurried to Harrisburg to
make arrangements for the enlistment of
troops June "a. Captain Randall made an
important reconnaissance, capturing num-
Der OF Con fctierates. Retiring from Gettys-
burg as the Confederate army entered. the
troops engaged in a hot skirmish with the
advancing forces under the command OF
General J. Il. Gordon During the battle of
Gettysburg Captain Ira dali acted as provost
marshal OF Columbia. Released from duty
after the retire ment of the invading armies
he received letters highly complimentary
from Governor Curtin OF Pennsylvania, from
General Cad waiiader and from the War De-
partment
AT the converting of the Thirty eighth
Congress, December l. 1861. Mr. Randall took
his seat in the House of Representatives a
seat which he held until his death and filled
with honor and credit lie attracted univer-
sal attention by his untiring work upon
com mfttees, well as by his brilliancy as q
leader on the floor of the House. In the
Thirty eighth Congress he served on the
Commit &c on Public Buildings and Grounds,
IN Tue -n1ntn on the committee on
Ranking and Currency, Retrenchnent and
Expenditures in the State DEPARTMENT and
the Assassination of President Lincoln. In
the Forty-first Congress he was a member of
the Committee on Privileges and Elections,
on Expenditures in the Treasury Depart
ment and of the Joint CT mmittee Re-
trenchment- In his famous speech on repu-
diation December Ii. 1869, he exclaimed
amid the plaudits of an admiring House:
"Not only do L believe that we should
pay the debt, but L believe what is
of vastly more Importance, that the country
has the ability, the disposition and the
resources TO pay it, In the Forty second
and Forty third Congresses he served on the
Committees on Banking and Currency Post
Offices and Post roads and Rules, and was
one of the most influential members of tho
minority His triumphant leadership in the
two days and two nights contest to prevent
the Force" bill from going to the Senate in
time for action upon it brought him fl st
into great prominence When the Demo
Gratis came into power at the opening of
Congress in December. 1877, Mr.. Randall was
made chairman OF the Committee on Appro-
priations. Hedevoted n lmself 10 the work of
retrenchment and succeeded in cutting down
the appropriations many millions. Allud-
ing to the close connection between re-
trenchment and resumption Mr.. Randall
August IL, 1876, used these words: al be-
lieve The real, natural, safe and permanent
way to resumption of specie payments is in
the reduction of the expenditures of the
Government to what is needed by eco
nOmlcal adm 1nlStrat1On. human foresight
in my judgment can not fix the exact hour
or day when It snail take place"
December 4, 1876. Mr.. II tndall was electe
Sps aker to I'LL the vacancy occasioned bv the
death of Michael o. Kerr. With these words
during the stormy days of the Hay es-1 ilden
election contest, Mr.. Randall mounted the
Speakers chair:
1--WE stand in the presence of events which,
strain and test to the last degree our form of
government By an unceassng vigilance let
us prevent even the sIig htest departure from
the Constitution and the laws, forgetting in
the moment of difficulty that we are adhe-
rent of party and only remembering that we
are American citizens with n country to
save" 1t greatly owing TO his brave
and determined spirit in advocating such
sentiments that quiet was restored and the
results of the Electoral Commission acqui-
esced in. As he expressed it in his aiedic.
tory at the close of this Congress: "Ihe
Democratic party yielded temporary posses
sion of tn, administrator, rather than en-
tail upon the people civil war with all of its
attendant horrors"
Mr. Randall served as Speaker of the
House of Representatives unfIl March 8,
1881, having been reelected twice. He con-
tinued to serve his country faithfully an 1
well, having been elected to Congress re-
peafedly from the only Democratic district
in Philadelphia Circumstances and sur
roundngs made Mr.. Randall leader in the
protectionist school but in other respects
he was n representative of the most ad-
vanced Democracy. From the bedside of
the dying man during the recent exc tempnt
over the quorum ruling of Speaker Reed
came words of counsel and advice.
By the death of Judge Kelley, Sunset Co Z
and Sam Randall, the country has lost with |
in one year three of the oldest and ablest |
members of the lie use of Representative
And Sam Randall is one of the last of that |
galaxy of brilliant men who left the field to |
guard their country's interest at a post |
equally important-the American Congress
During his last illness Mr.. Randall lay in the |
front room Of the second story of his /
modest house on street In this room he |
greeted many of his friends who called to |
him. lie talked freely of the political /
situation at different times and kept himself /
posted by reading the papers while propped |
up on his pillows. He grew very pale and |
thin the sickness wore on. but his yes
and his voice reIna med clear and firm to the
close.
Stanley at Cannes.
LONDON, April 13.-Henry NJ. Stanley
reached Cannes to-day. lie was received
by Sir William McKennon, chairman of
the Emin relief committee.
Clippings.
IL A & L