Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-28


made speech denying the equality of the
races by nature, he replied, 81 will pit John
Langston against the gentleman from New
York on any fair field of intellectual COM
bat, and the gentleman will be the first to
throw up the sponge"
A Bit Of Philosophy.
He fully Endorsed the sentiment ex-
pressed by Prof. Lowell in one of the Bige-
| low Papers.
1 'aint of those who fancy there's a loss on
Every investment that don't start from
But know this. Our moneys safest trusted
In suthin, come wut will that can't be
And that's the ole Amerikin fdee
| To make man man, and let him be.
His convictions were maturely formed
and firmly held. Among these was the CON-
viction that so the end be right it fully
| justifes the means. He said to fellow
member, who made some reference to his
conscience: Conscience, what has a po-
litician to do with conscience? The sooner
| you throw it to the devil the better" which
led friend of mine, much given to philoso-
phizing, to remark that Stevens was the
most conscientious man he ever knew, that
! he was even conscientious in the belief that
politician ought not to have any con-
| science. 1t is certain that he never hesi-
tated about adopting any means he thought
necessary to carry his purpose, and to ac-
compllsh 1t would enter into almost any
sort of combination with his political op-
ponents.
A Coalition With Democrats.
On one occasion Boutwell, was fercely
antagonizing a measure that Stevens had
much at heart. Seeing that he was in
danger of being defeated, the old man went
to the other side of the chamber and sue
ceeded in making a coalition with the DEM
ocrats, and then, after carrying his point,
hobbled back to Boutwell, and said to him,
'Why did you force me to making COM
bination with those internal scoundrels on
the other side of the House." Before
voting on any case of contested election he
simply inquired of some friend, (Which is
our scoundrel," and invariably voted for
him, justifying himself probably by the be-
lief that, except politically, there was no
particular difference between them.
had been absent on one occasion for
about week during the sitting of the
House. On my return he said: "Where
have you been? I have not seen you for
some days.
Ireplied that had been off trout fishing
at Youngwomanstown, Pennsylvania
"Youngwomanstown," said he, ''that's
the place where we get 700 majority for
Ritner, when he ran for Governor, and
there was only one old red house in the
township, and we would have elected him,
too, If they had done as well in the western
part of the State as we did in the eastern"
Solicitude for Negro Rights.
Of course the one fundamental condition
he insisted upon in the reconstruction of
the States that had been in rebellion, was
absolute security for the negro in all the
a., o,,1 ,~I,4 l.
Indifferent about the manner in which it
was done so that, "when it were done, it
were well done" To accomplish this end
he would not have hesitated a moment
about reducing the whole South to a terri
torial condition, or even blotting out State
lines, and making new political divisions of
all the Southern States
He, of course, committed many mistakes
in his legislative policy, among which was
notably his attempt to keep down the price
of gold, by forbidding dealing in it on the
stock board, under heavy penalties, which
led Long John Wentworth to say that he
knew more about Niger than he did about
finance
His speeches never rose to the height of
true eloquence. They were plain, terse,
practical, and right to the point. His
Speech on the impeachment of President
johnson was notably brief in comparison
with the others. He was delighted with
comment made on it by one of company of
Dunkards from his own district, who called
upon him shortly after its delivery, and
said: "Mr. Stevens, that was great speech
you made on the trial of Johnson-a great
speech
"Ah, what did you think was so great
about it?" said Stevens.
"Oh, was the reply, "because it was so
leetle''
I doubt if he ever received compliment
that pleased him more highly.
A Master of Sarcasm.
He disdained the use of rhetoric and all
the common arts and tricks of the orator
He was always calm, cool and unimpas-
stoned, even in the most exciting debates,
and was so confident in the truth of what he
said that he seemed surprised that anybody
should doubt it. His most effective weapon
in debate was sarcasm, which was so natural
to him that he would have probably found
a great deal of trouble in suppressing it,
and the dread with which it was regarded
by his fellow members contributed greatly
to the power he welded over them, though |
it was intensely amusing to those who knew
him more intimately. To the members of
the House he seemed something like the
fourth form in the prophets vision, "dark,
mysterious, iron teethad, terrible" while by |
nature he was the gentlest and most genial of
men, with an overflow of sympathy for all |
who were in ''any distress OF mind, body or
estate.
There was no man in public station more
easily approachable. Men, women, and
children went to him freely for advice or
help, and were always sure at least of a
sympathetic hearing. He called at nv
Office one day during the Christmas holidays,
and said he was in great trouble. On in
quiring what the trouble was he said he had
lust received letter from an old widow in
Lancaster, telling him she was out of fuel
and provisions and asking him for help. He
said the Sergeant-at-Arms, who is the bank
er of the members, had gone to New
Hampshire to spend the holidays, and
he did not know where to get
any money to send her. told him
alarms for what he wanted and I |
would cash it for him. He drew his check
for $50, which cashed, and after expressing
his thanks for the favor, he hobbled off de- |
lighted to have got out of that trouble.
A Rather Odd Charity.
It Is related of him that walking to the |
Capitol one morning in company with fel- |
low member, from whom he had won a hun
dred dollars at poker the previous evening,
he was accosted by an old lady who made a |
pitiful appeal to him for help. He pulled |
out the hundred dollars and handed it to her. |
and then, turning to the gentleman from |
whom he had won 1t, with quizzical smile. |
said:
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform.
: On another occasion he met woman cry-
ing bitterly and asked what was the trouble,