Arizona republican., 1892-03-15

lars" 'SeS, rather. And you have s1.50y" Yes" Well, tomorrow will be Independence Day, and if you want to be a free and independent man go the first thing in the morning and pay that sebt. No man is free and independent who owes another money" Next morn- ing the debt was paid, and third of a century later, when the barefoot boy had become governor of Illinois, it was paid again in the appointment of Tailor Moore to a somewhat lucrative office, which he held for many years and which was his support in the declining years of life. ''l give you this office" said Gov ernor Palmer to the ex-tailor, "because you are a brave man. l know you are brave because you once trusted poor boy to suit of clothes"
 Young Palmer still dreamed of an ed. ucation. Shurtleff college, Alton, was then new school in which students were permitted to maintain themselves by manual labor. John Palmer and his elder brother Elisha, afterward noted Baptist preacher and an antislavery man of southern Illinois, supported themselves for several terms by assist ing i'll bricklaying, carpenter work and dolng chores nights, mornings and Sun days while pursuing their studies. After leaving college Palmer taught school, peddled clocks and worked for a cooper, but at twenty-one years of age found himself law student at Carlinville. He was soon admitted to the bar at Spring field, his license being signed by John Young Scammon, one of Chicagos carly and most noted jurists, who was also the founder of the Chicago Inter Ocean,
 When twenty-five years old-that was bali century ago-Palmer was mar ried to Malinda Medley, who, like him. self, was a native of Kentucky. Mrs. Palmer's mother was member of the Beauchamp family, a noted family of French extraction, famous throughout southern Kentucky for their beauty. Mrs. Palmer's personal appearance | strongly indicated this French descent, for even yet among the old people of Carlinvillo one may hear of that lady's brilliant black eyes, her tiny foot and her raven locks. When she married the future senator she was not quite fifteen, and she was to him child wife like David Copperiield's Dora, but with a happier result, for she lived with her husband forty years and became the mother of ten children. Senator Palmer has now in his household in this city one of his daughters, Mrs. Weber, who has all the characteristics of her mother, the belle of southern Illinois half a century ago.
 Shortly after his marriage young Palmer tried and won a lawsuit. "How much do you charge me, JohnY asked the client. Five dollars" "Well, as you are family man, suppose you would just as soon take pay in corn meal" In a few days Mrs. Palmer was astonished to see two barrels of corn meal dumped at her door, and, though Senator Palmer doesn't say so, it is a tradition in Carlinyille that as his prac- tice was at first not very extensive and times hard the young attorney and his wife lived for winter on corn mush and fried hominy.
 An evening with this grand old man" of Illinois is rare treat He is plain, simple. approachable, intensely human. Like that other Kentuckian who went to Illinois to win renown--Abraham Lincoln-he is essentially man of the people. His memory is prodigious. He remembers the names of the slaves who were owned by his father in Kentucky, inherited by bis mother and soon after ward disposed of He remembers the names of his fathers neighbOrs and of all his schoolmates
 General Palmer's father kept few slaves for a time, but the young man never liked the institution of slavery. All his life he has loved the downtrodden race. It was through his efforts that the colored children were admitted to the public schools in Illinois, carrying test case to the supreme court and winning it.
 This life of seventy-tive years, which is still so full of promise, has been full of public service. Having briefly sketch ed the ancestry and boyhood of this re- markable man-with reference to two or three of thousand incidents which help 
 his public career:
 Born, 1877; admitted to the bar, 1859; probate judge, 1843; member constitu- tional convention, l947; county judge, 184S; member state senate, 1852; re- elected as an independent and anti Nebraska Democrat; left the Democratic party on the slavery question, and re- signing his seat m the senate on that ac- count, 1856; delegate to the Republican state convention and president thereof, and delegate to convention which nom- mated Fremont, same year; supporter of Lincoln against Douglas, 1858; can didate for congress, 1859; presidential elector on Republican ticket, 1860; mem Der peace conference at Washington, 1861; colonel of volunteers, and pro- noted to brigadier general, 1861; promi- nent in the military operations of 1869; promoted to major general, 1863; promi- nent in the campaigns and battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mis- sonary Ridge and Atlanta; command cd military department of Kentucky, 1835-6; elected governor of Illinois, 1868; supported Horace Greeley in 1879 and Samuel J. Tildeu in 1876: three times nominated for United States senator and three times defeated: delegate to national Democratic convention, 1854; nominated for governor and defeated, 1888; nominated and elected senator, lS90-l.
 General Palmer's first wife died in