The record-union., 1893-01-23
"A POLITICAL LION.'
PopulSt Bretz Tells What lie
Thinks Of Himself.
HE DESIRES TO BIZ EXPELLED.
And He is "the Biggest Man in the
United States"
SOMETHING ABOUT HIS RECORD.
In the Hospital During War TineS-Holding
The Tiger DOWn-AbOut
Gator.
SOMETHING ABOUT HIS RECORD.

81 am the political lion of this Ameri-
can Republic, making my debut on the
broad platform of freedom, as the result
of a political crime. 1 am the biggest
man in the United States to-day, the
naughty and happy product of clumsy
conspiracy to defraud the people of their
vested rights. l say clumsy, and / mean
1t. 1t was the work of amateurs. Buck
ley would have done better. Crimmins
would have made the fight without get
ting caught. But these raw novices,
(taffey and his juvenile satellites, bah
they make me sick. Let them force me
to the wall. 1 hope they will. court
expulsion, and then, ah ! then look out
for fun. I have something good in re-
serve, proofs that they know not of, ex-
posures that they dream not of. What
will they do with me? How do know
] expect expulsion. 1t must either be
this or complete exoneration. There is
no middle course. l will accept no mid
die judgment. Censure? I will not
stand it. A reprimand? Not any for
me. They dare not. L will not take such
a sentence. Suspension from the priv
ileges of the House, did you say? Well,
hardly, sonny. If they do, Pll quit; that's
ALL"
IT WAS BRETT.
The speaker was Aaron Bretz, states
man and insurance expert, who has of
late attained to notoriety of which he
expresses himself as being very proud.
lie stood on the sidewalk in front of his
hotel, and shivered in the chilly night fog
as he talked for half an hour in a ramb-
ling way, of his early life, and of the
circumstances which have conspired to
make his name known through the land.
Now and then, when only half done
with some very earnest expression, he
would pause abruptly and break forth
into perfect shrieks of laughter in a man
ner that would seem to confirm some of
the strange rumors that have become
current gossip since his unaccountable
assertion in the Assembly on Wednesday
last, which served to whirl him with
considerable velocity into public notice.
81 am native of Ohio" he continued,
''born at Ottaway, Putnam County, in
the closing days of the year 1885, My
education is something like a hogs
knowledge Of geography. However,
got little knowledge in the common
schools of my town, enough to serve the
purpose. am a self-made man, if | am
q man at all. My father was farmer.
''At the age of 20 L left the paternal
roof for position with a fire insurance
company. In 1862 1 tried to enlist in the
Forty-ninth Ohio, but failed to pass the
physical examination and returned home.
A year later tried again and passed for
Company A of the One Hundred and
Ninety Ohio. Soon after 1 was
assigned to the Ninth Army Corps, then
stationed at Fairfax Courthouse, Virginia
A HOSPITAL RECORD.
"I did not see much active service, I"
continued Bretz, land was in the hospi-
tai most of the time. I was never
wounded. I am not ashamed of NV
record. On Saturday night L went with
my people to attend a dedication of the
new Farmers Alliance Hall at Florin. I
was introduced by the Chairman of the
meeting as the biggest man in the United
States.
81 made a speech, in which said but
little of the trouble here at the Capitol.
At this meeting our resolutions reading
those arch-traitors Kerns and Cannon out
of the party were endorsed. Let me tell
you, young man, that fellow Cannon is
as dead as door-nail, politically.
HES name will go down to history as a
treacherous scoundrel, who betrayed his
party on the eve of great victory. And
Kerns-oh, I forgot 1 was never to men
ton his accursed name again"
Referring by request to the events of
his early life, the speaker said: "Where
did leave myself? Oh, yes. With the
Ninth Army Corps. l remember now.
Well. after the war closed 1 went back to
Putnam County and did general mer-
camille and insurance business. At the
same time 1 studied law.
''In the early part of 1870 1 went on the
road for an insurance company as an ad-
juster. or special agent. as we say. I
held this position for a period of six
years, and in August, 1876, arrived in
Oakland, Cal. l have since resided in
Alameda County, holding positions of
and on with the United Fireman Com
pany of Philadelphia, the Oakland Home
Insurance Company, the Sun, and the
Southern California.
'I was with the Sun Company for five
years, but left it to go with the Southern
California. A year and half ago 1 re-
turned, but was compelled to resign in
July last for the purpose of making my
political fight.
II am getting great deal of notoriety,
and L assure you that enjoy it. When
newspapers get to giving man the devil
you may take it for granted that he is on
the road to fame. Newspapers don't
notice small people. They can't afford to,
for the public don't care a dash for the
small potatoes of creation. With my
daily portion of abuse, am growing big.
Ny name is known. Bretz is in every
household and on every tongue.
A GREAT MAN.
"When go along the street people say:
There goes the man who turned two
traitors out of great political party
snow, there is Gator. He is abused by
the newspapers. They say that he has
been member of every political party
known, that he has been all things TO all