The Van Buren press., 1894-01-13
IL SPOILED HIS SPEECH.
One "Reminiscences of the Memorable
Times "Before de Wah."


Times "Before de Wsh."
The recent irrigation congress which
met in Los Angeles was not only
fine-looking body, but apparently con-
tanned a more than ordinary share of
braipy men. Two of the prominent
members were old-time Kansans and
identified with the struggle for Free
dom in the days of bleeding Kansas"
| Col. Hinton was one of the early emf
grants. slim, boyish Englishman.
who dropped his his when needed and
put them in when not required. He
came to the territory as correspondent
of a leading eastern paper, and, except
ing perhaps Redpath or Gov. Robinson,
in the territory.
One day we were holding meeting
at Lawrence to consider proposition
sent in by Gov. Shannon looking to the
settlement of difficulties in which all
of the concessions were to be made by
the free state party, and upon which
there seemed to be considerable diver
sity of opinion. One speaker had just
concluded very conservative speech,
when Hinton sprang upon q chair and
shouted: Gentlemen. this will never
do! What will 1t lead to If we accede
to this? tell you if we give them
hinch we will have to give them
hell" 1--WE will give them hell!'
shouted brave Charley Lenhart, and
the crowd took up the cry and voted
down the proposition unanimously.
lam not clear in my mind as to
whether Judge Morris Hunt. of Law
renee, or im'Emory was the hero of
the incident am about to give, but, II
my memory serves me well, it was the
latter.
Jim Emory was an important factor
in the work of rescuing Kansas from
border ruffian rule. and whether in
counsel, fighting, or fun-rnaking, we
could always count on the judge. See-
ing the ease with which large bodies
of pro-slavery men could be brought
over from the border counties of Mis-
souri, to fight us and then return to
their homes, and feeling our inability
to cope numerically with this kind of
warfare, we determined to recruit our
forces, and party of five, under the
leadership of Gen. James II. Lane, was
sent out to drum up recruits.
At all the principal towns en- route
we held public meetings, which were
largely attended, as the Kansas war
was then attracting the attention of
the entire country, and Jim Lane was
the hero of it. At these meetings Lane
made it point to request some one Of
us to make the opening address, which
was very embarrassing, for we knew
the crowd had come to hear Lane, not
| us.
just before reaching Des Moines,
where we expected big crowd, we
were discuss ing this question and try
ing to devise some scheme to break
Lane of this disagreeable habit. Just
leave the matter to me-" said the
Judge Lame has intimated to ma
that must open the ball at Des
Moines and I'll open it." Lane had
stereotyped speech that he had made
at every town. 1t was not only flow
cry, but decidedly Utopian. He styled
sunny Kansas 1.-THE land of the myrtle,
and the orange, the fig, and the olive"
ETC., etc.
When the meeting organized that
night Lane, as we had expected, called
on the judge to open the ball, and he
did. He gave Lanes speech. word for
word, and not only that, but copied all
of the gesticulations and all Of the
oratorical arts that Lane had employed
to make it effective.
The general sat with open mouth and
Mortified gaze at the speaker and when
he wound up with the eloquent perora-
ton that Lane was accustomed to give
with such force the crowd greeted him
with loud cheers and calls for "Lanel,
LaneT" The general rose slowly from
his seat and said: Ladies' and gentle
men, had intended to make a few re-
marks tonight, but after listening to
the eloquent address OF the gentleman
who has just taken his seat feel that
could not do the subject justice and
must beg you to excuse me-" It is
needless to say that the general did
not call on any Of us again until after
he had made his speech. A. Cutler,
in Los Angeles Times