The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-11

in Virginia when they joined the Qualz-
ers and soon after emancipated all their
slaves. Some they took with them to
Ohio and located them in the Miami val
ley. This was early in this century, and
their descendants are still in Ohio. The
descendants of the Others are in Vir-
ginia
Twas Ever Thus.
ssMr. Wilson and [ were born on
farms near Lebanon and reared there, as
said before, as country boys. / attend
ed the academy, but never graduated
and studied law with General Durbin
Ward and William M. Ramsay of Gin
cinnati, attending a course of lectures
later. / was admitted to the bar in the
spring of 1861, and soon after the war
broke up all professional arrangements
and you know about that. After return
ing from the service / was appointed
United States district attorney for the
southern district of Ohio and soon after
that won my spurs politician, over
coming the Democratic majority of over
q Thousand and securing a seat in the
state senate of the Sixty first general as
sembly.
tsThose were stirring times among the
young politicians of southern Ohio, but
outside of our legislative labors we were
a sociable set, the good fellows on both
sides affiliating, and whether Democrats
or Republicans we were all very ardent
southern Ohio and Miami valley men.
1t was after I took up my residence in
Cincinnati that was nominated in Mil
ton Sayler's old district in the fall of
1878. / suspect / was put up as a sort
of forlorn hope, but got in that year
and was reelected in 1880, and then
came the big fuke, when, as Governor
Tom Young said, I'VE were such fools
as to shake the red rag at the Dutch
bull Pardon the comparison; you know
how Tom Young talked. The plain Eng
lish of it is that we went our length on
some radical temperance measures and
got thrown full length 1t was ever
thus The slaughter of Ohio Republic
ans that year was terrible, and of course
it was worse in Cincinnati and the cities
generally. l outlived it, however, as you
know, and was reelected in 1884, 1886
and 1888. Then decided to quit poll
tics and try to make some money, for
had never learned how to slight my
work, and in spite of what people said,
or might have imagined from my being
generally good natured about it, really
toiled like slave while I was in con-
gress- But let us change the subject.
What are you going to say about the
plaintiff in this case?''
A Bright Woman.
s'Well, it is my business not to talk
but to hear what you say This, how
ever. seems to be plain-that Madeline
Pollard may be said to rival Frank
Moulton as the champion witness of the
nineteenth century,
Rival Frank Moultonl Why, Frank
isn't in it for comparison. She is the
most consummate actress / ever saw on
taesstand She has all the little tricks
Of the trained feminine witness and
knows just when to turn on the pathet-
ic when she cannot answer a question.
IL we could only get witnesses to come
into court! But you know how that is.
There are certain cases in which it is
utterly impossible to prove what every
body in the neighborhood knows to be
true. How often it happens that wo1n-
an is notorious character in a country
neighborhood for 10 or 20 yearsI In the
whole neighborhood there isn't a soul
but knows her reputation perfectly
well. and. yet you might summon TIE
whole township and not be able to prove
it. 1t is a little easier to prove such a
case in city-not much either
''Just look at the abuse that has been
shOwered on these men who have testi-
fed. Young fellows, as rule, will run
off rather than come into court, and mar
ried men come to us with tears in their
eyes, saying. Dear Mr.. Butterworth, do
you want to ruin me?' Of course we
don't. Now, here's a woman who has
been practicing on the weaknesses of
men ever since she was out of short
clothes, and she has become absolute mis-
tress of her business She might have
had anything she had a mind to ask
She could have gone to Europe and had
all her expenses paid to complete that
education of which she has said so much.
She might have had any reasonable sum
of money. But she wanted to be identi-
fed with a great statesman in sensa-
tiona1 case before the public. and then
well, / don't know what-write a
book or go on the stage or something
worse She is foolish enough to think
that she can rise on the ruin of his great
ness, and yet she is smart enough in her
way to be, as I said before, a witness
with whom Frank Moulton is not to be
compared -
Interesting Ruins.
Whether the plaintiffs policy is as Ma
1or Butterworth thinks or not, one thing
is morally certain IF her intention was
to ruin Colonel Breckenridge, she has car
ried it out. His is indeed colossal ruin.
But it is picturesque ruin. Baalbec and
PALMYRA are not in it for comparison
nor all the broken columns and ruined
temples of Thebes. Much has already
been said of this feature, too much per-
haps. but one point will bear repetition
1t is probably the only case of the kind
in which the lowest grades Of society
agreed so completely with the highest.
In the once famous Kalloch case the re-
ligious people divided not unequally.