The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-06-18
matrlnOny,

CORWIN AT 20.
opportunities to wed before the death Of
her father, but refused them all, and
when he was gone she had passed the
marriageahle age.
Some years ago, on the suggestion of
the late President Garfield, l spent some
time in the collection of material with
the end in view of writing an adequate
biography of the man who in his day
was the most popular and the most talk
ed of of any Ohio statesman. At that
time l visited Lebanon and secured
much data. DR.. William II. Corwin, the
statesman s only son, was then alive,
and he furnished me many reminis-
cences that, except in my notes, are now
lost.
Why Miss Corwin Never Married.
The following anecdote written out
for me by DIR. Corwin explains why
Miss Corwin never married: 1.-THE love
which father cherished for his three
daughters was so intense that it partook
of the nature of jealousy when they be-
gan to be courted by the admiring young
men of the vicinity. At the marriage
of his oldest daughter, Eva, to Mr..
George R. Sage, young lawyer of Gin
cinnati, who Is now United States dis
trict judge, he manifested so much feel
ing that the occasion partook more of
the aspect of a funeral than of a we'd
ding. During the ceremony he shed
tears, and at the wedding supper, after
a prolonged silence, he finally broke out
as follows: Now, 1 want it distinctly
understood that this thing is never go
ing to happen in this house again. There
will never be another wedding here I
will get niger feet tall and give
him pole 10 feet long and post him at
the front door and instruct him to
knock any young man in the head who
comes to see my daughters. -
An interesting letter which received
from General Garfield at that time also
bears upon the same subject. I will
give it in full, as it contains several
other points that are very interesting,
and that have never been made public:
WASHINGTON, March 2, 1878
MY DEAR ROBERTSON-Yours of the Goth ult.
came duly to hand. am not able to give you
much in regard to Corwin beyond the point
you already refer to- will, however. mention
a few things in order they to me:
First-He was singularly affectionate toward
his family and friends 1 remember he told
me that at the marriage of each of his daugh-
terS he had suffered the pangS of jealousy to
think that his daughter could love another
man better than she loved him; that when his
first daughter was married, though the
she married noble fellow, yet Corwin
shut himself up in his room for a day or two
before the marriage, and the family had much
t.
tend the ceremony The occasion of his tell
ing me this was shortly before his death. when
he had just returned from the marriage of his
youngest daughter. He said the old feeling of
jealousy revived. and he had q horrible time
till the wedding over.
Seeond-He remarked very sadly one even
ing that it was the greatest mistake of his life
that he had ever cracked a joke or made
funny speech, for people would never believe
tnal Iunhy man couIo nave any solid ab1l1-
ties, and if he did not make a funny speech his
audience was disappointed
Third-The story of his first election to con-
gress what he called the nightshirt issue.r
l think you will remember sufficiently without
my repeating it.
Fourth-A large party of Ohio people had as
sembled at the house of Mr. Wetnore. the mil
itary agent of Ohio and Corwin was in his
happiest vein of anecdote. He occupied a sofa.
with a friend seated on each hand and as
many seated In front of him could get with
in reach They were listening to one OF his in
1mitable Stories in the course of which he
arose to illustrate some point of the anecdofe
and while making gesture with both hands
was stricken with paralysis and fell forward.
caught him in my arms as he fell, and White
law Reid, who stood beside me. aided in carry
ing him to a bed in adjoining room. He
spoke once or twice the way and as we laid
him down, but never spoke again. He died
next day Very truly yours,
J. A GARFIELD.
A Peculiar ISSUE.
The ''nightshirt issue,'' to which
General Garfield refers in his letter.
was one of Corwin's favorite stories.
and General Garfield told me that he
had heard Corwin repeat it on two sep
arate occasions. 1t was to the follow
ing effect:
When Corwin first ran for congress.
he was at first somewhat put to it for a
satisfactory issue. He accidentally
learned that his opponent wore night
shirt, which was rather unusual in
those days and in that locality. He re-
ferred to this fact in one of his sneeches
and noticed that it created quite a SEN
sation. He then proceeded in subse-
quent speeches to expatiate in every
conceivable way upon this subject, pic
turing to his hearers a man clad in a