The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-04-24
SAD EVIDENCE
OF mINGRATITUDE
For Many Years Filled the Public
Eve, but Is NOw in a Home
for Old Soldiers.
COLONEL GEO. A. SHERIDAN
After the Mar he Became a hine imOug the
Carpet Basgers. and Mas Elected to
consress-NoN aa 0uteaSt-
Such Is Politics.
washinrton correspondent

A recent visit 10 the Soldiers National
Home at Hampton, Virginia. a few miles
away from Point Comfort. disclosed the
presence in its hospital OF a man no Tor
many years filled the public y and who
today fingers on the stage of life as a
sad evidence Of the ingradtude OF Polt-
cal conditions
There are many MEN in this country
who will recall with glad recollections
the name Of Colonel George A. Sheridan.
It can be uuthfully said Of him that he
was without exception The greatest stump
orator this country ever knew since the
days Of Webster. After the war, in
which he gained his military title. he be-
came a king among the carpet baggers
of the South. and in that discredited
royal capacity drifted to the state OF
Louisiana and in time was made its ad-
jutsnt general. He figured there during
the noxious Yarmouth regime. when
that ul-favored statesman was governor.
when Packard was United States mar
shall n when C~asey-Grant's brother
tn-law-was collector Of the port OF New
Orleans. Under these malodorous sur
rou7dings Sheridan was made collector
of taxes in the Crescent Guy. and Is pop
ularly credited with having received as
fees not less than $4,000 annually dur
Ing his four years term of Office. He
was a candidate for congress from a
Louisiana district. and while the returns
declared his defeat ne enterd a contest
which fingered through two years OF q
congressional lie, and eight hours before
that particular congress adjourned q de-
cision vas granted in his favor. with q
proviso that both he anu his opponent
should receive the full salaries Of their
respective terms. with all the expenses
attached TO their contentious. Thus
Sheridan can say he is the only man
living |ho was a congressman for less
than twenty-four hours and yet received
all the financial emoluments of the office
for its full period,
Such is politics.
Sue is congress.
The various remunerative public posi-
tons in which he had been favored, while
they brought money to the purse Of Col
onel Sheridan. did not give him any per-
manent condition Of prosperity. Money
came to him easily and left him freely.
In the presidential campaign in which
Rutherford B.. Hayes was the presidential
candidate, ne developed into a remark
abel political speaker. He had wonder
full lung power, great volume of voice
and a richness Of metaphor equaled by
few men. II is recorded Of him, In that
campaign, that he stumped the state OF
Maine. and upon one occasion, when
Blaine was expected to be the only orator
OF the OCCASION. the audience, which had
heard SERBIAN nefore and recognized his
presence Upon the platform. called for
him after the great statesman Of the
rock-ribbed state had delivered one Of
his famous addresses, Blaine was am
noyed at first, but when Sheridan had
concluded, approached him upon the pub
lie platform, put an arm around him and
said; You are the greatest stump
speaker AmsFiea hes ever produced"
After Hayes entrance to the White
House, Colonel Sheridan asked for politi-
cal preferment He frankly said that
he did not wish a,position OF the highest
honor, but he desired a position which
would bring him wealth, and he, there
fore. named as his choice the consulship
al Liverpool, the fees Of which are said
to amount to about 10000 yearly. He
dih't get It. He swallowed his disap-
pointment and became then a public lee
turer In open antagonism to the agnostic
views Of Robert G.. Ingersoll. This was
not q successful venture and Sheridan
shrank out Of view until the presidential
campaign Of 1855 when be voclferously
stumped the country IN advocacy Of the
presidential claims Of Benjamin Harri-
son. The Republicans being successful
ne confidently awaited a reward for his
labors and modestly asked for a consul
ate in Canada, which he did not receive.
He became embittered and shrink from
sight. At that time he was a man Of
enormous breadth OF shoulders, Of great
physical prowess, OF Tremendous vocal
powers, a vivid presentation Of physical
health and strength. He had succeeded
In placing his daughter Emma upon the
dramatic stage and given her a popular
impulse which Is still urging her on.
His unrewarded services for his party
brought to Colonel Sheridan not only a
d-isgruntled mental condition, but he be-
came affected physically to such an ex-
tent that his friends saw him graually
fade away. He lost ambition: he lost
the desire Of his life. Those who should
have befriended him-apart from public
reward for public serv~ice-neglected him.
and in bitterness of heart, which II is sad
to contemplate, he insisted upon being
made a ward Of the government as one
OF the inmates Of the Soldiers Home at
Hampton. There were friends who
would not permit him to occupy this
position without outside aid, and today
he Is a favored one among the noary-
headed guests of Uncle Sam. Friends
who knew him well in the days when
HIS voice had volume and his shoulders
had enormous breadth, called upon him
a few days ago and found him an in
mate in the hospital which is a part OF