St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-02-21

HDHlIV III "nJSStN tohSS,
"Sir, were it not for the rules of the
house, / would pour upon the oppon.
ents of this measure the phials of my
wrath" Polk leaped to his feet,
and intimating that fun was coming,
moved that the rules be suspended,
and the gentleman permitted to
pour" To pour under such circum-
stances was impossible even for
Bartlett, and he sat down discom-
fitted.
His chief failing was intemperance ;
and this reminds me of his best with
cism, which had this failing for its
subject. Like many other democrats
he became a republican in the sixties.
Being called out at a political meet
ing to make his first speech from his
changed standpoint, he was too
tipsy to stand without help. but
steadying himself he thus placated
his audience: Fellow citizens, l was
born in democracy, ! was nursed in
democracy, reared in democracy; |
have lived in democracy all my days,
and some of its pernicious and dam
nable practices still cling to meas
you can see." Thereupon he launched
into one of his finest efforts.
Nobody could tell a story better.
He had a Lincoln.like aptness in
illustration. Once he tried a damage
case against a circus, which travelled
under the name Of Sears & Co., for
so negligently putting up its seats
that the plaintiff fell and was injured.
The defendants claimed that the
circus belonged to a Mr.. Faxon of
Liverpool. and that he alone was
responsible. Gentleman of the
jury,"'said the advocate, II have a
dog, and a mean cur be is, too. He
kills your sheep. You call on me for
damages. / say say, oh no. The
cur wears my name on his collar. He
comes when l whistle; he goes when
l say 'ste-boy.' But that dog
belongs to Mr.. Faxon of Liver
pool"
No wonder he held the common
people in his hand. He was one OF
them. When the news got out that
Uncle Tom was to plead a case"
the court house was soon filed. He
was sometimes accused of turning
his back on the jury box to tickle the
outer benches. The criticism was a
shallow one. He never forgot the
panel. But he knew better than to
ignore thelarger jury that sat by. He
understood how contagious sympa-
thy is, and running his eye along the
rows of responsive faces outside the
bar, he read the real feelings of the
more guarded jurymen before him.
There were years when to retain
Bartlettin a jury case was considered
tantamount to victory-that is, if he
should prove to be himself when the
day of the trial came, which was not
always the case, for reasons before
explained. suspect the court house
is still a more dramatic place in the
country than in the city. Every case
is still more or less of a play any
where, but here the dramatis persona
are better known. 1t was even more
truly so in his day. There was many
a celebrated cause" Neighbors
gathered to watch its course and
nudge each other at every home
thrust of witness or counsel. Every
body knew everybody. For a quar-
ter of a century Tom Bartlett wa:
the star actor in these familiar anc
exciting dramas. In n of them the
defendant was a poor widow, anC
the plaintiff a rich man with a repu
tation for hard-6stedness. TIL,
plaintiff seemed to have the law or
bis side, but it looked like persecu
ton. Bartlett assisted for tn,
defense. When he reached the climax
of his appeal to the jury he turneo
suddenly upon his colleague. Il an
here at the solicitation of my young
brother, serving witout script anc
without price. | told him | would
make no charge. l reconsider.
will charge, and he must now prom
Use to repay. When my shattered
form shall be lying in the grave ano
my wife shall be sat upon by lega
robbers, and he is standing by will
warm heart and large experience