Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1896-06-12
THAT LAST VETO.
IT WAS TIE OCCASION OF 4 VERY SHARP
DEBATE.
LAWYER AND MINISTER.
How they Crossed Swords to the For
mer's Great Discontinue.
THE RETIRED METHODIST PREACHER FROM
DELAWARE PROVED TOO MUCH FOR THE
FAMOUS NEW YORK ATTORNEY.
Leader Bureau, 1927 F St, N. W J
Washington, D. c., May %, 1860

4
Washington, D. c., May %, 1860
A Presidential veto of bill grant
inc a pension to an Ohio soldier was
a topic Of fruitful discussion in the
House on Thursday. It afforded
an opportunity for one of the sharp
estdebates that has recently occurred
in the House and brought into prom
inence a man, only slightly known
to the country at large, but who
never fails to attract the attention
of the House when he speaks. He is
the Rev. Jonathan Spencer wins,
Representative-at-large from Della
ware. Mr.. Willis is a retired Meth
odist preacher, much given to the
raising of fruit and the taking Of the
hide off of Democrats in forensic
contests. He is quiet and unas-
suming little man who walks about
among the members with his hands
in his pockets, chatting with his
friends in = fatherly sort of way
that is thoroughly enjoyed by ad
who know him. He would not be
picked out by a casual observer as
one of the orators or the House and
his manner and appearance give not
the slightest evidence of the keen
wit which he has employed occa-
sionally during the session, much to
the discontinue of the Democrats
side The first time he addressed
the House some of the bright Dem
ocrats Thought he would be an easy
mark and proceeded to have SON
fun with him They got all ths~AI =
they wanted The House held its
sides and roared while the quiet old
gentleman from Delaware, thor
oughly enjoying the situatiOn,p paced
about in the area in front of the
Sneakers desk and delivered one OF
the wittiest speeches Of the session.
Since that day the Democrats have
been exceedingly chary about fool
inc with him His wonderful fund
of information, his ability to quote
almost anything he has ever read
and his biting sarcasm compelled
the respect which, from his harmless
appearance, the Democrats were not
disposed to accord to him.
Over the pension veto on Thurs
day Mr.. Willis crossed swords witt
BARTLETT. one of the Tammany rep
resentatives from New York. Bart
lett is one of the brightest lawyers
in the House. He is a graduate O.
Harvard and Columbia College Law
School, and completed his education
at Oxford, England. So distln
guished are his attachments tina
: Harvard conferred upon him the de
gree of Doctor of Philosophy. His
genius is of the most versatile kline
and he is as much at home when lead
ing the german as he is when argu
ing a case in court. His reading ha
, been wide and profitable and he il
. Eliminates his speeches with apt quo
tations from the best authors.
When the Committee on Invalid
Pensions proposed to pass the bill
granting a pension to Francis Z
a Hoover formerly ofthe Sixty-Fourtl
e Ohio Volunteer Infantry, over tn
veto of the President, Mr.. Bartlett
entered a stirring objection, H
also objects when any reflection i
! cast upon Mr.. Cleveland or upon th
s present national administration. Tn
r report of the committee showed tina
Hoover, who had been a good soldier
was bedridden and in the depths O
poverty. The bills passed ,grante'
him a pension of $50 month. In
long speech Mr.. Bartlett, as ably a
it was possible to do, sustained tn
< President.
That speech was Willis opportr