Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-08
STOLE a SPEECH.
a. AassAss sseiAsss - the rssssAsuaHsa
Cs0palgo - 1870.

A. AnesAss usesAsss - the rssssAsusnaa
csoVssss - sesa.
Back in the campaign a. 1870 I wss
snaking q tour of the west with Oliver
p. Morton and George sheridan. one a
the brightest speakers the Americas
platform has ever known. who sccom-
panied him . do the funny business"
Senator Morton would usually talk for
an bour-a dull. furgid. heavy discus-
SION of the financial problem. followed
BY an attack upon the Democrats of the
south tor fhrir inhutnan frcsssncnt at
b negro By the time he had Finished
b andicDce would he soaked with wise
advice spe valuable tnformss,on. but
every spark az enthusiasm would be
Quencheh. Then George Sheridan would
take the platform and wake them up.
For an hour they would roar with
laughter or sit with their mouth. opsn.
fascinated by his flights ~ fancy. D.
was n rare continuation.
Ope night. after we had been out fa
. couple az weeks. ] think ~ Fort
Wayne. Sheridan said "Scnssor. I wish
you would bet me speak first tonight .
want O so out into the country with
some friends"
IAN right" replied Senator Morton
c~herrfuliy. "You arrange it with the
chairman 81 the meeting"
But when Sheridan took the platform
and bcgan 60 deliver Morton's speech.
word for word. as the latter had deliver
Q IL every night for . fortnight. the
senator became very uneasy. lie gave all
Morfon's arguments against the infia.
lion of the currency and in favor 81 the
rcsnmpiion 81 specie payments; be re
cited all the statements concerning tho
ouirages in the south. he repeated all Of
the personal "reminiscences of his exper.
fences ~ governor Of Indiana during
the war. which the senafor was sccus.
toned TO work an until the latter WAS
almost paralyzed with chzgfin and
amaDement. and finally. when he reach.
ell a poin; an the discussion Of the finsn-
cial problem where Morton wac accus-
toned to compare n Pompciian gold COIN
with a United States gr.enback, he
turned Go the asionished victim of this
practical joke and said la IN updcrfone.
Lets have that coin" The senator
handed IL over without a murmnr. and.
when Sheridan had recited the eloquent
pcforation which be always used nj the
close Of his speech and had taken his
seat. Senator Morton hobbled over 10 the
desk ON his two canes and said:
II am the victim ~ Q practical Joke.
Realizing the gravity Of the issues be-
fore the American people. I came into
this campaign with ~acsrefully prepared
speech. which I have delivered in Mr..
Sbcridan's hearing so often that be
ba. committed IL TO memory, and he hss
delivered 10 here tonight much better
than ! could have delivered IL. He also
IL in the hadn't az making the same
speech, and ] have heard 10 many fimes.
hut ! lack his memory and could not
repeat IL TO save my life. I will sherc-
fore appeal Ca him pot 60 punish you ~
be bs- punished me-. but 20 give us some
of his stories"
Then the great statesman sat down,
thoroughly knocked out. Sheridan re-
spopdod and spoke half an bour longer.
with his joke ne his text. and sitter that
IL any % suggested his speakins Anst
Senator Morton would tell this story.-
Chicago Record.