The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-26
ARTEMUS WARD.
Gleanings from the Cleveland Paper
on which He Was a Reporter.

New York Sun.
Browne was a Democrat. born in New Eng
land, and therefore Of the radical kind, whose
dislike of "Abolitionists'' was excessive, and
whose dislike of ringers" was scarcely less
pronounced. This dislike of "niggers' was
in the abstract, however, for as a matter OF
fact ne was one of the kindest hearted OF
men, who would not have harmed a niger"
any more than a white; and although he
knew no distinction between Republicans and
Abolitionists, he was, after the war began, as
loyal a man as could be found anywhere be-
tween the two oceans.
But he delighted in gratifying his p%olitical
animosities in his own way-in which way.
however, there was little or no bitterness.
Here is an instance:
Mr.. Giddings being in Cleveland, Browne
announced his presence after this manner:
'Mr. Giddings was in town this morning.
Mr.. Giddings has represented the Ashtabula
district in Congress for quite a period. 1t Is
supposed that he began life somewhere. al
though this is not definitely known. Mr..
Giddings is Of the Republican persuasion.
and goes against the slave power. He spi.s
upon the slave power. He sramples the slave
rip the interiors out of the slave power. He
wears treble-soled shoes for the purpose or
more effectually .trampling on the slave
power. But he adores niggers. Niggers as
his pride and his joy. In his opinion, heaven
is peopled exclusively with niggers in yellow
vests. brass fob chains, and striped trousers:
Mr.. GiddingS will doubtless be renominated
for the next Congress. We trust his con-
stituents will remember the Importance OF
one one, vote, and d. the S,g greater ate impo r;1i ve, OF . sew
and often. and that they will urge the neigh
bors to do SO. And those persons who alege
that we can't say the fair thing of a political
opnananf will after reading the FOREGOING
be convinced. of the rank injustice OF such
an assertion"
in which a negro was plaintin in a suit for
damages against a railroad, is instanced In
this story: "A gentleman of color was try
hams road Cthe Cleveland & Erie without
paying fare. He was put of. as a matter
of course. at the first stop, but he put him
ing train, which. as it approached the town
of Ashtabula, slowed up on the bridge Mr..
Negro. supposing he was at the station,
hurried from the car. jumped of, and fell
headlong to the bottom of a ravine-a dis
lance of seventy feet-striking his head
upon a rock with such force as to split the
rock and fasten his head in the crevice.
He was then obliged to go three miles to a
sawmill to get a crowbar with which to
pry his head out; leastways, our informant
says so. He sued the company for dam
ages to his wool, his shirt collar and stove
pipe hat. The issue was-negro on the one
side; railroad on the other. 1t Is useless
for us to undertake even a faint deScrio-
ton Of the lawyers speech In the Eegro's
behalf, for we couldn't IL we would. The
venerable Giddings, in his palmiest days,
after jumping a slave woman of the Long
bridge into the Potomac before at least
10000 different audiences. could not begin
to portray so horrid a scene as Mr.: Negroes
jump into the ravine, in the vivid colors
these lawyers portrayed It.: these lawyers
who had no hope of reward. 1t was too
horrible to think about. No cruel slave
holder could have done more wickedly than
the railroad did The poor. down-trodden
African had sympathizers-the railroad
company had ~money-and the jury relieved
Ii of 81 ,0c0 for the benefit of Mr.. African
Blu the railroad declined the gift, and
procured a new trial, which has just been
had. with the result of a verdict against
the road OF 81. 500-which shows that niggers
has riz in the Ashtabula market. 1t is un-
derstood that the lawyers who won the
case will, with unaccustomed liberality.
hand over TO the darkey al the verdict
except s., 400. which they will keep or ac-
count of expenses. A white man don't
stand much chance against a colored gen.
teman in the Ashtabula district. and a
white man." It Is not dificult to see that
Brown view OF this case was seriously
distorted.
Bingham Young = a short visit al
I Cleveland almost coincidently with this tria
| In AShfabuiA In February, 1853 Browne thus
chronicled the event: I'VE had the pleasure
Of meeting Brigham Young. Governor o.
Utah and high priest Of al the Mormons
| he u now on . tour through the West e.!
rSp1e6lsbin6 III C1ock e wives Ho 1ockol