Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-02-06

Them In Few Moments.
Speaking Of stump speakers, | wish TO
,elate an an dote which has the merit Of
truth. IL nothing else Ii was In 1866 I
believe-the exact date Is not Important
for il was about that era-James T. Bates,
then of Glasgow and later OF Bowling
Green, made tour of Kentucky, deliver
ING speeches in advocacy Of the Demo
cratic cause. He was no ordinary man.
He possessed marvellous individuality,
great deality, keen sense of justice and
superb mental and physical courage The
lines in his homely face were strongly
enough marked TO attract the attention Of
the most unobservant, and his tall, slen-
der and not ungraceful form rendered him
conspicuous in any gathering But his
voice was the browning endowment OF
Bates as an orator. 1t was commanding,
musical, magnetic and the most inspiring
Imaginable.
con the tour | speak Of he had an ap
pointment to speak at Harrodsburg, Mer
Ger county, and handbills announcing the
event had been posted in that town weeks
| In advance of the date. There resided at
Harrodsburg an intense Whig Thomas
Martin who had formerly lived in Barren
county, and though he hated Bates poll
tics he knew the capabilities of the man
He knew that blue grass people, as rule,
had very poor opinion of the Pennyr'ile
and did not think anything very excellent
could come out of as pronounced Penny.
rifle county as Barren So Martin when
he found Bates was To speak in Mercer
county, began to herald him as one of the
leading orators Of the state. He would say
Just wait until Colonel James =. Bates
gets here, He'll show you what eloquence
is His words were received with in
credulty and even with derision but he
persisted, and finally he succeeded in
arousing the curiosity of the whole com
munity, and a splendid audience was as
sured Bates upon his appearance.
AT last the day arrived, and with 1t
Bates Martin and about "a dozen other
! friends were sitting in front of the tavern
there was no hotel then-and about ii
! O'Clock in the forenoon they saw approach
! ing "a tall and uncouth figure almost gro
tesoue in garb-a soiled linen buster, a
soiled stovepipe hat, soiled trousers that
had climbed nearly TO the knees, expos
! ing pair of blue mixed, home knit yarn
socks, loosely covering spindleshanks,
and Just above shoes, united, that were
rusty rs last years plowshares. All this
bestride an old flea bitten gray mare, lath-
cred with sweat, for the day was scorching
hot 1t was James r. Bates.
! He rode up TO the tavern and before
! he dismounted he hallooed out in that voice
! that no man who ever heard it ever forgot:
Tom Martin, how are your | am glad
i To see YOU for / want a dram, and you
/ can tell mo where / can get the best
! liquor Martin was Mortified, for his com
! panions were conyulsed with laughter and
enjoyed his evident embarrassment. He
answered Bates by shaking him by the
! hand and leading him to the hotel bar,
where both took hog drivers. He then
went out and took Bates saddlebags off
the old gray, carried them inside and had
the best room in the house put in commits
sion. Bates shirt was not immaculate
and Martin flshed out from the saddlebags
a clean garment He sent out for the
town barber and had his friend decently
shaved, his clothes brushed, shoes polished
and hat smooth n
Bates comL....ned of being very tired
and anxious for an hours rest and was
fast asleep on the bed before Martin had
finished arranging his wardrobe. Martin
went down stairs, and there he was un
mercfully guyed by his friends and ac-
quaintances of both parties, but his only
answer was. w anu near nllll bp anu
hear him, gentlemen. and you'll change
your tune. They all said they would not
miss il for any consideration. Upon the
ringing of the first tavern bell Martin took
another hog driver up to Bates. who was
already up and performing his ablutions.
After he was dressed and the liquor drank
they descended to the dining room, where
Bates ate hearty meal, after which he
sat down for awhile under the shade trees
in front Of the tavern gossiping with
Martin about old times and old friends
down in Barn
when the speaking was announced by
the ringing of the courthouse bell, Bates
and Martin proceeded to that building, al.
ready overlooking with people many OF
them drawn from idle curiosity TO hear
what sort of talk such an odd looking old
codger would make.
Bates assembled the judges stand and
opened with the stereotyped Fellow citi-
zens His former aspect was changed
His eyes, his manner, his voice, were those
of the nature nodded orator. He knew
two things-the law and politics-and on
this occasion he discussed political issues
like the master he was Those who came
to mock remained To applaud, and for two
hours he held his audience entranced
Tom Martin was the happiest man In Mer
Ger county that night. Bates proceeded on
his way, and at Lebanon, in Marion coun
ty, ne had an experience very like that a,
Harrodsburg
He was not practical politician He
was too impolitic for that. He was nc
electioneer. He was too blunt for that
His ambition was to attain seat in con
gress but the only time he was nominal
ed was when his election was hopeless. II
was in 1855, and his speeches against
Know Nothingism that year are yet eulo
gized in the traditions of the old Third
district. He was elected to the legislature
and when the spawned old state Office OF
president of the board OF internal improve
ments was yet existent he was nominated
for il because of his transcendent power
on the stump
After the war he was frequently can.
didate for Office, but new generation had
appeared that knew not Bates His mind
, was unimpaired and he was in political
accord with the great majority of the peo
pie of Kentucky and of the Third district
but he was too blunt, too plain spoken
too little of wire puller To succeed in q
convention. "--Louisyille Courier Journal