The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-05-01
"REMINISCENCES OF THE TALL sYCA-
MORE OF THE WABASH.
us PROMINENCE As An Alto RNEY
KINDNESS OF HEART WAS A VERY
NOTED TRAIT
A MAN WHO FOR MANY YEARS FILLED
A LARGE SPACE IN THE PUBLIC
EYE.

| ~ -. ~ -.
The death of Senator Voorhees,, of In
diana, removes one who has filled as
large space in the public eye for forty
years as anyone now living. He was
first elected to congress in 1860, but for
some years before that he had acquired
more than state reputation ais: prac-
tittoner at the bar. 1t is hardly true to
call him great lawyer, but as an advo-
cate he was certainly one Of the greatest
and most noted Of anyone in, the West:
His colleague in the senate, Mr.. Turpe,
is by far the better lawyer and man of
great force and wonderful :acumen, but
who knows him outside of his own
state? Mr.. Voorhees, had also great ele-:
ments of personal popularity. He had
gifts which made friends and retained
them. His forte at the bar was in de-
Tending those charged with crime. As q
prosecutor he was weak and out of
place. His kindly nature, his habit of.
seeing the best side Of every one and his
aptitude in bringing that best side to
view was proverbial, says Chicago cor
respondent of the Peoria Journal. =,
He had practiced only about twelve
years when he was first elected to con-
gress, but SO great was his power in the
line of practice he followed and so for
midable on the stump, that he was cas-
lily the best known man in the state,
and the acknowledged leader of his par
ty. There are many stories afloat about
his bitterness of speech against the ad-
ministration during the war. But from
my knowledge of the man, have been
of late years disposed to believe that the
stories were some of them fabr1cations
and others gross exaggerations. If they
/ were true, the people of Indiana came
early to acknowledge the force Of the
statute of limitations, for they kept him
In congress during the war and for ten
years thereafter, and after he was trans
ferred to the senate was three times re-
! elected, receiving larger majority
each time. He kept in close touch with
the people, and while he was in the:
senate kept man employed nearly all
the time to look after the old soldiers.
During Cleveland's first term, he would
not allow an Indiana soldier to be turned
out Of Office. He got more pensions al
lowed than any other senator and al
ways insisted that no pension was too
great for those who defended the flag
| in it's troublesome times.
In this way he was accused of de1na-
gogy, but do not see how such q course
makes him demagogue any more than
it made Logan or hundred other Re-
pubhcans one might name.
He had none of that rasping spirit
which Vallandighah and others of his
with words of kindness and the people
liked him. The same may be said Of
his habit with his colleagues, and the
! officers and employees about the senate.
No one ever received an unkind word
from him and he was the most popular
man in the senate.
He was always hard-pressed for mon
| ey. Even when his income from his
| law practice was large, he never had
| anything ahead. He gave it away right
and left, and guess was always in debt.
| presume he did not leave dollar to
his family. Fortunately they are not
likely to come to want.
For years he and Harrison were rival
| leaders and Voorhees, had beaten the
other every time he could get a square
issue with him before the people. Har-
rison was always very backward about
pressing his friends for office when he
| was in the senate. Voorhees,, who up to
that time had never had Democratic
president of whom he could ask official
favors, used to taunt Harrison for his
failure to try to do anything for his
friends, and called him aristocratic and
afraid Of the common people. Then Dan
would wind up with that great heart
gushing of his, telling the Democrats If
they would only elect Democratic
president and give him q chance he
would I'LL the Offices and look out for his
friends. When Cleveland was elected
they took the tall sycamore at his word.
and came down on Washington in such
crowds that it reminded one OF the coup
let in that piece which used to be in all
our readers and which every boy was
expected to speak on defamation day.
.."Aad dark as winter rFwas the how.
Of-Iser rolling rapidly
They followed. him around until life
wasza greater burden than. ever was the
Iscriptnral grasshopper. They went to
his home on New Hampshire avenue.
Ithey lolled around his committee room,
and he actually had to hide from them.
One day soon after the inauguration,
Senator German came to me rs had un-.
der mo all the senate riding pag gesswho.
Eal g