The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22

accent he had something of The manners
of the old southern school, but he twas
rough man by nature. and the veneer of
social usage rubbed off sometimes and
showed the gnarled grain of the wood
underneath. lie had plenty of temper,
which was not under steady control, and
he believed always in calling a spade
spade. His disposition led him lnlao
many alterations with contempt raries.
but it cannot be said of him that he ever
showed an unwillingness to combat or a
disposition to retreat. In person he was
heavy and clumsy. He had a laonine
head and his voice was harsh. He was
idslized by his people and will b. mourned
sincerely.
Senator George was man of earnest
convictions and one Of the soundest con-
stitu.ional lawyers the country has pro-
duead. Perhaps his most noticeable trat
was fndependencs. He was living refu-
tation of the Byronic maxim that every
man has his price. Nothing could buy
him. When Mr.. Cleveland called congress
into extraordinary session in 1898. with
The purpose of repeating The Sherman
coinage act and thus utterly demonetiz-
ing silver, he withheld all important NOM
inations, with the design of whipping
congressman into line, and he did whip
them in.o line. American history fur
nishes no more pathetic instance of men
surrsndering their most cherished con-
victions for the sake of spoils. Senator
George would not be led or driven. He
was much interested in the candidacy OF
W. II. L. Hemingway to be district at
torney for New Mexico In order to
placate him Mr.. Cleveland appointed
Hemingway. but he would not be pla-
Gated. Then Walter Q. Gresham, man
whom ha loved was sent to him with a
request that he call at the white house.
"You tell the big beef from Buffalo,
was his bluff answer, "that it is no nearer
from the capitol to the white house than
from the whit house to the capitol. l
get up at o'clock every morning, eat
my breakfast, come down here and go
to work. If he wants me he knows
where to find me-"
When Mr.. Cleveland nominated Judge
Pecl0ham to be one of the justices or the
supreme court, a nomination which was
subsequently defeated by D. B. Hill, he
again requested Senator George to call.
This time both Gresham and Lamont
were the emissaries. George went. L
know, Mr.. President, what you want
with me-" he said as he entered the ex-
ecutive's room. you want me to vote
for Peckham. Well, I am going to do It.
But want you to understand that I am
not going to vote for him because you
want me to vote for him. I am going
to vote for him because Judge Peckham
believes in the unconstitutionality of
tariff tax and in states rights. If he
didn't I would see him further in sheol
than pigeon can fly with a grain of
corn before he could have my vote" The
result of this interview was that Senator
Walthall got all of the patronage coming
to Mississippi.
Though a learned lawyer, Senator
George knew lietle of the ordinary things
of life. He did not mix in society, and
held it rather in contempt. An apocry-
pha1 story is told of him: He dinad a
| swell restaurant in Washington with
party of five Mississippians. One of them,
glaucing at the top of the card, saw The
| word, Menu" What kind. of a dish Is
tmenoo?' he asked The senator laughed
heartily. "Go back to the Yazoo Della,
Bob' he said, land stay there. Eat
crackin' bread and drink buIttermilk.
It's an you are fitted for" Af.er the re-
pat he called one of his companions
aside. "Say," he Whispered anxiously,
what kind of truck is that menoo, any
how?"
The dead man was eminenltly domes-
tic and passionately loved his wife, who
was one of the most cha rming women in
a hand of charming women. They were
always together, and nearly all his sue
cess III life was due to her. His high
ideals of duty to ones self and ones coun-
try came from her, and she saw that he
lived up 90 them. He had a beautiful
home, two miles from Carrollton, where,
when not in Washington, he lived the
simple life of a country gentleman. There,
in building apart from the family resi-
dence, he had one of the largest libra
Ties in the south. Mrs. George was deep
by religious, and the senator had been an
agnostic. She placed a neighbering Bap-
ltist minister upon his trail and he got no
peace. LNt meal times, in his library, in
the field. on his visits to THE county seat,
the minister bobbed up serenely and ex-
horted him to come into the fold. He
grew tired. Once riding slowly home
from Carrollton and rea ding his mail, The
preacher burst out of the woods on his
| right hand and began. They came to
| creek and crossed 1t. 1t was, in the sem
| ators language, "saddle-poc4zet deep"
| On the further bank he disnounted. cit
down." he said fercely. The minister
| looked at him doubtfully. He feared a
| personal encounter. "Git down." He go.
down. Nov" said Gorge, I'm tired o.
bein' h'arried around tn kentry ike 1 was
cotton-Sail rabbit and you was a pack
o. niger dogs Baptize me right here"
It was WRITER tins, but the venerable
statesman would no. be denied The two
men waded into the icy water up to their
armpits and the ceremony was perform d.
| Senator George climbed into his saddle
ed oNraI