The Portland daily press., 1898-04-01
BRUCE AND BoaY.
Washington Letter to the chicago
Record.

narrated today by FORMER committee
clerk of the Senate. He said;
81 was sent upon the floor of the Senate
one day to see Senator Spencer, who was
chairman of the committee Of which l
was the clerk, and thus I was present on
the occasion when Senator Bogy of Mis-
souri, introduced himself to Senator
Bruce of Mississippi.
"Senator Bogy was q proud, aristocrat-
ic man. descended from one of the old pi-
oneer French families of the Mississippi
valley. He was of distinguished presence,
superior ability extensive travel and So
cial culture. He was unable to accept
with grace the changed conditions which
made the negro equal with the white
man before the law. 1t was ipcompre-
hensible to him that the freedmen were
human or so approximately human as to
attain distinction in national affairs;
and vet there was evidence before his
eyes-most exasperating evidence-that
the negro was developing into citizenship
and also into craftsmanship. Thereupon
the republican side of the Senate cham
Der, sat Blanche K. Bruce of Mississippi,
a member of that body, with all of its
rights, privileges honors and emolu
ments, and possessing q vote upon all
matters fully equal to his own.
FsBogy had never recognized Bruce. he
never spoke to him. and had even express
ed surprise that his republican colleagues
would recognize the ex-slave. 10 him
Bruce was not elevated to his equallty
by having been elected to the Senate by
a sovereign state. On the contrary al
though Bruce occupied a seat on ths floor
of that august and distinguished legisla-
tive chamber, Bruce was, to Bogy, moth
inc more nor less than q negro, and moth
ing could alter that fact. His COM
plexion was light, he was gentlemanly,
courteous and dignified, but he was ne
gro and his hair was kinky.
Although they passed and repassed
each other in the corridors of the Capitol,
| in hotel Hobbies, in the Senate cham Der
and in the restaurant, Bogy aver noticed
the representative of the inferior race.
In fact, have been told that on one oc-
casion, when Senator Bruce entered the
Senate restaurant for luncheon, Senator
| Bogy left the room without finishing his
we'll prepared dinner.
Indeed when Bruce came to Washing
ton his reception was such that every
body felt more comfortable with an over
coat; it was so chilly. But as he stood
before tho vioe-president and took the
oath of office 1t was plainly apparent that
| he was the proudest man under the dome
Of the Capitol, and it was soon mani
| fest that he was determined to demon
strate that he was peer OF the proudest
and best He was quieI, handsome, dis
tinguished and exceptionally unobtrusive.
John Sherman and Roscoe Conkling were
| the only men there who received him
with any degree of warmth and they
were both presidential candidates.
GAS said, had entered the Senate. to
see Senator Spencer and was conversing
with him when l noticed the distin-
guished senator from Missouri walking
around tie rear of the desks to the repub-
| loan side. Slowly and deliberately he
walked down the aisle past me. and,
touching Senator Bruce on the shoulder,
4 said: Senator, l believe we have never
met before, but want to introduce my
| self, as have some business matters to
| lay before you Bruce arose, with court
| " bow, took the offered hand, and said:
I am very glad to meet with you, Sena.
| tor Bogy, and l am at your service. ;
They went together to the rear of the
desks, sat down upon one OF the big
leather-covered sofas and conyersed earn,
estly for some time. When they parted
they shook hands, smiled and seemed to
| be the best of friends.
"Well, long time afterward, Senator
Bruce told us all about 1t. He said I;
'Bogy had bill pending, which was of
great Importance to himself. 1t was for
the improvement Of the Missouri River,
and, after he had counted noses. as the
saying is, he found that his bill might be
defeated by one or two votes, SO be
wanted to get me to help him through
with 1t. he told me al about 1T; how
| important it was to him, and asked me to
vote for the bill, at the same time assur-
| ing me that be would feel under ob1iga-
4 u a. I, IL, yav
| for me whenever called upon. He treated
me as brother senator, and l promptly
responded in q similar spirit. l told him
that had considered his bill, believed
that it was not bad measure, and, as
southwestern senator. felt that l ought
to stand by him and that I would vote
for bis bill. He was delighted and radiant
| but also agreed to help him to two other
votes, as 1t seemed that I could do, and
as afterward succeeded in doing But
| just as he was leaving nae l told him
that he was mistaken in saying that we
had never met before. That surprised
him and he sat down with me again
while I told him CT our first meeting. I
said:
" Senator Bogy, one hot afternoon,
about a dozen years ago, when you were
member of Congress and one of the most
distinguished men in your State, you
were hurrying down Olive street, st.
Louis, to catch departing steamer.
Owing to your weight you were making
slow progress and your speed was dim
inished also because you were carrying a
heavy valise. You would have missed
the boat but for the good fortune which
threw in your way young and athletic
niger boy to whom you offered quarter
to carry the valise to the boat. The boy
jumped at the chance, for he evidently
needed a quarter. You FASTENED on.
while the young niger shouldered the
valise and tagged along close to your
heels until the boat was reached. She
was pulling out into the stream, but her
wheels stopped when the captain saw that
Congressman Bogy was coming, and a
plank was thrown out and you rushed
aboard The boat proceeded. but the
boy held on to the valise. For no other
man in st. Louis would that boat have
returned to the wharf, but for you she
turned around and came back. AS she
| neared her mooring place you shouted:
Throw that valise aboard, you black ras-
calf The boy replied: First throw me
your quarter You threw him half dol
| lar, with an oath, and the valise was
chucke1 aboard and the steamer pro-
ceeded. You were very angry. Senator,