The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-01-13
DINGLEY IS
NEAR DEATH
A Useful Congressman May Not
Recover From Illness.

congress-The Civil Service Law
Stands-Case of Keck the Dia-
mond SmuggIer.
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, Jan. a. Nelson Ding
ley's lamp of life burns low. His physi-
clans still express hope for his recovery,
but the splendid vitality which has en-
mbled him to resist the attacks of disease
thus far is slowly ebbing away, 1t is
admitted ON all sides that any other man
could be spared from the House better
than this slender-framed, bent shoulder
ed, weak-voiced. but thinking,
logical minded, kindly-natured old man.
No other man in the House possesses the
respect of the members in go great de-
gree as he, and for no other is there so
great a personal affection feit-respect
for the luminous intellect, the moral
courage and the unswerving honesty of
the man and LEGISLATOR affection be-
cause of his kindliness and courtesy. No
new member ever appealed to Nelson
Dingley for information as TO his unao-
custumed duties la yyain., He has gone
out OF his way On numberless occasions
to clear up some point for q young mem
Der. He has taken an especial pleasure
in helping those who were young in
years as well as in membership. So in
his seventeen years OF congressional life,
for he succeeded Senator Frye in the
House in 1881. Nelson Dingley gained q
troop OF friends of all political parties.
He has done these kindly things for po-
fiticai opponents as well as for political
allies. All the while he has been Re-
publican of Republicans, but this has
never affected bis personal relations with
his fellow members. Now that he is
lying in the shadow of the valley of
death, men OF every pTty are petition
ing that he may be restored to the vale
OF health,
In spite Of his intellectual powers, Mr.,
Dingley could never really appreciate
Joke. Ills burn of mind is grave and
serious. He appears to be almost desti-
tute Of sense OF humor. Above all, he
cannot understand nor enjoy joke at
shis own expense. In the language of
sporting circles, he cannot s,stand the
gaif. An amusing instance Of this was
witnessed in the House once when Jerry
Simpson, the eFstwhile sockless states
man of the sag6brush savannas, found
out and called che attention of the House
to the fact that the silk hat which adorn-
ed the head of She chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee and father of the
Dingley bill. bore the stamp of Londoa
maker. The House roared at Mr. Diag-
ley's expense. He essayed to reply dn
serious fashion. This tickled the Hoase
more than ever and it laughed com
sumedly. His labored explanation, made
in all seriousness as to how he, the
champion Of protection and home in.
dustries, came to buy London-made
hat, struck the members as funnier than
one of Private o ohm Aliens stories. Mr..
Dingley became mustered and with an
almost incoherent exclamation shout
Simpsons ''talking through his hat"
which phrase he had heard or read
without any distinct idea of its applica-
tion, he abandoned his attempt at an ex-
PLANTATION.
s#w
The late Senator Morrill, was a man Of
whom no anecdotes were ever told. He
slipped through life easily and quietly,
living far beyond the ordinary hnman
span. He acquired comfortable for
tune in mercantile business prior to en-
tering upon his public career and never
had a moments uneasiuess afterwards
about his personal 6nances- As atrepre-
sentative in Congress first, anu later AS
q Senator he paid special attention ito
finance being his strong points. He was
q member Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee of the Housetin the Thirty sixth
Congress, Thad Stevenson Pennsylvania
being chairman. This was the Congress
in which John Sherman was the Repub-i
lican choice for speaker The Republicans
had plurality in that House, but not a
majority. The balance of power was
held by handful Of Southern pro-slawe-
FT Wings, who refused to vote for Sher-
man because he had. without knowing
its contents, subscribed for q copy of
Hinton Rowan Helpers famous book,
t.The Impending Crisis.R Finally, Will
Liam Pennington of New jersey was
chosen Speaker as compromise candi-
date after come six weeks of fruitless
balloting. 1t was in this contest that
Stevens assured Sherman that he would
continne to vote for him for Speaker
until the ncrack Of DOOM" After
Stevens voted for Pennington, Sherman
went over to him and said: "Thad, you
said you would vote for me until the
crack of DOOM" Stephens replied: $50
! did. John; but / thought heard her
crack"
~
The spoilsmen have enacted their an
nual farce. Once more they marched
mp the hill only to march down again.
Many congressman who vote to withhold
money necessary to the civil service
commission would be vastly disap-
pointed if by any untoward chance they
should be able to accomplish their object.
The majority of those who talk against
the present civil service law, do so for
home consumption entirely. They have
constituents who are anxios to figure on
Uncle Sans pay rolls. They tell these
constituents that If it were not for the
civil service law they would be able to
get them places, whereupon the constitu-