Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-08-31

and was taking especial pains not to
say anything that would offend the
abolltiopistS who were just then devel-
opIng strength enough to make or IN
make politicians. A sharp witted OPP
ponent, In order to unhorse him, ask
ed, Shouldn't niggers be permitted to
sit at the table with white folks on
steamboats, and at hotelsg" Fellow
citizens" replied Corwin, his dark and
mobile countenance lighting up with
merriment, Il ask you whether it is
| proper 10 ask such a question Of a gen
tleman of my color?" The crowd yell
ed, and BLACK Tom" carried the day.
There are a great many men in con-
gress who make humor an incident Of
speech, but the humorist par excellence
is Private" John Allen Of Mississippi.
| he is one of the four greatest humor-
lists that ever sat in the American con-
| gress. The other three were Tom Cor
win, Proctor Knott and Sunset Cox.
1t would be difficult, II not impossi-
BILE, to determine to which Of this IL
lustrious quartet the palm belongs.
By q humorous speech in the house in
1S40 in defense Of General Harrison
Corwin so thoroughly demolished a
Michigan militia general named Crary,
who had attacked the hero OF Tippe-
canoe, that in a day or two afterward
John Quincy Adams referred to him in
| debate as ''the late General Crary Of
Michigan" COrwin's humor actually
ended the mans political career.
Knott, by his Duluth speech, stunted
'the Zenith City Of the Unsalted Seas
for 20 years and won him Il fame COM
mensurate with the English speaking
world. Yet Corwin said In his old
age, addressing a law school class:
young men. IL you desire a reputa-
ton for wisdom never joke. Be as
solemn as an ass" And Knott declar-
| ed after his Duluth and Pennsylvania
avenue speeches that he could never
induce congress to take him serious
~ and that those two star perform
ances as a humorist wrecked his rep
utation as a lawyer, though he was
subsequently chairman OF the judiciary
committee. the ne plus ultra OF POSI-
tons for a lawyer in the house. My
own opinion Is hat the fame which
the genial ex-attorney general OF Mis-
souri, and ex-governor OF Kentucky
won as a humorist richly compensated
him for all the reputation he lost as q
lawyer.
Sad News From Mississippi.
And now the doleful news comes
from Mississippi that John Allen has
ceased to Jest. That would be a dis
tinct loss to the country. There win
always be more than a s~ufacieney Of
mental dyspeptics and statesmen who
suffer from enlargement Of the liver
and who make Others suffer. but a con-
gresham such as John Allen is a rara
avis. May his tribe increase.
1t il said that Mark Twain bankers
after a seat in congress. In that role
he would unquestionably contribute to
"the gayety of nations" To see this
ex-Missourian Of Opulent buoyancy
representing the land Of wooden nut
megs and wooden hams might not ac-
cord exactly with the eternal fitness
Of things, but there are worse insists
In the house than Mark would be.
John Allen, like many another hui
morist, Abraham Lincoln, for instance,
has a countenance Of preternaturai
gravity and solemnity which greatly
heightens the effect Of his humorous
utterances. OF medium height and
weight. he has the swart complexion,
the dark hair and eyes characteristic
OF the denizens Of the semitropics.
Allen is neither a buffoon nor a
clown There Is nothing coarse or OF
color about his humor. II is as pure,
sparkling and refreshing as a noun
tain brook. The quality OF his humor,
like that Of mercy, us not strained; Il
droppeth as the gentle rain from
heaven upon the place beneath; 1t is
twice blessed-it blesseth him that
gives and him that takes"
To use a smile borrowed from my
brilliant friend DR.. Wills p. King Of
Sedalia, Mo, Johns humor bubbles up
as naturally as the altar Of roses deyel-
ops in an otter.
Some people assert Dramatically that
humor never pays In politics. Let all
such gaze on the Mississlppian and be
~undeceiyed. How do you suppose he
broke into congress in the first place.
He Joked himself In. He was run
ming against the sitting member, an
ex-Confederate general OF capacity and
renown. They had what the newspa-
pers were pleased to dignity as "a
Joint discussion" The general led OF
with a hair raising, heartrending pic
ture Of the hardships OF his army life
In general and some awfully cold night
In the Tennessee mountains in partieu-
lar. Private" John went back at him
something in this wise:
"Yes, fellow citizens. / remember
well the hardships Of army life. I re-
member wen with painful distinctness
the suferings OF the extremely cold
night Of which the general speaks go
elOquently and pathetically. and what
fixed the horrors Of that night forever
in my memory is the fact that I recol
iect that the general slept soundly,
snugly tucked In his tent, while I, as a
private soldier. was nearly frozen to
death mounting guard In front Of the
generals tent. Now / have a fair
proposition to make; All you fellows
who were generals vote for him, and
all who were privates vote for me"
The audience was delicious with de-
light, took John at his word, sent him
70 Washington and have kept him
there about IL years.
where Humor Paid.
Joking hes pays. doesn't III And
/ humOrists have no influence IN con
gress. haven't they7 Marx how plain
a tala win put the soiemncholists
down. ] had the ocular proof OF John
Aliens prowess. Here is what ] saw
him do: I saw him in ten minutes joke
the house into such a heavenly frame
Of mind that, with only two or three
dissenting votes. and those very feeble
and choking with merrlment. IL voted
20 give 1900 acres Of land 10 endow
q female school In Mississippi. Judge
. GuIknrann ~aGH IN urIwaan fHaf q uwan