The age-herald., 1901-02-26
Ups and Downs of Politics.


 The ups and downs of American poli- tics have extraordinary illustration in the career of John H. Mitchell, who has just been elected for the fourth time to the United States Senate from Oregon, ' said former Washington newspaper correspondent yesterday.
 Senator Mitchell's real name, or rather the name he was born to- is Nipple, and in the violent personal partisan politics that prevailed from 1873, when he was first elected, until the election of Cleve- land to the Presidency, eleven years later, he was universally referred to by Democratic newspapers as Hipple-Mitch- ell as the files of any old newspaper of that party will show. .
 ITO the best of my recollection of poll tics read in boyhood, Nipple or Mitchell was something of an adventurer, who was born and grew up as Nipple in the east or perhaps the near west When he went, in early life, to the Pacific slope to seek his fortunes he changed his name to Mitchell. The cause of the change in name or excuse for 1t I do not recall There were stories about it III IHe newspapers, dCCOTuinB lOs In6 violent and disgraceful personalism in politics which eliminated in the defeat of James G. Blaine for the Presidency in 1884, these stories were of a scandalous nature. Hence it was held to be grave accusation against the man to call him Hipple-Mitchell, though whether there was any warrant for it Is doubtful to say the least.
 Nipple Mitchell figured conspicuous ly in the Tilden- Hayes dispute over the electoral votes of Oregon in 1876. Ore gon had three votes. After the theft of the votes of South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana for Hayes, he had 14 elec- toral votes, one short of majority. That one was found in Oregon, the fig ures thereby being made to stand, ac- cording to that great and never-to-be- forgotten fraud as the New ork Sun branded it for years-Hayes,' 1S5; T1lden, 1s4. a t#
 'The double-named man was defeated for re election to the Senate, and quit office in 1880. He then became pro- fessional lobbyist. The first time I ever saw him was in the press gallery of the House of Representatives in 1883. He came into the gallery and spoke a few words to Murat Halstead. A friend at my side asked me if knew the new comer and upon being informed that I did not. he said: r
 That's Hipple-Mitchell. He's lob byist you know
 Afterwards I saw him constantly and came to have speaking acquaintance with him, though I was very young at the time. He impressed me at the out st as being a man of fine manners, even courtly bearing, and all the leading mem bers particularly the southerners, seemed to hold him in high personal respect which l accepted as proof that his work in the lobby was above reproach Some years afterwards l saw the former Sen ator several times in Europe, where he had the entree to court society, and was cordially esteemed. One of his daught- CTS married a continental nobleman of princely rank a member of the ancient aristocracy of France. as I recollect; and maybe another daughter also married a titled foreigner; I am not sure. Since lsSo he has been twice elected to the senate in circumstances of which I am ignorant. having been outside the United states on each occasion, and now he comes forward again. Truly remark able career for even American polittcsI'