River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-01-10

TIP AND A COMPLIMENT.
quickly about the capitol, and l was
one of the first to rush into the cham
Der. Brooks had gone, and / picked
up the shattered cane. Nobody ever
called for it; and, as l said, l cut it
up and smoked pieces of it with the
boys. That is what became of the
shattered cane which would now be
a historic thing, if it were in exist
ence.
"As a matter OF fact the blow which
Brooks delivered was harder than he
intended it TO be, and it lacerated Sum
ner's scalp, and put him to bed, But
| know very well that it did not frac-
ture his skull, as reports have said, and
it caused him inconvenience only for
few days. The difficulty was not. as
the newspapers and historians have
said, a murderous assault Brooks
was not man to commit murder, adj
though he would fight duel with any
body.
"But that episode helped to inhame
the differences between the northern
and southern states, and it had more
to do with bringing on the civil war
than any other one thing, except Mrs.
Stoves novel, "Uncle Toms Cabin"
That story alone would be interesting.
was here when that book was pub.
lished. / heard many representatives
from southern states say that the book
was dangerous and likely to produce
harm, and some of them thought it
ought to be suppressed.
We'll all of those handsome men
have gone to their long home, and ! am
still here. Breckenridge was the kind
est man of the quartette. He remem-
bered the names of the little page boys
He gave them little bits of change for
their services. There were no cigar.
cites then, but we had other ways OF
getting rid of our extra money. He al
ways spoke to us in a kindly manner
Consequently the boys all believed in
him and loved him.
Mr.. Morrill, went TO the senate and
was the foremost man in that body dur.
ing the civil war. He framed the wal
tariff bill of 1868; and l remember that
while he was engaged in that great
work / went to the senate one day with
an official document to deliver to the
secretary of the senate. and Senator
Morrill, called me to him, gave me a sill
yer quarter, and told me that he re
membered me as a good boy over in the
house.
Brooks was never very considerate
Of the boys, and we did not like him
particularly well. Mr.. Sumner was also
Indifferent to us. Consequently, when
Brooks attacked Sumner we page boys
had no ground Of sympathy on either
side. We didn't care particularly for
either Brooks or Sumner. Hence, you
Will see, that it was not then nor is
not now matter of prejudice when
say that the sentiment at that time was
not against Brooks. for nobody believed
that he intended to hurt Sumner as
much as he did when he struck him
with that rattan cane.
When the civil war came on those
big men divided on geographical lines
Brooks and Breckenridge went into
the confederacy. while Sumner and
Morrill, remained with the government
Morrill, had no aspirations other thar
for the general welfare. but Sumner
was candidate for the presidency a,
long as he lived lie would have beer
great president; but. like Douglas
and many other great men that have
known, his ambitions in that direction
we're not gratifed IT was not so writ
ten, and Sumner died as unhappy 9
man as Blaine did. covered with honors
and fame. but without the one partic
ular honor which he most desired
All Of these little details concern
ing those men may be interesting tc
you and your readers, but the thing
which stands out in my memory most
prominently and which You cannot
comprehend is the fact that those foui
men were the biggest men physically
that have ever come together at any
etime in any congress; and that they
all proved 10 be intellectual AZ well as
physical giants have seen many con.
crosses and many aggrcgations Of
great men. but ! believe that the four
greatest and most distinguished-loolg.
ing men that ever came together here
i'm the national capital were Sumner
Of Massachusetts,; Morrill,, OF Vermont;
Brooks. Of South Carolina, and Breck
eufidge, OF Kentucky, in ,he Thirty.
fourth congress"
SMITH d FRY