Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-02-17
copyright, 1901, by Champ Clark.

Recently Il spoke of the influence Of
small things in the making or marring
Of n political career.
never sec Hon. William A. Harris,
Popullst senator from Kansas, that 4
do not think Of what Il close shave he
had of remaining Mssourian instead
of becoming one of the most distin-
gushed Kansans of this generation.
After General Lee surrendered IInr-
ris, who had served with distinction
on Lees staff, returned to Pike county.
No, and at once began to discover
some way of making a living, but, find
Ing nothing to do, followed the star Of
empire westward.
When news of his election came. l
went into Il store which is a sort OF
Democratic headquarters and was Ga
ing good deal of rejoicing over the
great success achieved hv Harris. Or.
Bob Campbell. who is POSSESSED Of &
considerable ulantlm Of dry huilcr.
WAS in the crowd of iuhilant Missouri
ans and said: well. docsi,'t that beat
all creation? At the cloScof the evil war
Harris came hUHlc ragged and poor.
lie went down TO Watson Station and
applied for tho school there st So, per
month. The directors refused to en-
ploy him hcca,lsc l,c had lccn "A Con
fcderatc soldier. Eic Immediately went
to Kansas, and No" i* elected to the
senate. II those directors Lad employ
cd him. l.r wouls! now probably be Il
country lawyer here C!llHg Olt Il bare
subsistence. Harris ought to build a
handsome monument to the memory OF
those directors. They Ia:d the foun,la-
ton of Ibis poittica! fortunes.
l love To thiaH Of the ease of Senator
Harris. TIE fact that he is Il senator
Of the United States from Kansas is a
splendid illustration of the masnan-
Unity of t,;c American people.
Judge Linney and Private John Allen.
AS certainly and i"evitahly as the
sparks fly upward, Y. '.cll Old soldiers
get together W::l "reminiscences are the
order of the day. Some is,ne ago, at Il
swell Washington restaurant. some
body gave II swell dinner Il II cotcrie
Of eN-Gulfrt'eratc soldiers tl.'n in pub
lie life. Several commodities were on
tap: among others, huAaor flowed free
ly. Among the guests were Judge Lin
ney of North Carolina, the ex Confed-
crate Republican congressman. and
Private John Allen. the greatest living
humoriSt ANA one Of the greatest that
ever lived. | think the greatest feat
ever performed by a hmnorist is Al
lens in making the village of Tupclo.
Miss where he resides. almost as IA
nous as New York, Philadelphia. Chi
eago, st. Louis or Boston. When he
dies. which | hope will not be for many
decades. if the people of Tupelo do not
erect a splendid monument to Johns
memory and cap it with his statue of
heroic size. then gratitude is dead as
a smelt. Better Still. they ought to
erect it while Private John is living
and have him deliver the dcdcatory
speech. 1t would be the richest in our
Nernacular
At the swell dinner at the swell res
taurant aforesaid, hetwiXt the walnuts
ing to a toast. proceeded to culOwiZe
the North Carolina Confederate sol
3ierS for their vaior fortitudc and
fidelity. He 1welt especially OH their
honesty. which he clouuently declared
was ahov" all temptation. To Illustrate
this he said: zone day three of us, hun
cry, footsore, heartSick, ragged and
II Il
at the cabin Of a poor widow and asked
for something to eat. This she gave
us. Having satisfied our appetites, we
started on our way. Passing through
the barnyartl. we found three large, fat
turkeys. We drove them on ahead of
us till We reached the top Of hill.
when. North Carolina honesty asserting
itself halted my comrades and per-
suaSkA,l them TO let the turkeys go back
home. as it would he Il poor return for
the Widows hospitality to take her
turkeys after having been fed hy her,
They agreed with me and turned the
turkeys loose, 4 performance which
have always regarded as proof positive
of the inherent aud invinciblc honesty
Of the North Carolina Confederate sol
dier." The audience being in a rcccp-
tive mood. the Judges anecdote'waS re-
ceiveh with shouts ef applause and
with q lively clinking of glasses
Then came the turn Of Private John
He began: Comrades. was much af-
fected by tho brilliant and pathetic
speech Of Judge l.inney touching the
many virtues Of the North Carolina
Confederate soldiers. especially their
honesty That turkey story was espe-
cially good. and the judge and his com.