The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-03-25

law. 1t was my desire, and the de
sire OF my father, that I study il
che office Of Abraham Lincoln, and
came up to Springfield with that II
mind. But Mr.. Lincoln himself ad-
Ylsed against it. He was very active
" engaged at that time in the anti
slavery debates which preceded the
war, and did not have much time to
\ spend u his Office, Tfe said it would
be better for ne to be in an Office
where the lawyers attended to bust
ness, and he recommended the firm
OF Stewart 6. Edwards They were
| wings, and at first | was wfig; but
! IN the course Of political events the
party alignment changed, and, while
(! they protested always to be wings,
they became democrats to all intents
and purposes, and in 1862, when it be
came essential that men be sent to
congress who could be relied upon
thoroughly to support Lincoln, / was
drawn into the running, and at first
beat Judge Stewart and later defeated
Edwards. The former. however. was
elected and served fer a term, but he
did not give the support to the admin
istration which was expected, and at
the next canvass his constituents
tuned MIN down, but our political an
tagonism never made any difference
with our personal relations. Up to
the time of their death we were al
ways the best Of friends, and their
friends and relatives are among th9
best friends | have in Illinois today.
Election Won by Strategy.
One Of the most amusing things il
Illinois politics occurred during the
famous Logan contest I was IN the
senate at that time The affair to
which refer was what broke that
long-continaed deadlock, and its de-
tails are familiar enough to older poll
tieians of the state The legislature
was SO evenly divided that one vote
was all that was needed to turn the
tide Of victory. But days and weeks |
went by and the opposition stood like
a rock. There seemed no way to get
that one vote. Then friends Of Logan
saw their opportunity. One of the
democratic members died. The dis I
trict was, believe, down toward Pike
and Schuyler county way. 1t was farm
country, and strongly democratic
district. In the regular election there
was no chance for a republican to be
elected, but Logan's friends conceived
this scheme: They selected a candi-
date very quietly and sent him to the
good republicans of the district dis
5uised as a sewing machine agent He
iroye from one farm to another, call
ng only on such men as could be re
led upon to keep a secret. Several
hundred were thus visited, and the
plan was revealed for electing a re-
publican member to the legislature in
| democratic district, I
Made Logan Senator.
Election day came. and The demo- S
rats went to the polls. They saw no
igns of opposition. The republicans
we're nowhere in evidence. opto noon t
he candidate had received hardly a 4
core Of votes. The conclusion was i
n the minds of the democrats that the (
epubIicans had given up the election /
fithout an effort The polls would be 4
losed at four clock. and at noon the t
emocrats almost ceased to take in 5
crest in the election, and many sent !
ispatches announcing the election of
heir man, and lett. Then suddenly 1
.om all directions republican voters i
oured in. One party had been a
amped in the woods, others came in D
y wagon load Still more came driv- y
lg in buggies and wagons-aH arriv- I
lg at the same hour, and in accord a
nee with the Well-Iaid plot. and bal h
tied industriously until the closing II
the polls. The democrats were fl- 2
GUS They attempted to get the -
oters out at the last minute, but dis D
.nces were too great, and 1T was i
opeless task. The sewing machine r;
gent candidate was elected by an Il
majority, and his vote D
ected John 4. Logan United States o.
nator. =
or course there was an indig-
Int cutlery, 1t was denounced as. q r.
iek, AMI very strong language was II
led in reference to those who had b
3rpetratea the joke. I am not quite Il
re who was the author Of the plan, d
1t ] think Logan himself might have II
.en. or, possibly, Sam Jones and Q,
-onga Jones. The latter left the IL
ate and went later to Wisconsin, I al
lleEe. ana, ~ am not mistaken, i ID
Nv IN the legislature Of that state. IS
LineoIats Joke On Medil- CT
PEOPLE associated with Lincoln found II
him a never -eadtng source OF 81