Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-08
have been had he been its author, of which
he gave no intimation to me-
Other "reminiscences

have been had he been its author, of which
he gave no intimation to me.
Other "Reminiscences.
ION the adjournment of the circuit court
Mr.. Lincoln returned to Springfield, after
WHICH 1 only met him incidentally when
visiting Springfield, until the following au-
tumn when 1 became the superintendent of
the Chicago and Mississippi railway, soon
after which I engaged the services of Mr.
Lincoln as attorney and counselor for the
company. and thereafter had frequent busi-
ness intercourse with him. At the time of
my appointment as superintendent Hamil-
ton Spencer came to Bloomington as the
acting vice president of the company. and
my remembrance is that, having recited to
him my acquaintance with Mr.. Lincoln,
was directed by Mr.. Spencer to engage his
services 1t Is not necessary for me to
speak of his then acknowledged ability at
the bar. but to illustrate his touch of hui
NOR and knowledge of human nature. which
was ever present with him, / quote a letter
which l received from him inclosng an ex-
pred annual pass for 1855 and requesting
its renewal, which was due to him as coun-
sci for the company:
= Springfield, Feb. -. 1856. R. p Morgan. ESQ :
Says Tom to John, Here's your old rotten wheel.
harrow. I've broke 1t usin' ii. l wish you would
mend 1t. case shall want to borrow It this
Heres your sd on eh shs as hat. s t
inke II and send me a new one. case shall want
coln
L have always understood that this let
ter was written to me more as an acquaint-
ance and friend than In my official capac-
lty. The expression 'chalked hat was at
that era. in railroading at least, quite gen.
orally used in connection with persons who
were fortunate enough to possess annual
passes and when they were called upon by
the conductors the holders would say, I
have cha;ked hat or, in brief. I chalk
Heard the Famous Epigram.
1T was in the summer of the year that
I received this letter 1856, that I stood next
to Mr.. Lincoln and heard him say: You
can fool some of the people all OF the
time, and all OF the people some of the
time, but you can't fool all Of the people
all OF the time He was addressing an as
semblage of about three or four hundred
people from the raised platform of the en-
trance to the Pike House in Bloomington
Ill. upon the subject of the Kansas-Ne-
Draska act, and reviewing the arguments
or Douglas in support Of it, His appIica-
ton of his epgram was so apt and forci-
BILE that l have never forgotten it, and I
oeileEe that no verbal modification of Ii
would De accurate. In his final peroration
OF that address, referring again to the ar
suments favoring the Kansas-Nebraska
act he said, with wonderful energy and
earnestness. Surely. surely my friends,
Sou cannot be deceived by such sophistries.'
The fact that my friend Judge Lawrence
Weldon of the Court of Claims recalls in
substance that Lincoln made use of his
epigram in 1858 about the time of Lin
coins joint debate with Douglas" said
Mr.. Morgan, Indicates clearly to my mind
that 1t was made applicable in other
speeches by Mr.. Lincoln. Judge Weldon
was chairman of the De Witt county dele
cation to the republican state convention
held at Decatur, H.. May 8 and 10, 1863
when Lincoln was brought out as the rail
candidate l had the honor of being the
chairman of the Livingston county dele
satlon to that convention and recall the
patriotic manifestations on that occasion
with great vividness, Mr.. Lincoln being
present