The National tribune., 1906-05-03
PETE HEPBURN.
The Grand Old Soldier. Statesman and
Orator From the Hawkcye State.

There is one man in Congress who is
a born fighter. There may be others
there probably are several; but there
isn't mothers son of 'em who can
stack up beside William Peters Hep
burn, late Lieutenant-Colonei,2 I'd Iowa
Cav and now representing the Sth
Iowa District in Congress.
He is a real. simon-pure Colonel, is
| "old Pete Hepburn" not one of your
| courtesy ''Colonels," but a man with a
record. And what a record, Just think
Of being particularly commended in
General Orders by Gems. Sheridan,
| RosecTans, Gordon Granger and q half
dozen others. Why, it is like coming
a history of the war to read of the
battles Col. Hepburn was in. and the
various acts of special gallantry he
performed "in the line of duty" Every
thing that Col. Hepburn does is in the
line of duty; you couldn't coax him to
do things amy other way. He looks on
life pretty seriously, yet the quaint
streak of humor in him relieves the
otherwise brusque Sternness of manner
which, after all, is the cover to a big
heart and kindliness of nature that
remains to this day as sweet as the
kernel of nut. Aye, to this day.
and that means a long, long time. Col.
Hepburn is not young, though he is 90
years younger in thought and action
llldH uOZtliS Oi HIS cOHlTeItS.
Ohio claims him as her son, proud
to be the native State of such man,
but in 1S41. when William Peters Hep
burn was just merging into his 18th
year, his people followed the setting
sun over into Iowa, then Territory,
peopled by Indians, squatters, hunters
and trappers, the Hepburns going in
on that
First low wash of waves,
Where soon would roll q human sea"
Listen how he describes his "larnin',' y
please, and you Will know at once why
he stands four square to the world.
Educated in the schools of the Terri
tory and in printing Office" No col
lege, no university, could ever have
given that boy any more. than he got
out of that method of education. The
schools of the Territory of Iowa were
not much. probably, but they gave him
a foundation upon which he built an
education in a printing office, and what
he knew he knew. Sabe2 There wasn't
a bit of theoriZing in his education.
He got it all by hard knocks in the raw
school of experience, where the hide
was clawed off of effete theories at
every turn of the hour hand on the
clock. Then he says in his Congress
sional biography, Was admitted to
practice law in 1854" and so he was
graduated" in his 21st year.
When treason began to poison the
fountains of the Republic, Hepburn, in
ali the strength of his powerful young
manhood, took up the fight for the
Flag and for the Constitution. He spoke
as one gifted with prophecy, with an
eloquence born of fervor rooted in pr n
ciples, and mighty were the blows he
dealt the copperheads who hypocriti-
cally prayed for peace and worked for
war. In this school of torchlight cam
paigns he developed that wonderful
voice Of his which in its first great
power was like unto the voice that
came from Mount Sinai. Clear, round,
pure, penetrating, tremendous in vol
ume, il reached right down into the
soul, and never let go for second un-
til you had heard every word he had
to say.
But war came, and the time for ac-