Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-06-10

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the national house
Of representatives,
A Private" John VI.
- - Allen Of Tupelo,
db4AM Miss. voluntarily
retired 10 the more
lucrative IL less
conspicuous vocation Of the law. The
memory Of his stories and humor still
survives I'm the national capital. where
few men have been more popular.
The story Of the way Allen got his
title OF Private Is still worth telling.
though the incident happened over
twenty years ago. IL was when he
first ran for congress. His opponent
was a General Tucker. and the two
campaigned together. The general at
one meeting told the crowd how he had
saved their town during the war and
grew particularly eloquent In describ-
ing his sleeping in n tent the night be
fore the battle.
Allen. who was not within hundred
miles OF that battle, rejoined in his
inimitable manner:
Friends and Fellow Citizens-It's all
true what General Tucker told you about
his sleeping In his tent that night before
the battle. ] know all about It. for was
guarding that tent all night long in the
cold and wet on picket. And now l just
want 20 say to all Of you who were gen.
erals in the war and slept at nights in
your guarded tents, like General Tucker
you vote for him. But all you fellows
that guarded the generals tents in the
wet and cold, like me, you vote for Pri-
vate Allen.
That speech gained Allen his sobri-
Quet and his election at one and the
same time.
One Of Mr. Aliens most famous
speeches in congress was delivered in
the summer OF 1896, when Speaker
Reed and Major Mckinley were both
candidates for the Republican presi-
dental nomination and as a conse-
Quence were saying little on public
questions.
Allen began by stating that there had
been considerable comment in the
newspapers respecting the somewhat
unusual silence which had character
lied him i'm this session. But, Mr..
Speaker" he continued, there has
been little in this session of congress
to inspire a Christian man to be To-
quacious. | am not the only one who
has been silent in these days. There
are many of us leaders who are not
talking much lately"
Mr.. Allen said the Republicans were
evidently going to select for their can
didate man who had the qualities for
which the colonel of cavalry regi-
ment selected animals for his troops,
"He must turn quick and go fast"
On a later occasion Allen had diff
Guilty in securing recognition. When he
finally got The floor, he said in n deeply
injured tone:
'"There is an evident disposition on
the part of somebody to suppress my
imprisoned oratory l wish to assure
the speaker and the house that it is not
my purpose. and | have no desire by
my fervid anJ persuasive eloquence to
Overpersuade this house into the adop-
ton Of any unconstitutional or hurtful
measure. Sir, l would scorn to take
any such advantage of the weakness
OF the house"
One of the most amusing speeches
private" Allen ever made in the house
was in support of the bill to tax cleo
margarine. Representative Tillman of
South Carolina. brother of Senator Ben
Tillman. had claimed that oleo is SUI
perior to many brands of butter and
that il was an injustice to the pool
man TO prevent his buying it, In re
ply Allen told a story of an old negro
who had eaten a box Of axle grease
thinking it cheese. Upon being asked
how he liked it the old man replied:
"FO' God. boss, dat was de ransom
est cheese eber has eat yet"
"Now. Mr.. Chairman" commented
Allen. II have no doubt that if a prop
osition were pending here to proven
the sale of axle grease for cheese thu
gentleman from South Carolina woult
deliver us a scientific lecture and tr.
to persuade us it was much better an
more wholesome than cheese and tina
it would be a great outrage on the Ia
boring man to suppress the fraud"
At a banquet given by a millionair
senator one evening Allen hesitated a
he was entering the magnificent dir
ing room and then remarked to hi
partner:
MY dear young lady, let us pause
moment or two. l doubt If 1 can II
strain my feelings
There seemed TO be trouble on b
face and the lady said:
why. Mr. Allen, what is the matte
with your
Il am sad" was his reply.
"For what reasonT
"Oh, ii makes me sad to look at tn
room. 1t reminds me so much of N
own dining room at Tupelo."
Those who knew poor Aliens final
cial circumstances could appreciate Il
point of his Joke