Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-01


OFFICER of the first war Congress.
Inc great trlumvirate of Webster CLAY
ana calhoun had already been broken
taol ne. by the death of Calhoun before
LOOK my seat in the House. Webster and
Gay died the following summer. Thomas
n. benton their old-time rival, however
survived them number of years.
AIter Benton retired from Congress. and
OF congressional debates. he sent for me
one DAY and asked that, as 1 had to pass
ms mousse on my way from my lodgings to
IN, ,ie Capltol, l would drop in daily and tell
lilil what was going on in Congress. 1 did
SO for long time, and as a CONSEQUENCE
him." ~
In Rough-andTumble Fight.
OF his famous fight with Keitt of South
Carolina Mr.. Grow said:
1t was during the debate as to whether
Buchanans message on the Lecompton
constitution of Kansas should be referred
10 the committee on territories which was
democratic, or to a select committee of
n1teen l had previously been chairman of
the committee on territories while Banks
was Speaker, and was then a member Of
the committee, and, accordingly. had charge
OF the republican forces. The House sat
until long after midnight About 80
crossed over to the democratic side to con-
suit with John Hickman as to the hest
morning. While l was talking with Hick-
man zen. Qutman arose to speak. We did
not want MIN to talk, but to keep on
voting, and | objected.
"Keitt. who was sitting near where 7 was
standing, broke out, If you are going to
OBJECT, go back to your own side of the
nan l replied that the hall was a free
one an every man had right to go where
he pleased. keitt then arose from his seat
and came around to the aisle in which
was standing. AS he came up to me he
said. L want to know what you mean by
such an answer as that l told him
meant Just what had said-that it was a
Tree hall, and a man had right to be just
where he pleased. Sir said Eeitt, I will
let you know that you are a black repub-
hcan puppy. Never mind said 1. I shall
occupy such place in this hall as l please
and no negro driver shall crack his whip
over me- This angered Keitt and he made
grab for my throat and 1 struck him.
This proved to he the signal for a
rough-and-tumble fight. The southerners
who were sitting near rushed to Keitts as
sistance, and oilers came to my aid.
Barksdale of Miss ssppi, who essayed the
role of a peacemaker. caught hold of me-
Potter, thinking that Barksdae meant me
harm. hit him. Barksdale did not know
who it was who hit him, but supposng it
was Elihu WaShburn, pitched at the latter
Cadwallader WaShburn seeing the assault
on his brother struck out for Barksdale,
ind knocked off his wig. Barksdale picked
/: up and put it on wrong end foremost.
This made him appear so ridiculous that
all burst out laughing, and in this way
the affair ended"
Tells of the Homestead Law.
Mr.. Grow achieved fame as the author of
the homestead law. Speaking of this meas
ure he said:
II early came to believe that the govern
ment should not make the public lands
source of revenue. but that it should be-
in
without land for actual settlement and cul
tivation. My first speech in Congress was
made in support of a bill embodying this
doctrine. The leaders of the savocracy
did not care to see the territories settled
by a class of small farmers, who, coming
from the free states, would be naturally
of anti-slavery proclivities, and their OPP
position defeated the passage of the home
stead law until after the breaking out of
the war. l introduced five bills at five diff
ferent sessions of Congress before one was
finally passed and became law, as it did
while ] was Speaker.
Nearly 9O0OO.O03 acres of public donna in
have been permanently occupied under the
homestead law. This land has been given
to honest settlers and not to land grab
bers and railroads. 1t is an area covering
more territory than all of New England,
and it represents, roughly speaking, a
value of $15,O0OOOO,OOO.
Gerrymandered Out
In 1862 the Pennsylvania Legislature reap
portioned the congressional districts of the
state and Susquehanna county was united
with Luzerne thus making Mr.. Crows dis
trict strongly democratic and preventing
his reelection. After he retired from Con-
gress, on Marcl~4, 1863, he held no office
until his reelection in 1894. but his life
In 1854 Mr.. Grow came within one vote
of being nominated for Vice President In
place of Andrew johnson. who became
he nj A /
coin. In 1868 he was chairman of the re-
publican state committee and did much to
secure the election of Gen. Grant.
In 1879 President Hayes rendered Mr.
Grow the mission to Russia, but, adhering
to his resolution never to accept an Office
which did not come by the vote of the peo-
pie. he declined the honor. Two years later
he was a candidate for United States SEN
ator, but was defeated.
From 1871 to 1875 Mr.. Grow was presi
dent of the Houston and Great Northern
railroad and resided In Texas. Prior to
that time he had been engaged In the
lumber trade in Luzerne county and In the
oil business in Venango county.
His Congressional Career.
Galusha A. Grow served twenty years in
Congress and spread his time over three
generations. His service was divided into
two periods; the first of twelve years. came
at the birth Of the republican party and
took him halfway through the civil war.
The second, of eight years, began a full
generation after the close of the war and
brought him back to Washington at
time when the united country was making
a tremendous stride in material prosperity
In his first service he welded a powerful in
fiuence.
Coming b. TX to the House, after thirty
years of retirement, Mr.. Grow found that
this world had moved far beyond him. He
was a relic of an age long gone. Even
had changed, and instead of the delibera-
tive, argumentative debates of the days
when he had made his name famous in the
land, there was set up a machine guided
by the Organization and run by the COM
mittee on rules. Mr.. Grow was then a page
of ancient history. He was regarded with
reverence by all his fellow-members and
treated with a courtesy and dignity due to
the link that bound the House to it's time
honored tradition.
The little local bills of interest to his i'm