Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21
SIDE OF PUBLIC LIFE
"reminiscences Of NOtables Related by
Adlai Stevenson,
SELECTIONS FROM LARGE STOCK
Public Men OF Other Days Recalled
by Characteristic Incidents, from
Flashing wit 20 scorch-
ing Irony.

my OF the seVenty-fOur years
spanning the life Of Hon. Adlai Ewing
Stevenson Of Illinois have been spent IN
pubic activities, and manw of them in
public office. He was a master I'm chan
Gerry at %, later a district attorney. then
MEMBER OF congress. chief headsman
In the Postoffice department during
Cleveland's first term, vice president OF
the United States during Cleveland's sec
ond term. and Bryan's running mate in
the 1900 campaign. Necessarily he rubbed
elbows with all classes Of public men and
acquired a store of intimate anecdotes and
incidents which are entertainingly told in
something OF Men 1 Have Known" n
work written by Mr.. Stevenson and pub
ltshed by A. c. McClurg g. Co. Of Chicago
Many OF the "reminiscences bear an orig
nal label some exhale the atmosphere OF
the newspaper morgue. but all are in
vested with the personal relation and a
note Of friendllness throughout, A few
speciments follow.
BIRine's Surprise.
As a member Of the Forty-fourth con-
gress Mr.. Stevenson thus first met James
q. Blainer
Ny seat was just across the aisle from
that Of Mr.. Blaine. When introduced I
handed him letters Of introduction from
two Of his college classmates, the Hon.
robert =. Williams and the Rev. John
90 nv after ItdQluE the letters and
speaking most kindly Of his old Washing
toh college classmates he brusauely in
, CURED, What are John Y. CaIhoun's poll
tics?"
answered, "He is a democrat"
Blaine instantly replied: well. how
strangely things do come around i'm this
world. When we We're in college together
, Calhoun was the strongest kind Of a
Presbyterian"
inflmafad 4ba4 III. .z..-ta--
was still OF that eminently respectable
persuasion. The reply was, i'm a manner
Indicating apparent surprise. us it pos
sible that out in your country a man can
be a Presbyterian and a democrat at the
same timer"
Traits of w. r. Morrison.
Speaking Of the late William r.. Nor
rison, Familiarity known as Horizontal
Bill because Of the tariff bill he advo-
Gated, Mr.. Stevenson says:
His personal friendships and antagon-
isms were well known. 1t is related of
him that during a serious illness, appre-
bending that the dread messenger was In
near waiting, arousinR himself to what
appeared to be a last effort he said In
scarcely audible tones to a sorrowing col
iegue at his bedside: Il suppose when this
Is all over they will have something to
say about me, as is the custom in the
Abuots "tlls II CpIiuEeI anu COX ana
Knott and Stevenson want 20 talk let
them go ahead, but II old Spears tries to
speak just cough him down"
And this:
Never i'm any political gathering has
there been a more effective speech, of a
single sentence, than that in which
Colonel Morrison presented to the demo-
cratic caucus of the house members the
name OF the blind preacher for chaplain.
Thraa mr. f,t,r ,op1fI,t.s $500. ,ru..a. l..
nomination when Morrison arose and said:
Mr.. Chairman, ! present for the office
OF chaplain Of the house the name Of DR..
Milburn, a man who loves God, pays his
debts, and votes the democratic ticket"
Before the applause that followed had en-
tirely died away the names of his COM
p%etitors were withdrawn. and the blind
preacher was nominated by reclamation.
Two About Blackburn.
Mr.. Stevenson gives these two anecdotes
Of J. S. c. Blackburn, the honey-tongued
orator Of Kentucky:
J Upon the occasion Of the retirement OF
the Rev. DR.. Butler from the chaplaincy
Of the senate-a position he had filled
most %acceptably for many years-many Of
the senators spoke regretfully Of his retire
ment. The speech of Mr.. Blackburn, for
beauty Of expression and pathetic elo-
quence, was unrivalled. He spoke most
tendcrly Of the venerable man of God;
how for long years he had gone in and
out before us; of his daily walk and con-
veTsation: how, like the Blessed Master,
~ only thought was Of doing good; Of how
IL had often invoked the Divine blessing
upon us and our. loved ones, and lifted us,
as II were. I'm His arms up to the very
throne of grace. The orator seemed in
splred, as though his lips were indeed
D touched with a live coal from the altar.
: The counterpart Of the scene that fol-
lowed his closing words had never been
witnessed in legislative assembly. All were
in tears. 1t was even said that venerable
senators, who had never shed a tear since
the ratification Of the treaty Of Client,
actually sobbed aloud and refused to be
comforted. At length, amid silence that
? could be felt, an adjournment was effected
and the senators passed sadly ont to their
homes. As he passed the chair, Senator
Vest, in an undertOne remarked to the vice
president, 40 never saw him.
The next day. in the absence of his sue
cessor, the blind chaplain" DR.. Butler
again and for the last time OBLIGATED. sim
ply repeating in a manner most solemn
and impressive. the Lords Prayer. At it's
conclusion, Senator Blackburn, who had
DCen q most attentive listened, came Tor
ward TO the desk and remarked 10 Vice
President Stevenson:
II tell you, sir, / like that new chaplain
Of oLrs. What a splendid prayer! There
= something original about that man."
Campaigning at a Hanging.
Thirty years and more ago. when first
a candidate for congress-. Mr.. Blackburn
attended a public execution, in common
parlance "a hanging, in one Of the coun-
ties OF his district Being a gentleman u
great distinction and a candidate for con-
gress, he was appropriately invited by the
sheriff to occupy a seat with the prisoner
and his spiritual adviser upon the gallows.
~ the near approach Of the fatal hour the
aeriff, with watch In hand. amid the sea
of upturned faces, stated to the prisoner
uat he had yet five minutes TO live and II
was his privilege, II he SO desired. to ad-
dress the audience, The prisoner meekly
replied that he did not wish TO speak
Whereupon Mr.. Blackburn. stepping
promptly to the front Of the scaffold. said
A the gentleman does not wish 10
speak, II he will kindly yield me his time,
1 will take this occasion to remark that l
am a candidate for congress, regularly