Manchester Democrat., 1909-05-12

soiute s.n rWer OF the house. HE
;ng s;. personality and ability gave
MN ~ the command In those davs 1bs
Ways ana means committees handlan
lne appropriations. During INV ser.
wee IN the house the COMMITTEES, wa :
uivlded, the appropriations commit.
zee being created. Stevens went
win the appropriations committes
ana Schenck became chairman of
ways and means, but Stevens con.
elnued as leader. His power was not
diminished in the least, and while he
renamed in the house he was master
stevens did not hesitate to use
strong measures to accomplish his
purposes, and often keen wit served
MS turn as well as argument. l re.
inemoer one day when the Indian an
prlauon bill was under consideration
ara Maynard of Tennessee opposed =
provision in it which was supported
ny Stevens. Maynard wore long hair
and as he was dark, he looked some.
thing like an Indian. In fact. ii wa:
said he had Indian blood in his yeinG
He spoke earnestly and vigorously
against the provision in the bill te
which he was opposed, closing with
quite long Latin quotation, Stew
ems replied by saying that so far as
the gentleman spoke in English
cannot agree with him and | an
not familiar with his Choctaw, ant
therefore cannot indorse it, There
was a hearty laugh at Maynard's ex
pense, and his motion was promptly
voted down. Next to Stevens
Schenck was the strongest man il
the house. He was a strong partisan
and supported the drastic policy C.
Stevens against the Johnson admin
istratiop.
My own personal relations witt
President Johnson were the best
though not very extensive. In tho5s
days congress was constantly at wa,
with the president and deprived him
of power wherever it was possible tc
do so.
"Elihu Washburne was forcefu
man. He assayed the role of defend
er and sponsor for General Grant
while Grant was in command of the
army, and afterward when he became
president. Washburne rather claim
ed the credit OF discovering Grant
and was MS most faithful friend ir
the house. He was also great
st;ckle,- for economy and carefully
scrutinlzed the appropriation bills.
Garfield and Hayes were both il
the house while / was a member
Garfield was always commanding
prominence, but did not reach the
stage of leadership while was il
the house. In the '7O's he came tc
the front. AS old leaders of war tint
and reconstruction days passed ava!
among them were Blaine, Garfield
Hoar, Kelley and Kasson on the re
publican side, and Morrison, Julian
Holman and Voorhees, on the demo
cratic side. The days of the brig
adiers In the house were after m,
time. They came when the demo
Gratis of the southern states regalne'
acontrcol and, naturally. prominent me
Of the confederacy were sent to con
gresS.
| "Mr. Hayes was always resarde'
as solid, substantial man in tn
house, but never took the rank CT
leader. No one ever suspected tina
he had the making of a president il
him when he was in the house. II
fact, no one ever considered Gal
field possibility in those days.
think both can be considered typics
dark horaes' of which so much
said about the time national cor
vention Is about to assemble"
Tho Electoral Commission: Haye
TlIden Dispute.
The Hayes Tilden contest for tn
4 presidency was one of the most e.
5 citing periods in the history of tn
!. country, ranking next to the civ
a war. In fact, civil war was narrowl
!, averted. Senator Allison, thoug
;, comparatively new member Of tt
!, lsenate, took an active part In thu
:, celebrated case. AS it afterwal
!, proved, his own political fortune
L were linked with the contest an
!, had Tilden been seated, 1t Is alt
l-lgether probable that Allison's sen
!. torial career would have been G.
:, short with one term
# When the dispute over the electit
8 became acute McCFary OF Iowa intr
. duced resolution looking to Sc
II tlement of the controversy. Out
e this resolution grew the elector
8 commission. But 1t was with maj
j. misgivings that certain republican
cons ented to. the commission. tt
!" matter was in dispute many days b
Q tween the two houses, Senator al