The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
WHEN WESTERN POLITICS
WERE YOUNG AND VIRILE
Continued from Page One.

doctrines promulgated by them. The
resolutions were as popular as internal
Improvements had been. but Lincoln-now
that a moral principle was at stake
would not support them. and he drew up
a protest. diplOmatically WOrded, il is
true, and yet bold enough 10 declare that
the Institution OF slavery is founded on
both injustice and bad policy" He
signed il and he was able 10 induce one
other Of the Long Nine Dan Stone 10
sign It. and so had il entered on the jour
nal OF the house for March 5, 1SST
He nad meanwhile been admitted 10
the bar, and now he moved 70 Springfield
20 practice law, leaving New Salem. soon
10 vanish from the earth. leaving his good
old friends-Squire Bowling Green, before
whom he had tried his first case. who had
loaned him money and redeemed his sur
veying instruments when they were levied
on. and nUrsed him when he was sick
and crazed by grief: Mentor Graham. who
had taught him grammar; Jack KelsO.
the idler. who wandered up and down
the Ssngamon and IN the woods. and had
introduced him to Burns and Shakespeare
and in the graveyard. poor Anne Rut-
ledge, whom he had loved and lost
Admits His Responsibility.
In 1855 the internal Improvement bubble /
having burst Lincoln took his place
with Douglas. McCIernand, and Shields /
among the spared monuments OF popular
wrath" as Gov Ford called them. and
went back 20 the legislature, frankly ad-
hitting his own share OF the responsi-
bility in the present crisis" and owning
himself no fnaneier," as, indeed, he
was not. then or ever.
In the campaign Of 1870 the rollicking
year Of 'Tippecanoe and Tyler. too,
Lincoln. running again for the legislature /
was also a candidate on the Whig elec-
toral ticket-he was always a candidate /
for elecJOr-and had the first Of his many
encounters with Douglas, who was run
ing for electOr on the Democratic ticket /
His encounters with Douglas then. ss
always We're verbal. and were destined !
10 become oTstOrical and so roll Ike /
thunder down the history OF the world: 4
but he had others that year that were 4
personal. ike the celebrated one with Col /
Dick Taylor
Col Taylcr ike some Democrats Of a /
later day. was more democratic in theory
than in practice: he was a pcmpous gen
tleman who went abroad. in superb at
tire. rUfled shirts. rich vest and immense
watch chain. with shining splendid pend
ants" He was strong in denunciatiOn Of
sristocrsts particularly the Wing aTistO-
Gratis, and at one Of the joint engage
ments ne denounced Lincoln as an aristo-
crat. At this the young man began TO
feel devilish." and while the colonel was
sweeping along IN his hsTangue Lincoln
slyly approached him and, suddenly jerk
ing open his waistcoat. revealed 10 tie
ye0msnry splendid starched ruf7es, gold
chains. and seals and when the colonel
had retired amid jeeTs and laughter
Lincoln, in his high tenor voice, said:
His Buckskin Breeches.
While Col. Taylor was making these
charges against the Wings. riding in fine
carriages, wearing rufied shirts, kid
gloves, massive gold watch chains. with
large gold seals. and flOurishing heavy
gold headed cane. was poor boy. hired
on 5atboat at S month. and had only
one pair Of breeches-and they we're buck
skin. If you know the nature Of buck
skin when wet and dried by the sun. II
viii shrink-and my breeches kept shrink
ing until they left several inches Of my
bare legs between the tops OF my socks
and the lower part OF my breeches: and
while 7 was growing taller. they we're be-
coming shorter. and so much tighter that
they left a blue streak around nv legs
that can be seen 10 this DAY. II you call
this aristOcracy, 1 plead guilty to the ,
charge"
vi EnrLleT occasion ne ueEfnueu MS q Z
friend, Edward D. Baker. the orator and Z
soldier who was 10 fall az Balls Bluff. 7
Baker was speaking one night TO a crowd 7
IN room directly under the law Office /
Of Stuart and Lincoln. and Lincoln. I
sprawling on his own floor, was listening 7
10 the argument through a trap door c
so the story unconvincingly runs The I
crowd. incensed by Bakers assaults On I
the Democrats. rushed forward 10 pull I
him down. when suddenly LfncOin's long
legs dangled from the ceiling. and. drop
ping 20 the platform through the trap ,
door. he seized the great white water
pitcher from which in those days as in |
these orators slake their Unsuitable thirst, /.
and. brandishing il at the end Of his long /.
arm, he cried:
Water Pitcher for Weapon.
Hold on, This is the land Of free
speech, Mr. Baker has right 10 speak
and ought 10 be heard. I am here TO {
protect him. and I'll break this pitcher 7
over the head Of the first man who in {
tsrferes-'' 7
And then and there was the triumph I
destined 10 live long in the political an {
nals Of SangamOR as ''the skinning of q
Thomas" Jesse B. Thomas was Demo-
Crat. and in one Of his stump speeches I
he made vigorous attack on the long ]
nine" and on Lincoln especially. While :
The speech was in progress one OF those I
cOnsiderafe friends who are ever alert z
10 carry ugly news hurried out 10 find z
Lincoln. who presently appeared al the 9
meeting and asked 20 be heard in reply
or course the crowd was delighted. and II 9
was more delightful when Lincoln, utiliz-
ing his remarkable talent for mimicry.
initiated Thomas in all his peculiarities Of
zrr-~a md NJ I y
crowd roaTed with delight and. carried !
away with his triumph. Lincoln went on :,
and on. and visited upon his critic such
vengeance Of bitter sarcasm and scsthing :
ridicule and mordant humor that poor
Thomas actually gave way 10 tears and :
wept !
II was a triumph Of which lincoln was :,
soon ashamed. and his gentleness and :
his pity. so near 10 love and the humor n
and the melancholy in him led him TO
hunt up bis victim and impiOre forgive 7
ness
Now. If YOU hear any one say that :
Lincoln don't want 10 go 70 Congress. y
We find him writing 70 his friend r. s. In
Thomas. AT Virginia. III. on February Il -
lst2- i wish YOU, as a personal friend OF h
mine. would tell him you have reason to ri
believe he IS mistaken. The truth Is ] :,
would Ike 10 80 very much. Still. cir II
cumstances may happen which may pre-
vent my being candidate. II there are Q,
any who be my friends in such an enter a
prise what I want to know is that they 81
viii not throw me away just vet"
Was Living FruEaIIy.
He was living frugaiIy with his young b,
wife-whose political lampOons two wears VI
before had involved Lincoln in a dueIing II
scrape with State Auditor James Shields =
the gallant hot headed bachelor from n,
Tyrone COUNT" and he had long had an X
eve on the COneressio7sI r,or,i-,s tir-,