Evening journal., 1910-10-07
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Stephen A. Douglas and
the CIambake
BY "HOlland."
BY "HOlIand."

Stephen A. Douglas, known from one
end of the land to the other In the
days Of his popularity as the Little
Giant" was the first candidate for the
presidency to take the stump IN his
own behalf. His determination to make
a personal campaign for the presi-
dency was not entirely to the liking of
the conservative politicians Of 1860,
but ! have been told that he excused
his action by saying that Lincoln made
his campaign for the same office, es-
| pecially in the East, before he was
nominated. and that It was vital that
some one In authority should reply to
| Lincoln in that section of the country,
there having been no opportunity for
this to be done until after the presi-
Dental nominations had been made.
However that may be, I know per-
sonally that the Little Giant" gladly
accepted an invitation 10 speak TO his
countrymen at Norwich Conn, the
home town of William A. Buckingham,
who a little later became one of the
great war governors of the North-a
town where Lincoln, In February of
the same year, made an address which
many persons said later saved Con-
necticut to the Republican party in the
ensuing State election by the narrow
majority of Sal.
Great preparations were made for
"the Little Giants" appearance I'm the
old town. In Difference to his wishes
for a meeting in the open-the usual
type of political gathering in the West
"a large common was selected for
the scene of the rally, booths we're set
up to purvey lunch, consisting prin-
! cipally Of oyster soup and It was ar
| ranged that there should be a char
acteristic New England clambake at
the end of the speechmaking.
II turned out TO be a gala occasion
\ The farmers flocked In from miles
around to see and hear Lincolns greai
rival, and as they gazed on the little
dumpy man with the great head. the
great shock of hair and the large
cavernous eyes laundering forth al
them from the speakers stand, many
were the comparisons they drew be-
tween him and the tall, gaunt, loose
jointed rail-splitter most OF them had
seen and heard speak I'm the same
town a few months earlier. / remem-
/ Der to a word the comment of one
! farmer who stood near me: Wall,
he drawled to a neighbor they told
the truth about the Little Giant when
they said he could never be President
because his coat tails come too near
the ground
Yet for all the diminutiveness OF
stature, Douglas held close attention
| of the great gathering throughout his
entire speech. My boyhood recollection
of that speech is that it was a superb
political and oratorical effort, but the
impression that II made on me was
slight compared with the effect caused
by the impromptu postscript to the
speech itself. His peroration deliver.
ed with all that POWER of oratory
which he possessed to a superlativs
degree, Douglas paused for a moment
and smiled expectantly into the sea
Of upturned faces before him.
And now that have had the priv
ilege of addressing my fellow-citizen.
Of this historic town." he continued. ."
shall take advantage OF the invitation
given 70 me to participate for the frs
time in my life in a genuine New Eng
land clambake. Its aroma first reached
me while l was In the midst OF m