Evening journal., 1910-09-23
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Famous Georgian Who
Spoke PrOphetiCaIIy
BY "HOlIand."

With the possible exception Of
Alexander II. Stephens. vice-president
OF the Confederacy, no statesman of
the South, who entered Congress dur
ing the reconstruction era so greatly
interested both members of Congress
and visitors to the Capitol as did
Benjamin Harvey Hill. of Georgia.
First as a representative and then as
senator, he was especially con-
spicuous because he was the member
of the state convention of Georgia I'm
1861, who earnestly opposed the pro-
posed secession of that state. After
Georgia seceeded. however. Mr.. Hill
gave his earnest support to the cause
and become a member of the Confed-
crate Senate, where he met George G.
vest OF Missouri who served as a
Confederate senator before he became
United States senator from Missouri.
veteran members of Congress Of the
seventies and early eighties. who re-
membered John c. Calhoun thought
they detected a strong physical re-
semblance between Senator Hill and
Calhoun, at least in the contour Of
the features, the heavy over-hanging
eyebrows and the sti1iy brushed hair.
Undoubtedly the greatest speech
that Senator Hill delivered during
his congressional career which be-
gan IN 1875 and ended seven years
later, was that I'm which he vigorously
attacked Senator William Malone. of
Virginia. for his unexpected alliance
with the Republicans. a move that
brought about a tie I'm place of the
slight Democratic majority which had
been anticipated.
Senator Hill sat I'm the front row,
on the aisle, of the Democratic side.
Senator Malone had been allotted a
seat at the end of the rear row upon
the Republican side. Therefore It
was possible for Senator Hill to faoe
Senator Malone without changing his
seat or even stepping from his desk
to the aisle, and all through the de-
livery of his castigaton of the cuff
betrilled man from the Old Dominion
the Georgian took advantage of this
position to drive home his sentences
of damnation of Mahone's course IN
the Senate
Senator Hill began with a voice
that never seemed more powerful to
the packed galleries and the body of
tne senate. IL was of vast volume, a
deep. reverberant bass. Yet. not long
after he had started upon his strictly
parliamentary tongue lashing of the
man. who was hated and despised of
the Democrats, he occasionally halted.
as though trying to catch his breath.
'Ihen. at times. his voice became sud
denly husky. Again, what seemed 10
me 70 be an expression of pain passed
over his features, and towards the
ends of the speech he paused fire.
quently, often that he might swallow
a drink of water which he took as
though his mouth were parched.
Perhaps half an hour after the
senator had finished speaking It fell
to my lot to meet him in a horse car
going down Pennsylvania avenue I
ventured to say that had had the
pleasure of listening to every word
| OF his speech and was sure that IL
would attract widespread attention.
As spoke ! noticed that he held his
mouth open IN a peculiar way.
thank you for What you have
said the senator replied But
am fearful that it is my last speech In
the Senate"
81 thought you were occasionally
in some physical distress" 7 said, as
the senator paused
You were correct" he said. "Some
portions of the speech We're delivered
while was in great pain, and nearly
! all of IL was delivered under much
| physical Inconvenience. There is
! something the matter with my throat
! II bec@nes peculiarly dry, with a
parehing dryness. when am COM
pelled to talk long l am going to
Philadelphia to consult a specialist IN
a day or two"
That he did. and the surgeons dis
covered that an excrescence had
grown upon the tongue. It was re-
moved almost Immediately But In q
little while the malignant growth re-
appeared. and then it was that the
senator knew he was doomed. He
went to his home and died soon after
] from the effects of this trouble, some.
what similar to the disease which
caused the death of General Grant
He had. indeed. spoken prophetically
when he said that he was apprehen.
sive that the speech i'm which he at
tackled Senator Malone would be hi.
last in the Federal Senate.
! Copyright. 1910. by e. J. Edwards
Allrights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell O.
a Vanderbilt Rule That Has Gone b,
! tho Roord