Evening journal., 1911-02-01
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Great Politician Who Was
Afraid Of LinCOIn'S Stories
By Holland"

One Of the commission that was
sent to Hawaii in 1898 by President
Mckinley to establish a government
for those islands when they we're an
nexed to the United States was the late
Robert r. Hit, Of Illinois, an infiu-
entail member of the lower House Of
Congress from 1881 until a year before
his death in 1906.
A few days before Mr. Hit start
ed for Hawaii I had an opportunity
to renew my acquaintance with him,
which had begun when be was assist
ant Secretary of State in 1881, under
James G. Blaine. In the course Of our
conversation Mr.. Hit took small
memorandum hook from a vest pocket
and made one or two entries in short
hand.
Il reported the Lincoln-D Douglas de-
bates in shorthand he explained.
"and ever since | have used that mode
Of writing. It has been of great value
to me. | used it constantly when ! was
in the State Department, and ! expect
to make much use of it while in
Hawaii"
Your ability to write in shorthand
must have been put to a severe test
at the time you reported the Lincoln
Douglas debates" / said.
mo. It was not very difficult work.
The chief thing / had to contend
against was the noise Of the crowds;
many of the meetings were held in the
open air, and there was a continual
noise all about, as is liable to be the
case in open air gatherings. Both Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Douglas were easy
speakers for a competent shorthand
writer to report. Lincoln, / think, was
little the easier for he spoke less
rapidly than did Mr. Douglas. Both Of
them enunciated clearly enough.
81 have been told" continued Mr..
Hit. that l owe it to history TO write
my personal recollections of that great
debate. especially as ] am probably
the only person now living who was
present az all of the debates. But
was so occupied in taking my short
hand notes of the debates that 7 did
not have a good opportunity TO OBJ
serve the speakers or TO take much
heed of the crowds. / do remember,
however, one incident which at the
time struck me as very interesting,
and Of which have frequently
thought. There have been occasional
reports of Senator Douglas estimate
OF the effect of LincOln's speeches
upon the crowds that heard them, but
so far rs / know there is no report
telling OF the eject Of the debates upon
Mr. Douglas himself. Yet / know from
his own lips what that effect was.
Il think IL was after the fifth debate
there we're seven i'm all--when some
one asked Mr. Douglas in my presence
how Lincoln's speeches affected him,
and whether at any time he thought
that he had been overmatcncd by mis-
opponent or not
Mr. Douglas answered that there
had not been a moment when he had
been afraid of Lincoln as a debatOr.
All through he had been confident OF
his ability TO hold his own in the give
and-take OF debate and in the presen-
tation of arguments. He hesitated for
moment. thinking apparently, and
then continued:
d" i, OF course, have perceived that
MIR. Lincoln Is very strong with the
crowd. but l have felt that have
held my own with the crowd as well
as he has There is one thing, how
ever, Of which l stand constantly In
dread. When Lincoln begins to tell d
story I begin to get apprehensive.
Every one of his stories seems like a
whack upon my back-that Is exactly
the effect that the allegOries and
anecdotes. OF which he is "a master,
have upon me- Nothing else-not any
OF his arguments or any Of his replies
10 my questions -disturhs me But
when he begins to tell story. I feel