The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-04-12
.''RilElW NEWS OF yEsTERDA,
Famous Georgian Who Uttered 8
True Prophecy.
Senator Benjamin Harvey Hill Predict.
cd That His Attack on Malone
Would BE Hle Last
81 Speech.
BY e. j. EDWARDS.

the south who entered congress during
the reconstruction era so greatly In.
terested both members of congress and
visitors to the capitol as did old Ben.
5amin Harvey Hill Of Georgia First
ator, he was especially conspicuous be-
cause he was the member Of the state
convention of Georgia in 1851 who
earnestly opposed tho proposed seces.
sion OF that state. After Georgia Sc
ceded, however, Mr.. Hill gave his
earnest support to the cause and be-
came member Of the confederate SEN
ute, where he met George G. Vest of
Missouri, who served as confederate
senator before he became United
States senator from Missouri. Vete-
ran members Of congress- Of the seven
ties and early eighties who remember
cd John G. Calhoun thought they de-
tacted strong physical resemblance
between Senator Hill and Calhoun. at
least In the contour Of the features.
the heavy over-hanging eyebrows and
the stiffiy brushed hair.
Undoubtedly the greatest speech
that Senator Hill delivered during his
congressional carer, which began in
1876 and ended seven years later, was
that in which he vigorously attacked
Senator William Malone Of Virginia
for his unexpected alliance with the
Republicans, move that brought
about tie, instead OF the slight Dem
ocratic majority which had been an
uctpated.
G. Senator Hill sat in the front row, on
the aisle, Of the Democratic side. Sen
ator Malone had been allotted a seat
at the end Of the row upon the Repub-
lican side. Therefore 1t was possible
for Senator Hill to face Senator Ma
hone without changing his seat or
even stepping from his desk to the
aisle, and through the delivery OF his
castigation of the befrilled 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
the senate. 1t was OF vast volume,
deep, reverberant bass. Yet. not long
after he had started upon his strictly
parliamentary tongue flashing Of the
man who was hated and despised of
the Democrats, he occasionally halted,
as though trying to catch his breath
Then. at times, his voice became sud
denly husky. Again, what seemed TO
me to be an expression Of pain passed
over his features, and towards the ei.d
of the speech he paused frequently.
often that he might swallow drlnl;
OF water, which he took as though his
Iiiiicc.:th iiic..::tthh were rarched.
Perhaps half an hour after the sena
tor had finished speaking it fell to my
lot to meet him in a horse car going |
down Pennsylvania avenue, ven
9ured to say that l had had the pleas
ure of listening 10 every word Of his |
speech, and was sure that 1t would at |
tract widespread attention. AS spoke |
I noticed that he held his mouth open
in peculiar way.
81 thank you for what you have
said" the senator replied. But | am
fearful that 1t is my last speech In
the senate"
( 81 thought you were occasionally IN
some physical distress" said, as the
senator paused.
"You were correct" he said. Some
portions Of the speech were delivered
while | was in great pain. and nearly
all of 1t was delivered under much
physical inconvenience. There is some.
thing the matter with my throat 1t
becomes peculiarly dry, with parch.
ing dryness. whom | am compelled to
talk long. | am going to Philadelphia
to consult specialist in day or
two
That he did. and the surgeons dis
covered that an eXcrescence had grown
upon the tongue. 1t was removed al.
most Immediately. But in little while
the malignant growth reappeared, 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, somewhat similar to the
disease which caused the death of
General Grant. He had, indeed,
spoken prophetically when he said
that he was apprehensive that the
speech in which he attacked Senator
Mahone would be his last in the fed.
eral senate.
,copyright, 1910, by Il. j. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)