Evening journal., 1913-05-12
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When the Man Was Greater
Than the Office
By Holland

The late Nehemiah d. Sperry. who
represented the New Haven, Conn.
district in the House OF Representa-
tives at Washington for five terms,
ending in 1905, and who was the
father Of the House in the last two
terms, was esteemed the most adroit
politician in the State Of Connecticut,
from the time, as young man. just
before the Civil War, he was elected
Secretary OF State until his retire
ment from public life in 1905.
He was always spoken Of. even by
his most earnest political opponents,
as a man OF personal integrity and
also as a politician. a perfectly fair
fighter. He never struck below the
belt nor would he ever countenance
corruption. He made many warm
personal friendships among members
OF the Democratic party, and this ex-
plalns the reason why, in five sue
cessiYe campaigns for election TO
Congress he carried the New Haven
district, which was normally Demo-
was chatting with Mr. Sperry a
few weeks before the Presidential
campaign Of 1884, a canvass I'm which
he was extremely Interested some
thing In the course of our conyersa
ton brought up the name of James
Il. English.
Il never think Of Governor Eng
lish," said Mr.. Sperry, "without re-
calling the real personal sadness I
felt in 1871 because, by reason of
what / did, he was deprived of re-
election as Governor of Connecticut
This sadness was due wholly to NV
profound admiration of the noble and
honorable manner in which Governor
English had acted at the time of
this contested election.
English had already served as
governor having defeated Joseph r.
Hawley in 1867. Earlier he was
member Of Congress in the New
Haven district. He was a staunch
Democrat, and knew why he was
Democrat, yet he voted for the legis.
lation by Congress which extermin-
ated slavery in the District of Column
bia- | remember that at the time of
the assassination of President Lin
coin English presided at a mass
meeting at New Haven and was so
yisibly affected that the tears ran
down his cheeks and he completely
broke down as he tried to address
the meeting.
He was some years afterward a
member of the United States Senate
for brief term.
The result of the gubernatorial
election of 1871 was very close. On
the face of the returns English was
elected by a plurality of less than a
hundred. When the Legislature met,
strongly supported charges of fraud
in the Fourth ward of New Haven
we're made. Governor English at once
stated that he could not take the
oath OF Office or enter upon his duties
until II was made clear that he was
lawfully entitled to every vote report
ed in the official count. That I'm itself
was an act showing nobility of char
acter. | felt at the time that any
state would be honored If man of
Governor English's character were
found to have been lawfully chosen
Governor, although we differed
strongly upon political questions. I
had several conversations with Gov
ornor English, and told him that
there were the best of reasons for
believing that something like 200
votes In the Fourth ward of New Ha-
ven were counted for him when they
we're really cast for Marshall Jone
Governor English instantly said
that he would advise his De1ocratic
friends to unite with the Republicans
in making a thorough investigation of
these charges. ] told him that | be-
lieved the only way I'm which facts
could be easily established would be
by summoning every person who
voted in the Fourth ward and getting
in that way a statement under oath
Of how each voter voted
Governor English agreed with me.
He offered 10 give me every assist
ance needed to reach all the voters,
some of whom had gone away from
Now Haven shortly after the cleo
ton. He said that he would aot
enter upon the office of governor un-
Jess his title 10 il were established
beyond any doubt.
"We did summon every man vino
voted in the Fourth ward. We got
his testimony under oath. The re-
suit showed that fraud had been
committed, With the vote Of the
Fourth ward properly counted Mar
shall Jewell received a plurality of a
little less than a hundred
Governor English said to me after.
ward that It was OF more canse.
quence a thousand times over that
right should prevail than that he
should serve as governor or that his
party should be triumphant
Il had a prominent part in the in.
vestigation proceedings. and it wa:
with real sorrow that found il
necessary TO say to Governor Eng
lish. You are less than hundred
votes behind the lawful vote cast fol
Marshall Jewell My sorrow wa:
occasioned by my admiration for tn,
spirit with which Governor Engnsl
faced this crisis"
Copyright. 1918. by e. j. Edwards
...... All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
"A Lost Opportunity Which Did No
! Return"
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