Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-06


Moreover the funeral of the victim took
place in the National Capitol and the President of the
United States followed the body to the grave in a
procession that included most of the high officials of
the nation. These facts naturally made the un-
usually prominent as factor in the abolition of the duelng
code.
Interest chiefly upon Jonathan Cley, the young
and brilliant gentleman from Maine" He New
Hampshire man by birth, and orator of ability;
but for the duel he might have become figure of great
national Importance Up to the day of the fight he had
been regarded young fellow of unlimited potentiaitv
He had made fine record at Bowdoin College, Maine
where he graduated in 1925 and he shortly aterward
linked his fortunes with the State of Maine by marrying
q girl on that side of the border
In 1892 when he only twenty weight, Cley was
elected to the Maine legislature and eventually became
Speaker of the lower house When he had reached the
age of thirty-four he member of Congress from
Maine, elected in district where his political opponents
had handsome majority. The voters believed strongly
the that they ignored his politics and him to
Washington their representatives Young Ciey seemed
to have the world by the tall but the code of honor"
ended all within year, and at the time "inis"
upon the political of another Congressman of prom
Use. Had Ciey lived, his name would undoubtedly have
been in the school histories but there in the histories
few names of men who died at thirty -five.
Washington correspondent started the trouble The
Courier and Enquirer of New York had a man at court
who wrote under the pen of "The Spy in Washing
ton One day this published an article in which he
said he could prove that there is least member OF
Congress who has offered barter his services and his in
lltnCe with department departments tor
ton.
This remark obviously placed every member of the
House of Representatives under suspicion: therefore one
of the members in the House. read the article and
called for official investigation Immediately thereupon
the gentleman from Maine (Cilley) objected on the
ground that beneath the dignity of the House to paw
attention to mere newspaper attack.
Up Henry A. Wise of Virginia in support of the
proposed investigation In the of his remarks he
nsnuaed that Cley had objected because he was afraid
the investigators would catch him with the goods
Ciley got out of his seat with aacrv, and hot language
was in his mouth. With much effort he kept it inside and
told the gentleman from Virginia that the charge was "a
and Ciley repeated that Wise had made an nsnuation
whole matter was that the investigation was ordered The
of the House. and there he publicly exonerated every men,
Senator who was in the market.
In the course of events Ciev of Maine had made
speech in which he referred in an uncomplmentarv wav
to alleged backmai transaction whereby Colonel
James Watson Webb editor OF the Courier and Enquirer
had added largely his bank the expense of the
United States Bank 1t Clley's argument that the
House was lowering its dignity whenever it paid attention
to the barking of of that BREED though he carefully
refraned from canine figures of speech.
This speech the direct cause of the duel Note if
you please that the of William J. Graves of Ken
lucky has not hitherto been mentioned Yet Graves was
one of the men who fought the duel.
What Cjey had suggested about Editor Webb whether
true or false, caused that fire hurry down to Wash
ngon and send Ciev note, asking if he had been re-
tcrring him when he made the SDeech IInre whore