Year: 1868

well was elected chief Manager, and Bingham OBJ
jected, claiming that he was entitled to the first
place in the Committee because he had received the
highest number of votes in the House, although Col
fax had distinctly stated that the vote would not de-
eide the question of priority in the Committee Then
Boutwell, resigned to keep peace in the Committee,
and that disguised me. But hope we shall convict
Il hope So"
Dropping politics and the impeachment question
mot as abruptly as do here however,, we came to
speak of the course of the newspapers toward him,
and the vast amount of vituperaton which had been
poured on his head. He remarked that he did not
fret at that it was all he could expect, for you
know" he added, that have always been plain
speaker myself" This led to my asking something
in regard to. his early life and his history. As
used the word history" he glanced at me quickly,
and thought rather suspiciOusly and directly said,
'You newspaper men are always wanting to get at
mans history. AS said to young girl who came
to see me some time ago to collect materials for
biography of me, have no history. My lifelong
regret is that have lived 80 long and so uselessly"


yentured to suggest that his friends were not
disposed to agree with him in the of the word
"uselessly" as applied to his Congressional achieve
ments


"I have achieved nothing in Congress. Until the
war began was podder without influence and





control over anybody. Some of the papers call me
the Leader of the House' / only laugh at them.
lead them, yes; but they never follow me or do as
want them until public opinion has sided with me-"


mo-" he added after pause of moment or two,
"Fm not over proud of my Congressional career.
like my State service better. think and feel hope
without vanity, that the crOwnng utility of my life
was the adoption of the Common School System OF
Pennsylvania"


He explained that in 1885 an attempt was made by
the Democracy for political purposes to repeal the
School law passed during the previous session OF the
Legislature and they did succeed in repeating 1t IN
the Senate They would have succeeded in the
House but for q strong speech and "a good deal OF
libustering' as Mr.. Stevens remarked, on the part
of himself and friends in the House, and Gov Ritner
in the Executive mansion.


THAT is the work." he said, resuming after his
explanation that take most pleasure IN recalling,
except one perhaps. really think the greatest graf
ifcation Of my life resulted from my ability to give
my mother a farm of $50 acres, and a dairy of IA
cows and an occasional bright gold piece which she
loved to deposit in the contribution box of the Bap-
tist Chnrch which she attended. This always
gave her great pleasure. and me much satisfaction.
My mother" no suddenly added, was o very extra
ordinary woman, and have met very few women
like her. NY tather"-he hesitated a moment, and
several times commenced the sentence before pursu-
ing further; it evident he was trying to make
a confession he did not like At length the innate
love of the truth and plain speaking got the better
of him, and he continued:


"My father, You see,' he said twas not well-to-
man, and the support and education of the family
depended on my mother. She worked night and day
to educate l was feeble and lame in my youth,
and as / couldn't work the farm she concluded to
=, aIn Il raH m rama her
ward, but the debt of child to his mother you
know, is one of the debts we can never pay. Poor
woman the very thing did to crafty her most
hastened her death. She very proud of her
dairy and fond of her cows, and night going out
TO look after them she fell and injured herself that
she died soon after"


had heard the fact mentioned that Mr.. Stevens
had on one occasion given 100000 to the poor of Lam
caster County and asked him about the truth of it


"Oh! it was not true7 he said. Il have never
been able to do any such thing have been failure
in everything. have failed financially three times.
The first through going bail and security and 1T
broke up very fine practice had in Adams County.
The second was through the carelessness of partner
in some IRON mills. Notes were presented to me for
payment which had never executed or known of.
went to my partner and asked how it was. He
explained that he had been losing money for some
time but as he had induced to embark in the en-
terprse he had not to tell of the losses
and had signed the firm name to notes without con-
sulting me. WELL l said what's to be done y
He began to make piteOus mouth but l cut him
short i don't come to upbrad you' said. i come
TO get at the facts looked the books and saw
that we were deeply involved. Then l said
to him. You take the works and pay
all claims, releasing mo entirely He de-
clined and / at said, Then L
will: and it was thus the iron works near Chambers
burg came into my possession. The third time
failed was when the Rebels burned these works. My
friends in Lancaster and elsewhere raised about
100000, which they rendered to ME, but declined
it, and it went to the Poor Fund, but did not give
it, managed to get through my trouble, and have
never taken advantage of a Bankrupt law yet"


lie evidently had some feeling on this subject, and
asked him his views on the Bankrupt law.


well" he said, personally feel that my creditors
are entitled among my other worldly goods, to my
labor until / am dead If my debts are not paid,
then the Bankrupt law of another world will cancel
them.p


There was much more said of u nature not calcu-
lated to be of interest to the general public and
which it is not necessary to give here. All that he
did and said confirmed me in the opinion had long
held of his pOsitiveness and doggedness and
came away not only impressed with the power OF the
man. but fully satisfied, had been before, of the
sincerity of his CONVICTIONS aud that idea was
enough TO make me admire and respect even IL dlu
not fully agree with him.


RECONSTRU UCTION