as ever." This indulgence in wit was con tinued until his latest hour, and 'affords an other instance of "the ruling passion strong in death." Stevens was a unique figure in our legisla tive history; as absolutely so, in his particu lar sphere, as were Lincoln and Grant in theirs. They were a wonderful triumvirate, each seeming born for the niche he was de stined to fill. There was nothing in the previ ous history or experience of Stevens to parti cularly point him out as the man who was to shape all the important legislation needed in the great crisis of our history. He was a lawyer, devoted to his profession, and not known as a man of affairs, and yet on his en trance into Congress, he went at once to the head, by a sort of mental gravitation, and no man questioned his supremacy. His tactics were peculiar, notably so in the exceeding paucity and brevity of his re marks. He rarely made a set speech. The matters of legislation which he had in charge were perfected in committee, and he rarely permitted an amendment. Upon one occasion an amendment was proposed to an appropriation bill. Stevens said, "Mr. Chairman, I am opposed to the amendment. I don't know what the amend ment is, but I am opposed to it." It was de feated. On another similar occasion, he said. "Debate is exhausted on the amend ment and everybody here is exhausted. Let's have a vote." In replying to Brooks, of New York, whom he came as near hating as he could hate anybody, he said, "I do not think it is worth while to reply to the remarks of the gentleman from New York, because, accord ing to his own statement, he has the sym
pathy of no party, stands by himself, speaks nobody's opinion but his own, and expects nobody to believe him." And on another oc casion, in reply to the same member, he said. "Mr. Chairman, I do not very well under stand how a gentleman on this floor can justify himself in occupying the time of the House and wasting the money of the country when he tells us, upon rising and upon sit ting down, that he knows he is doing a vain thing and that he is expending time for nothing. If I thought that, sir, I would hold my tongue." Stevens' adroitness of statement was shown on another occasion, when he and Washburn of Illinois got into an unseemly wrangle and a member from Michigan made a point of order on them and said that they were both old enough to know better. Stev ens said, "Mr. Speaker, The gentleman from Michigan is right and I feel that I owe an apology to the House for the remarks made by the gentleman from Illinois." He said of Henry J. Raymond, who was accus tomed to make a speech on one side of a question and then vote on the other, that he had the advantage of other members of the House in the matter of pairing, as he could always pair with himself. Stevens was indifferent to public sentiment and never hesitated in his course from any apprehension of popular disapproval. He was totally lacking in personal magnetism; possessed none of the arts by which the masses are influenced; and carried men with him by pure unflinching logic, which con vinced the reason rather than stirred the emotions. His like will probably never be seen again.
