e adjournment of Congress until the day of
election, I spoke almost daily. The election resulted in a victory
for the Republican party, the head of the ticket, James S. Robinson,
Secretary of State, receiving about 11,000 majority.

The second session of the 49th Congress passed but little important
legislation except the appropriation bills. The two Houses were
so widely divergent that they could not agree upon measures of
political importance.

On the 9th of December I made an impromptu speech on the revision
of the tariff, in reply to Senator Beck, but as no action was taken
upon the subject at that session, it is useless to quote what I
said. Mr. Beck was a man of great mental as well as physical power.
A Scotchman by birth, he came at an early age to the United States
and settled in Kentucky, where he practiced law, and in due time
became a Member of Congress, and afterwards a Senator of the United
States. He was aggressive, affirmative and dogmatic, and seemed
to take special delight in opposing me on all financial questions.
He and I were members of the committee on finance, and had many
verbal contests, but always with good humor. On the 9th of December,
as I entered the Senate Chamber after a temporary absence, I heard
the familiar voice of Beck begging, in the name of the Democratic
party, a chance to reduce taxation. I promptly replied to him,
and the colloquy between us extended to considerable length. He
was, in fact, a free trader, believed in the policy in force in
Great Britain, and opposed every form of protection to American
industries. Our debate brought out the salient arguments on both
sides, though no measure on the subject-matter was pending before
the Senate.

During the holiday recess Senator John A. Logan died at his residence,
Calumet Place, in Washington. This was announced, in the Senate,
by his colleague, Shelby M. Cullom, on January 4, 1887, as follows:

"'The angel of death has been abroad throughout the land.' His
visitation has been most unexpected during the recent brief recess
of the Senate, and has imposed upon me a duty which I have scarcely
the heart to perform--the duty of announcing the death of my late
distinguished colleague. At his home, which overlooks this capital
city, at three minutes before three o'clock on Sunday afternoon,
the 26th of December, the spirit of John A. Logan took its flight
into the unknown realms of eternity. On Friday last, the funeral