oned the bill till after the holidays. During the recess I
examined the question by making inquiries at the War and Treasury
departments, where I found that authority existed for reimbursing
States for all expenditures actually made and for the payment of all
troops that had been mustered into the service. Thus the real purpose
of the bill was apparent. During the Antietam and Gettysburg campaigns
bodies of troops had been organized for defence and expenses had been
incurred by towns and counties, but no actual service had been
performed. It was intended by the appropriation to provide for the
payment of these expenses. I prepared a brief and gave it to Mr.
Dawes, who used it in the debate. When it became apparent that the
bill would be lost, Cox rose and moved to insert after the word
Pennsylvania, the words Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana,
Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and the Territory of New Mexico.
Also to strike out $800,000 and insert ten million dollars. These
amendments brought to the support of the measure the members from all
those States, and the bill was passed. The Senate never acted upon
it. I was indignant at the action of the House, and I said to Stevens,
whose seat was near to mine: _"This is the most outrageous thing that
I have seen on the floor of the House."_ Stevens doubled his fist but
not in anger, shook it in my face and said: "You rascal, if you had
allowed me to have my rights I should not have been compelled to make
a corrupt bargain in order to get them." Thus he admitted his
arrangement with Cox and the character of it, and laid the
responsibility upon me.

Mr. Stevens was a tyrant in his rule as leader of the House. He was at
once able, bold and unscrupulous. He was an anti-slavery man, a friend
to temperance and an earnest supporter of the public school system, and
he would not have hesitated to promote those objects by arrangements
with friends or enemies. He was unselfish in personal matters, but his
public policy regarded the State of Pennsylvania, and the Republican
Party. The more experienced members of the House avoided controversy
with Stevens. First and last many a new member was extinguished by his
sarcastic thrusts. As for himself no one could terrorize him. I
recall an occasion near the close of a session, when, as it was
important to get a bill out of the Committee of the Whole, he remained
upon his feet or upon his one foot and assailed eve