The Cheyenne Daily Leader

DAKOTA'S ELOQUENCE

Ex-Governor Pierce of Dakota tells of a member of the legislature of that territory who takes an interest in public affairs, and when he makes a speech talks right out in meeting. Not many months ago Governor Church, who has been at a dead-lock with the legislature all winter, sent in the nomination of a one-legged man for a prominent office, and it became the duty of the legislature to consider whether to confirm it or not. The statesman to whom Col. Pierce alludes took the floor and made a brief but effective speech.

"Gentlemen of the legislature, said he, "let us look at the situation carefully in the face and see if we can stand this sort of a nincompoop in the office to which he has been nominated. He trades mostly, I am told, gentlemen, on his timber leg; but don't be fooled on that. Did he lose his meat and bone leg in the war, gentlemen? No, sir; he did not lose it in the war. Did he lose it in the harvest field? No, sir; he did not lose it in the harvest field. Then, how did he lose it, you ask. And you have a right to ask it, gentlemen. It is your right to ask all the questions you are a mind to about the way this duffer lost his leg, and I can answer them. I will tell you how he lost his leg. He was riding, gentlemen, over the prairies of this great and growing territory, turning out of their humble cottages the widows and orphans of poor soldiers who were not able to pay rent, in the dead midst of winter, when the good and wise Creator, who shelters and feeds the sparrows, and never allows the children of the righteous to be begging bread, froze his—shins off."