CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FROM ~;.fs. E664.A76'' U58 """""'"' """" + Memorial addresses on the life and chara olin Hill mil mil III mill i imiiii « m.. 3 1924 030 972 495 Over! N Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030972495 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES LIFE AND CHARACTER JOHN ARNOT, JR. ( A REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW YORK), DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF EEPRESENTATIVES AND IN THE SENATE, |, 5 FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION. ( 'J *? ^ " 1^6? PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF CONGRESS. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1887. C;OfvWf t I ANNOUNCEMENT Death of John Arnot, Jr. In the House of Representatives, December 6, 1886. Mr. Hewitt. Mr. Speaker, it is my painful duty to an- nounce to the House that since its adjournment in August last two members of the New York delegation have died, Hon. Lewis Beach, who represented in this House the Fifteenth Congressional district, and Hon. John Arnot, Jr., who represented the Twenty-eighth Congressional district. I do not propose at this time to do more than make this sad announcement, knowing that the House will hereafter take such action as will be appropriate in the circumstances. But I send to the desk resolutions which I ask to have read- by the Clerk. The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, That tlie House has heard with smcere regret the announce- ment of the death during the late recess of Hon. Lewis Beach and Hon. John Arnot, Jr. , late Representatives from the State of New York. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate the foregoing resolution to the Senate. Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Representatives the House do now adjourn. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to, and the House accordingly adjourned. 3 4 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. In the House of Repkesentatives, February 8, 1887. Mr. Millard. I submit the resolutions which I send to the desk. The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, That the House has received with profound sorrow the an- nouncement of the death of Hon. John Arnot, late a member of the House of Representatives from the State of New York, and tenders to the family and kindred of the deceased the assurance of sympathy in their sad bereavement. Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended that oppor- tunity may be given for fitting tributes to the memory of the deceased and to his eminent public and private virtues. Resolved, That the Clerk of the House be directed to transmit to the family of the deceased a copy of these resolutions. ADDRESSES ON THE Death of John Arnot, Jr. DELIVERED IN THE TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS. Address of Mr. Millard, of New^ York. Mr. Speaker : At a meeting of the New York Congress- ional delegation, recently held, I was directed by its chair- man, Mr. Hewitt, to present to the House at this time the resolutions just read. It now becomes my sad duty to ask for their consideration, and to join in paying the last official tribute to the memory of my deceased colleague. Scenes like this have become so frequent during the pres- ent Congress, they seem almost to constitute a part of the regular proceedings of the House. The list of our departed associates is indeed a long one. Of the three hundred and twenty-five Representatives elected to the Forty-ninth Con- gress who a little more than one year ago appeared and answered to the first roll-call, the seats of eleven have been vacated by the hand of death. Eleven of our number have died. With them "life's fitful fever is over." Their work on earth is accomplished, and they have passed beyond the reach of all human praise or blame. 5 6 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. In the death of John Arnot I cannot but feel that I have sustained a personal loss He was not only my colleague, but my neighbor and friend. We entered Congress at the same time, and the Congressional district he represented at the time of his death comprised a portion of the constituency I had the honor to represent in the Forty-eighth Congress. In the few remarks I may be able to offer at this time I can- not hope to do justice to his memory, yet were I to remain silent I should not only do violence to my own feelings, but disappoint many of my constituents who were his admirers and life-long friends. John Arnot was born at Elmira, N. Y., March 11, 1831. He sprang from good stock, being the second son of the late John Arnot, a native of Perthshire, Scotland. In early life the father left his Scottish home to seek his fortune in the New World, and while a young man came to Elmira, then a small village in the southern tier of New York. He was a man of great business energy and financial ability, and did more to develop the resources of Southern New York and Northern Pennsylvania than any man of his time. The elder Arnot died several years ago, leaving surviving him three sons, Stephen T., John, and Matthias. John was educated at a private school, and upon the death of his father became the head of the Chemung Canal Bank, one of the largest banking houses in the southern tier of New York. In early life he married Miss Hulit, daughter of the late Hon. Charles Hulit, a woman of culture and re- finement, to whose beauty of character and patient courage he was largely indebted for his success in life. That the people of the Twenty-eighth district of New York in 1882 should select him to represent them in Congress was one of the most natural things in the world. For many years he had been its foremost citizen, popular with all Address of Mr Millard, of New York. 7 classes, a man of great wealth, but with, a heart as big as his fortune. No man in all Southern New York was better or more favorably known. For thirty years he had been iden- tified with the growth and prosperity of his beloved city, and there was no spot in all the world he loved so well. It was at Elmira he was born, and it was there all the busy years of his life had been spent. If he had loved her, she had honored him in return. For three successive terms he had been chosen president of the village, and after it had become a thriving and populous city he was frequently elected to the office of mayor. John Arnot at the time of his death had entered upon his second term in Congress. So satisfactorily had he per- fo'rmed the duties of his high office, and so greatly was he beloved, his second nomination and election was practically without opposition. Though residing in a doubtful district, the Republican Congressional convention which met at Ithaca in the autumn of 1884 made him its candidate by unanimously indorsing his nomination. He made no claims to statesmanship. He was not a debater or in any sense a parliamentarian. I think his voice was never heard in the discussion of any public question upon this floor. Pro- tracted debate wearied him, and he was always impatient for the call of the previous question. But for all this he was an able man, thoroughly posted upon- all important questions, and his vote and influence was always to be found on the right side. John Arnot was a strong partisan, but he never per- mitted his party obligations to interfere with what he deemed to be a conscientious performance of official duty. Public life in Washington has many temptations, and there are few who have occupied high official positions here that have escaped the charge of corruption or venality in some 8 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. form or other. Charges of this character are often made against public men without the slightest foundation ; hut no breath of detraction ever tarnished his good name or dimmed the luster of his public life. The honesty of his vote was never questioned ; his integrity was unimpeachable and incorruptible. As was said of the late lamented Has- kell, one of our distinguished associates in the Forty-eighth Congress, "his lips were too white to tell a lie and his hands too pure to accept a bribe." The Twenty-eighth Congressional district of New York is one of the largest and most important in the State, rich in agricultural resources and extensive manufactures. Cornell University is within its boundaries. To fitly represent such a people and such a constituency its Representative wa's required to be not only a man of ability, but he must cor- rectly reflect the views of his district upon all great public questions, such as the tariff and the financial policy of the Government. Upon these questions Mr. Arnot was thor- oughly informed and outspoken. Upon all such questions he desired not only to represent the views of his constit- uency, but to do what he deemed to be for the best inter- ests of the American people. The last time we ever saw him alive was when he came here from a sick bed in Elmira to record his vote against the passage of a measure which in his judgment was hostile to the welfare of millions of our people. Sir, I have spoken of Mr. Arnot's early life and his val- uable public services. I now desire to speak briefly of him as a private citizen. Though he was many years my senior, I knew him intimately. Few public men were more highly esteemed or universally beloved. From his father he had inherited a large fortune, but it was neither his wealth nor his official position that endeared him to the hearts of the Address of Mr. Millard, of Neiv York. 9 people. He was the manliest of men, the most delightful of companions, and the truest of friends. He was everywhere a welcome visitor, and always unassuming and considerate of the rights of others. It is written, and upon occasions like this often said, and well said, that " an honest man is the noblest work of God." Such a man was our honored and beloved associate. In all the multifarious and complex dealings with his neighbors and fellow-men he was scrupulously honest and upright — his word as good and a little better than his bond. In the summer of 1883 his name began to be mentioned in connection with the nomination for Congress in his district, but official position or public life had no charms for him, and it was not until he had been twice put in nomination that he would consent to stand as a candidate. The contest was the hottest ever known in the district. He had for a competitor an able man, one of the best political speakers in the State, and with a splendid record as a soldier in the war of the rebellion; but to defeat such a candidate as John Arnot was an impossibility. There was scarcely a poor man or woman in the district he had not befriended at one time or another. If in destitution or overtaken with sudden misfortune they went to him for assistance, and they never returned empty-handed. How many sad hearts he made glad by his open-handed generosity no one ever knew but himself. With him it was always more blessed to give than receive. If I were asked to name the chief characteristic of John Arnot, I should unhesitatingly say his unbounded liberality. The history of such a' life is written in this one word, the sweetest and best word in all the ancient or modern lan- guages. Why should such a man, so kind, so generous, so noble-hearted, not be permitted to live out the time allotted 10 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. to men ? Why should such a life, so valuable to society and the state, he thus shortened ? I confess I am unahle to com- prehend. On the 20th of last November, at his home, in Elmira, Mr. Aenot died. He had not been in good health for the past year. In the autumn of 1884 he met with an accident which well-nigh proved fatal. From its effects he had never fully recovered. His death, though not wholly unexpected, was a great shock to the people of his district. They knew that he was sorely ill, and had been compelled to leave his official duties here in the middle of the session, but they hoped and prayed for his recovery. They longed to see him upon the street again. Said his distinguished competitor for the elec- tion to the Forty -eighth Congress, during his illness, "Al- though he defeated me for Congress, I would take off my shoes and walk to Washington in my bare' feet to restore him to health." Colonel Baxter but expressed the feelings of hundreds of Mr. Arnot's constituents, but it was not to be. ISTo human skill could bring him back to health. As the sun was illu- mining the eastern horizon on that beautiful November morn the heart of our beloved associate ceased to beat, and he sank to rest surrounded by those he loved best — his family. In the death of John Arnot Southern New York lost its most valuable citizen, the State and Nation a faithful public servant, and every member 6f this House a genial and true friend. Greater men have lived and died, but none more justly esteemed or universally loved. Address of Mr. Hiscock, of Neiv York. H Address of Mr. HisCOCK, of New York. Mr. Speaker : I rise to pay a tribute of respect to John Arnot. He was one of the most distinguished sons, one of the most influential citizens, of the State of New York. He entered upon life surrounded by every advantage that may be possessed in this Republic. A member of a wealthy and distinguished family, it was not necessary for him to acquire, but only to utilize the means already at hand for his development. He was not forced to struggle for place and position, but hardly a less difficult task was before him, to hold that to which he was born. I have not said this to detract from his merits, but rather to illustrate them. Too often is it that such early advantages as those of Mr. Arnot are possessed at the expense of the energy, force of charac- ter, and personal habits necessary to success, and the devel- opment of a worthy character and manhood. Mr. Arnot did not become weak because action and energy were unnecessary. He was not insensible to the claims of his neighbors, friends, his city, and the State upon him, though the honors they might bestow were unnecessary for his happiness or pleasure. He was ever kind to the poor, though he had never felt the pain of their necessities. He extended a helping hand to those struggling to position, although he had ever possessed it. In the society and municipal affairs of his native town he always had a deep interest, though little likely to be person- ally affected by them. Possessed of the means that would have established him in a broader and more conspicuous field, he chose rather to work out his life problem where it commenced; and in that section of our State — in respect to its area, population, 12 i*/e and Character of John Arnot, Jr. wealth, and education a State of itself — no man has more impressed himself or been held in higher respect or esteem while living, or, now that he is gone, in kinder and more respectful memory by her people. He engaged in vast business enterprises (not because accumulation was necessary or for the sake of accumulating), and honesty and conscientiousness marked the transactions of his business career. He was a man of unquestioned integrity. In those official positions to which he was called at home his administration was characterized by a firm and steady purpose to accomplish the greatest possible good for his people. He was a public spirited citizen, a warm friend, and open-handed in relieving the distressed. As a Congressman we knew him here, and the highest compliment was paid him by his constituents. Though a member of the Democratic party he was elect from a Repub- lican district, because they knew that party ties would not be strong enough to hold him from faithfully representing them in his votes; that party prejudice nor party necessities would swerve him from faithfully voicing their views and convictions. And, sir, their confidence was not misplaced. He never hesitated to balance the chances or weigh the effect upon himself ; of strong convictions, he quickly responded to the expectations of those he represented. Though belonging to a great < political party he was not its slave, and would not surrender at its call his opinions and the interests of his district. But few of his type mark our Congressional history, and I bow my head in honor and reverence to him. His virtues will long be remembered in Southern New York. He was a worthy representative of a great State, and his duty to her was never obscured, but he honestly, faithfully, and promptly discharged the trusts reposed in Address of Mr. Van Eaton, of Mississippi. 13 Mm. His associates in this House will remember Mm as gemal and generous, a man of positiveness, always trust- worthy and.painstaMng, and with a thorough comprehen- sion of those questions he was called upon to deal with. We remark his absence, and appreciate that a strong man has gone from us. Address of Mr. Van Eaton of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker : My acquaintance with our lost friend and brother began in this way : Soon after my election to the Forty-eighth Congress a valued friend and prominent citi- zen of Mississippi said to me one day that he had an old friend of his Yale College days, who, like myself, had been elected for a first term, whose acquaintance he thought I would find pleasant, and to whom he gave me a letter of introduction. That letter I handed to John Aknot at the Democratic caucus the Saturday night before the meeting of Congress. Though years had passed since they had met, he was greatly pleased to hear from his old friend, and much interested in all that related to his situation and prospects. The acquaintance thus begun soon ripened into friend- ship, and I found him at first what he was ever, warm- hearted, genial, generous, and frank. He was eminently calculated to win and retain friends ; he had great positive- ness of character, and was very pronounced in his. likes and dislikes. He despised shams, show, and pretense, while struggling merit, however lowly, found in him a fast and unfailing friend. His ideal of what man ought to be was very high, and I think it maybe truthfully said his daily life and conduct squared fully with his ideal. "While he 14 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. loathed the arts of the quack, the trickster, and the dema- gogue, he had infinite faith in his kind and a living trust in the future. This faith and trust colored all his life, and, coupled with his boundless generosity, made up one of the loveliest char- acters I have ever known. The needy and the suffering never appealed to him in vain, nor did he wait for appeals ; he was ever seeking opportunities of doing good, which he always preferred to do "by stealth." On one occasion I spoke reprovingly to him of his indiscriminate acts of charity, and referred to the danger that much he gave might be unworthily bestowed. His reply was characteristic ; it was to the effect that he might make some poor sorrowing sufferer glad, and he would take all the chances in that hope. All that tended to make men and women better and hap- pier found in him a firm and unwavering friend, not in words and professions, for of these he was chary, but in acts that would be performed and bear fruit while others were hesitating ; and to-day while we pause- in the great rush of the affairs of every-day life to pay what I am sure is a heart- felt tribute to his memory, the name is legion of those who have abundant cause to mourn his loss and lament the death of him who had been their friend in time of sorest need. I know it is commonly said epitaphs and tributes of this kind study only to speak well of the dead, but in this case it is simply impossible to speak truthfully without speaking words of praise — words which, to those who did not know the subject of them, would appear extravagant panegyric. The character of our friend, which I am attempting so im- perfectly to portray, he maintained in all the relations of life. He did not have one face for the world and another for those where that world was shut out, but he was the same to all. Address of Mr. Felix Campbell, of New York. 15 As a legislator lie was eTer loyal and fearlessly true to what lie believed to be right, and during his term here he made warm friends of his associates, and that without re- gard to party affiliations. In a word, he was a just, good, true man, and of him as much as of any man any of us have ever met I believe it may be truthfully written that he was One who loved his fellow-men. There are others who knew him longer and more inti- mately than I did, and for them it is more fitting to speak of him and his character more minutely and at greater length than I should do. I may be permitted to say I loved him. He was my friend, as he was the friend of mankind, and I have sought this opportunity in all humbleness to drop a tear to his memory, to place a modest flower on his bier. Address of Mr. Felix Campbell, of NeAv York. Mr. Speaker : It is, I think, no small testimonial to the character of a man of whom it can be truthfully said that the tributes to his memory are none the less genuine and sincere than those which greeted his pathway while yet among us. For human nature has a kindlier side when re- calling the traits of those who have gone before, and blends with generous intent opinions tempered by the hand of sor- row. Yet I think it will be conceded that the thoughts and feelings associated with the man whose life and character we are considering to-night were as kind and fervent while he was still among us as those which followed him to the grave, and that no more beautiful tribute can be woven to his memory than is comprised in many of the utterances passed upon him before his days were numbered. 16 Lif^ O'nd Character of John Arnot, Jr. Mr. Arnot -was a singularly plain man — plain in that he was direct, open, sincere, and -without disguise, with an in- herent force of character inherited from ancestors who were pioneers in the development of two great States, and whose qualities in no small degree gave vigor to the conservative and steady methods which characterize the soil from which he sprang. Amid the surroundings of his childhood were instilled principles and feelings which remained with him through life — a broad sense of right, marked freedom from prejudice and illiberality of thought, a power of friendship strong in grasp and beautiful in its loyalty, and, above all, a gentleness and serenity of heart which lent sunshine to his presence and welcome to his voice. He was of positive con- viction and determined purpose, but with a simplicity of bearing and modesty of expression thoroughly in keeping with a nature foreign alike to obtrusive assertiveness and unseemly ostentation. Indeed, to many minds the simplicity of this character was its chief charm. It was candid in all its attributes and generous to the last. Charles Lamb once said : The gi-eatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth and have it found out hj accident. Mr. Arnot had no such thought. He cared not whether his good deeds were known or not ; he gave because the giving made the recipient, and therefore himself, happy. His motives were high, and were born of a nature too deeply imbued with the spirit of the golden rule to permit an act in the doing of which was commingled any selfishness. The esteem in which he was held by his neighbors and the con- fidence which they reposed in him could be illustrated in no better way than in the honors which they thrust upon him. When the now flourishing city of Elmira was but a vil- lage he was its honored head, and subsequently when chart- ered he was elected mayor, and re-elected so long as he was Address of Mr. Felix Campbell, of New York. 1 7 content to serve the people among whom he had lived all his life, and who looked to him as the sponsor of their trust and rectitude. It is four years since he was nominated for Congress by the Democrats of a district which contained a Republican majority of over three thousand. His personal following was so great that he was elected by a majority equal to that ordinarily given to the Republican candidate. In Congress he so discharged his duties that he was renomi- nated by both of the political parties and re-elected without opposition. It is unnecessary, I take it, Mr. Speaker, to dwell at -length on the estimation in which he was held by his associates on this floor. To his labors here he brought the same direct methods of thought and the same just principles which char- acterized his business career, and his subsequent adminis- tration of the affairs of the city in which he lived. Careful and considerate, he commanded respect for the force and liberality of his views, as he appealed also to the warmer side of human nature by a radiance of heart which never lost its luster. For at least a year before he died his health was poor. He bore suffering with Christian fortitude, and as the shadows closed about him spoke of an abiding confi- dence in the wisdom of the Supreme Being, to whose sum- mons we must all inevitably bow. The good which this man did lives after him in the recol- lection of the many to whom he was a protector and a friend; it is written in the records of the charitable institutions to which he gave unstintingly of his means, and in the activity of the benevolent enterprises which he was pleased to stimu- late and promote. May the gentle and generous influences which his asso- ciation engendered long survive ; and in the heavenly sphere, where contention is no more, may rest and peace and hap- piness be his for all time. H. Mis. 159 2 18 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. Address of Mr. CURTIN, of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker: "Forgive us our trespasses as "we forgive those who trespass against us " might be a rule of action ; but " Love thy neighbor as thyself" is a still higher injunc- tion, whether it conies from inspiration or drops from the lips of Divinity. I have never in my life known a man who followed that precept more rigidly than did John Arnot. I would not exalt our friend as a great orator or statesman. His voice was never heard within this Hall during his career except to vote ; yet around that man there gathered more affectionate devotion than ever fixed itself upon any man that I have known since my presence in the Congress of the ■ United States. Mr. Speaker, when a man dies who never fulfilled much of the personal and relative duties of life, who never loved his neighbor as himself, who never gave of his means in open-handed charity, there ic little thought of it ; and there is jiist about as much thought of a man of that kind as there ought to be. But when a good man dies there is an aching void in the society in which he lived, in the neighborhood that he served, in the hearts of the friends to whom he was kind, and the poor who were the objects of his benevolence. I would not speak of John Arnot other than as an honest man, equal to all his trusts — a man who had the confidence of the community in which he lived. When he died all that community was gathered at his funeral, and there was real sorrow, because a true friend of humanity had passed away. The rich who knew that he was an honest ijaan, the poor whom he had sustained and supported, the representatives of the institutions of charity to which he had been liberal all his life followed him to the grave, and there was real sorrow. In that commiinity there is to-day a void. Address of Mr. Curtin, of Pennsylvania. 19 Mr. Speaker, a statesman may die, and for a time much may be said of him ; of his eloquence, of his good works, and the like ; but he is soon forgotten. There are plenty of statesmen in this country. I do not know but that there are more than there might be, certainly as many as are use- ful ; and when one after another drops out their places are filled by others quite their peers and equals, and it is not, therefore, that a nation should mourn for the decease of a man. That is of little amount. It is in the course of human affairs, just as we stand constantly in these Halls and in the States. But the great tribute to the memory of a man is the effect he has on the community in which he lived. I say no man has been in this Congress since my presence here and had the honor of a seat on this floor that had around him more devoted friends than John Aenot. I was so much his friend that I can scarcely speak of him without emotion. I am not equal to it. In all my life, and it is drawing to a close, I never knew a purer man. I never knew a kinder man ; I never knew a man more constant in his friendship, more dignified in his resentment of wrong, or more willing to do his duty relative to his family and his community and to the state. Now, Mr. Speaker, I am not magnifying the man. I have said of him what I believe ; and whilst I have had much to do with the affairs of the country, have been with men of all classes in my life, I know full well that of this man I am pronouncing no eulogy beyond that which is proper. I use no language which I do not think belongs to him and to his memory, and I offer to his memory the hom- age of my gratitude for the life of the man, and with the belief that he is happier now than we are to-day. Mr. Speaker, we must fulfill our duties, for none can tell when the portals of this Hall will open and the grim monster 20 Lif^ o.'i^d Character of John Arnot, Jr. will come in and seize another victim — to-night, to-morrow, who knows ? We should he ready. Mr. Speaker, all humanity is of one family. It is made np of the living and the dead, and those who go before ns oast their benefactions upon us by their good works in life, and it is reserved for us when we are to follow to so dispose of our works to our country and our friends that when we go we too will leave an example to those who may come after us, and whilst that may be forgotten, and our names unknown as members of this august and distinguished body, but when our good names come to those who follow us in the circle of our friends where we live, they will feel the benefactions of a just and upright life. That is all John Arnot did. That, gentlemen, is all you can do. Just do it ; your friends will be satisfied ; your memory will be cherished, and the Almighty God will bless you. Address of Mr. Timothy J. Campbell, of New York. Mr. Speaker : In accordance with a time-honored custom, this evening has been set apart by the House of Represen- tatives to afford us an opportunity of testifying our regard for the memory of those whom the angel of death has sum- moned from our midst. While perhaps there are men more widely known, yet there are few men whose lives, after the last page has been written, will bear as close a scrutiny as that of our friend and colleague, John Arnot, and show so little, if anything, to hide or excuse, so much to commend, reflect upon, and take pattern by, That life was spent in the half century and more of its lively continuance in one spot, Mr. Arnot's Address of Mr. Timothy J. Campbell, of New York. . 21 birthplace and the scene of his death being almost identical, something that in this shifting, moviag, restless country of ours is nncommon and unusual, but the influence of that life was of wide extent, reaching far beyond the confined limits of his city, county, district, and State. From his earliest childhood Mr. Arnot was one by him- self, exhibiting those characteristics that marked his whole career ; winning love and consideration in his youth that he held until his latest breath, and that remains and will re- main attached to his memory forever. His family, one of the wealthiest and most prominent in the "southern tier" of "New York, and, indeed, of the whole State, were identi- fied with the old Whig party. He himself was always a Democrat, there being something in the principles of that party appealing to his generous nature that could never see any difPerence in his fellow-men, whatever their position or condition in life. He had the pleasurable satisfaction, long before the founder and head of the family died, of seeing them all come to his side in politics, and adopt the princi- ples and sentiments that he had held from boyhood. It might be said, and with truth, that Mr. Aenot's whole life had been a public one. In youth, after a good common- school education, and a brief season spent at Yale College, where, however, he did not graduate, he was called home in 1853 by his father to assist in the management of a very large estate, his own especial duties being connected with the conduct of the Chemung Canal Bank of Elmira, largely owned by his family. This has always been a strong and influential concern, but Mr. Arnot, by his advent in its management, added to its character an element seldom possessed by great moneyed concerns, that of a generosity toward the business interests of that whole region, a care and consideration for its credit, that in periods of distress 22- Lif& (^i^d Character of John Arnot, Jr. and depression carried it into prosperous times with, fewer disasters than occurred to any other section anywhere in the land. It is a matter of record that in the distressful periods of mercantile depression that marked the years of 1857 and 1873, times that have but once or twice been paralleled in the business history of this country, the city of Elmira and the large region depending upon upon it, or upon which it depended, with the immense interests in coal, iron, and lum- ber, were entirely free from such disastrous failures as were frequent in other parts of the country. This favorable state of affairs can be directly traceable to Mr. Arnot and the Chemung Canal Bank. The foundations of the bank were laid deep, and the whole region could and did lean upon it trustingly and confidingly. It is the simple truth that in those troublous times not one single man who went to Mr. Arnot for help was ever turned away empty- handed. His large nature grasped the whole monetary situation, and he was unwilling to have distress fall upon the humblest. Of course when the tide turned and the sun of prosperity once more shone over the land, Mr. Arnot reaped largely where he had sown so plentifully. He deserved to do so. But not alone in money did the return come to him, and I am inclined to think, knowing what I do of him, that he valued that less than he did the abiding love and affection of the whole community that were equally the result of his thoughtfulness and generosity. At another time, in indications of distress and unhappi ness, Mr. Arnot's position and feelings were no less markedly shown. In those early days of the war, in the midst of dis- trust, suspicion, and apprehension, his whole personal in- fluence and the monetary influence and assistance of the Address of Mr. Timothy J. Campbell, of Neiv York. 23 bank were thrown by him unhesitatingly and iirmly on the side of the Union and the Government. Its funds were always ready and available in times of emergency and need in forwarding the means taken for the undivided preserva- tion of the country. Can it be wondered at, then, that whenever Mr. Arnot came before the people for an elective office he never had any real opposition ? He served three terms as president of the board of trustees of the then village of Elmira in 1859, 1860, and 1864, being only twenty-eight years of age when chosen for the first time, and each time his election was practically unanimous. When Elmira was made a city, in 1864, he was elected its first mayor and served in the same capacity in 1870 and 1874. These were the only public offices he held until he was chosen a member of this body in 1882. That election so peculiarly shows how Mr. Aenot was held in the estimation of his fellow-citizens that I cannot help but refer to it particularly. His district was then composed of the counties of Chemung, Steuben, and Allegany. Alle- gany County, as every one knows, was the birthplace of the Republican party and it could always be counted upon for a majority on that side of at least 3,600. Steuben County sympathized strongly with its neighbor and was good for the same organization by at least 3,000 majority more. Chemung County, although naturally Democratic, was sometimes "mighty uncertain." Our friends, the Republi- cans, in the canvass had nominated a brilliant young law- yer who had a splendid war record and had made a State reputation by his campaign speeches. As I have said, the struggle was a bitter one, but the re- sult not, perhaps, astonishing. Mr. Aenot's majority in the district was upwards of 4,000, and he carried every elec- 24 Life and Character of John Arnot, Jr. tion district in his own county but one, and every county in the district. In the next canvass, although the district was reconstructed, there was no nomination made against him, an event that attracted national attention. I recall these things to our memories as the best commen- tary I can make upon the life and character of our friend, as showing that sometimes party ties and party lines are very weak when brought into contact -with a strong person- ality that is backed by personal affection and based on gratitude. We all know the record that Mr. Aknot made in this as- sembly. The qualities that bound to him so tenaciously the great body of his constituents endeared him to every mem- ber here who came in personal contact with him, and gave him among those who knew him only by reputation a place that it would be an envied pleasure for any one to occupy. He was the intimate and the associate of the best in this House, and therefore of the best in the land, and was speed- ily recognized as their equal and peer. It might be expected and it will be found that the kindly feelings of Mr. Arnot, which in large business operations take the name of generosity, were in smaller things ex- hibited in a way that we call charitable. His private gifts, from which he could never expect the slightest return, were enormous. It seemed impossible for him to turn any one away unsatisfied who asked for help. The extent of these givings was never in any sort measured until after his death, and the unobtrusiveness with which they were made may somewhat be estimated from an illustration with which I have become acquainted. A very old and poverty-stricken couple, the husband more than eighty years of age and blind and the wife closely ap- proaching the same period of life, froze to death within a Address of Mr. Timothy J. Campbell, of New York. 25 few days of Mr. Aenot's demise — he ty tlie wayside in the midst of a severe snow-storm while out seeking something to provide warmth and food, and she while awaiting in her home his return. It was then ascertained for the first time that for years they had heen the constant and regular recipi- ents of the bounty of our friend. The hand and good heart that had protected and provided for them had been too suddenly withdrawn. No one can tell into how many households where there was want, sickness, and the disabled distress entered, although it is to be hoped not in such ter- rible shape as this, when our friend died. When such a heart as this stops beating is it any wonder that in the community that was blessed by its throbs genu- ine tears of sorrow flow and a void be made that can never be filled ? Mr. Aenot was too young a man to die, and, as is often the case, his career of usefulness and beauty was too brief. I say career of beauty, for there is nothing more beautiful to me than the life of such a man. Provided with abun- dant means, unobtrusively but nevertheless just as certainly, ■with a heart singularly free from envy, hatred, malice, and all uncharitableness, he went about doing good. Where there were tears and sorrow he caused smiles and gladness to come ; oftentimes his hand made mourning less grievous, and by his tenderness caused the shadow of death to be less dark and gloomy. If the man who where one blade of gi:ass grew caused two blades there to spring up deserves immor- tality, what can be said of him who chases away a tear and puts in its place a smile ? Mr. Aenot, springing from the sturdy Scotch stock, was too young to die and fifteen years too short of the allotted years of man's existence. But a man even of exceptional ruggedness could not well have successfully withstood the 26 Life o-nd Character of John Arnot, Jr. physical shock that Mr. Arnot sustained two years ago last October. It will be remembered by the most of us that at that time, in opening the vault of his bank one morning, there was an explosion of gas therefrom, and he was thrown across the room, fifteen feet or thereabouts, striking against the desk, and at the same time was severely burned about the head, face, and hands. At this time he was a splendid specimen of physical man- hood, but he never recovered from the shock. We who saw him during the first session of this Congress know how earn- estly he tried to perform his duties, and know, too, how rapidly his constitution was being undermined. It was no surprise, therefore, although as great a grief, when the in- formation was received the latter part of last November that he had passed from among us and was no more. We and other public bodies with which Mr. Aenot was connected may pass formal resolutions of respect, sympa- thy, and regret, and the world will wag on its old cold way as though the sod covered all that there was of our friend; there will be disaster and prosperity, shadow and sunshine, clouds and rainbows, as though he had never existed, but in that community where he lived and was loved for many a day and year there will be sincere mourning, and the mention of his name will for many a generation conjure up memories of deeds of kindness and thoughtf ulness that may- hap may prompt others following in his footsteps to emulate his example and live the life that he lived. He can not be forgotten, and even if he is, it can not be said of him that he lived in vain, for he was an honorable and honest man. Address of Mr. Wilkins, of Ohio. 27 Address of Mr. "Wilkins, of Ohio. Mr. Speaker: John Aenot was my friend. I became acqiiainted with him early in the first session of the Forty- eighth Congress. The acquaintance formed thus early in our legislative careers ripened into a warm and generous friendship, which was never interrupted by a hasty word or an unpleasant in- cident. And, sir, I can not permit this occasion to pass without joining with his colleagues, who knew him longer and better perhaips, without joining with them in paying a tender trib- ute to his memory. His death occurred at his home in Elmira, N. Y., on Sat- urday morning, November 20, 1886, resulting doubtless from serious injuries he had sustained by an explosion of gas in the vault of the Chemung Canal Bank, of which he was the managing officer. The injuries he then received proved nearly fatal at the time, but careful nursing and a robust constitution tided him over until the sunset of the year. He never recovered from the shock he had received. When he returned to his seat in the first session of the Forty-ninth Congress it was a subject of common remark he was not the same John Aenot as before. At times during this ses- sion he would rally and seem to grow stronger,' encouraging the hope for his ultimate restoration to health, but for months prior to his death his rapidly failing strength gave unmistakable evidence the end was near. John Aenot was born March 11, 1831, and was therefore nearly fifty -six years old at the time of his death. Fourteen years less than the three-score and ten allotted to man by the psalmist were measured to him. 28 Ldfs cii^