The "Celebrating The 'Great Commoner' - The Man" Story

An old etching of Steven's home on South Duke Street in Lancaster, PA

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, August 12, the day after the memorial service and celebration observing the 150th anniversary of the death of Thaddeus Stevens.  The newspapers were full of articles telling about the service and celebration.  To go along with the usual articles were a few stories listing things the common person might not know about Stevens, a few trivia facts about him and a few other stories telling about Stevens, the master of the political put-down.  Thought I would share with you some of the more unusual things that you normally might not associate with a famous politician.  First a few short stories about being a master of put-down...

Thaddeus Stevens on the House of Representatives floor.

• One of Ste- ven's mea- sures that he had pre- sen- ted in the state legis- lature in the 1830s was spoken against by an opponent.  Stevens defended the legislation and ignored his opponent...at first.  As he was about to take his seat he stared at this opponent while saying, "Mr. Speaker, it will not be expected of me to notice the thing which has crawled into this House and adheres to one of the seats by it own slime."
• After becoming a Republican, Stevens was forever loyal to the party.  Having arrived late for a meeting one day at the U.S. House of Representatives, the Committee on Elections was trying to decide whether a Democrat or Republican should take a contested seat.  A colleague told Stevens that they are both damned scoundrels.  To that he said, "Well, which one is the Republican damned scoundrel?  I want to go for him!"
• Thaddeus did not like all Republicans and he thought poorly of fellow Lancastrian Simon Cameron.  He told President Lincoln to watch out for Cameron after Lincoln had made him Secretary of War.  Lincoln asked him, "Do you mean to say you think Cameron would steal?"  Stevens replied, "No, I don't think he would steal a red-hot stove."  Cameron heard about the remark and demanded a retraction.  Stevens went to Lincoln and offered this retraction: "I believe I told you he would not steal a red-hot stove.  I will now take that back."
• Thaddeus Stevens did not care at all for President Andrew Johnson's Southern-coddling Re-construction policy.  When a friend defended Johnson by pointing out that he was a self-made man, Stevens came back at him with, "I never thought of it that way, but it does relieve God Almighty of a heavy responsibility!"

A few facts about the "Great Commoner" are...

• Stevens was involved in the founding of two colleges.  The first being Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology in Lancaster, PA and the other Gettysburg College.  In his will for the school in Lancaster he left $50,000 for a school for indigent orphans, open to students of all colors and creeds.  Both school still exist today.
• Stevens was instrumental in the creation of paper money, since there was no federal paper money before the Civil War.
• Stevens was responsible for the first federal income tax, during the Civil War.
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  Stevens Tech in Lancaster, PA

  Stevens was a champion of free public education to all citizens of Pennsylvania.  He believed that education was the one thing that was going to allow anyone to pull themselves up beyond their making.  His father left when he was 12.  His mother championed the education of he and his siblings.  He was always quick to give her credit for his success due to her role in his education.  When he was in the Pennsylvania State House, he gave a speech that was so powerful that the House actually approved a stronger public education bill which was also approved by the Senate.  One line from the speech read: "Build not your monuments of brass or marble, but make them of everliving mind."
• He was an extremely funny guy.  He was portrayed in the Steven Spielberg film "Lincoln" by Tommy Lee Jones.  At one point an admirer asked him for a lock of his hair. Being bald from alopecia, he handed her his entire wig.
• He was an extremely charitable person.  One day he passed a sheriff's sale for a widow when he got out of this carriage and bought the property and gave it to the widow so she could live there.  

And, lastly a few bits of trivia...

• Stevens was an advocate for woman's rights.  In 1858 there was a debate in Lancaster's Fulton Hall on an issue of whether women should be able to hold public-service jobs.  Stevens supported granting women the right to vote.  This was more than 60 years before that became reality.  
• Thaddeus was born with a club foot.  Due to this he was marginalized, ostracized, and bullied.  It was the primary reason he was such a champion of the oppressed.  A true hero to many!

My Steven's Bobblehead!

Now, I realize that I am from Lancaster, Pennsylvania which is where Thaddeus Stevens is buried, but I believe I would have been a fan of his no matter where he had been born or died.  I am one of those who believe him to be a hero of our country.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.