The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-04-20
LETTER FROn ..SIACK.,
Politicians OF the Period.
W AsHINdIUNI -ApIII TO 1oIO.
NIR. BROOKS. OF NEW YORK.

Mr.. BROOKS, OF NEW YORK.
We hear much nowadays of "self-
made men," but the title is greatly abus-
ed and often mlsapplied, in the sense of
being thrown away upon persons whose
"self-make" Is no make at all, but only
the result of some lucky accident which
ierked them into notoriety, and persever-
ing impudence which kept them there.
A hundred and fifty years ago Lady Mary
Wortley Montagu urged this discovery
upon her very stupid husband, when she
wrote to him that toward the obtaining of
political power "the first qualification is
impudeRce and las Demosthenes said of
action in oratory) the second is impu
denee, and the third IS impudence." Tried
by the standard of self-culture, and the
steady and persistent battle to ultimate
and honorable triumph against Glow birth
and iron fortune" the number of "self-
made" men in the public life Of America
is very small There are Colfaxes enough
but unless we mistake q low order of Sun
day-School demagogery for q high order
of craftsmanship, we must call them self
forced instead of self-made. If l were
called upon to name the two men in the
House of Representatives who owe most
to themselves and least to others for the
positions they occupy in their respective
parties and before the country, l should
name James Brooks, of New York, on
the Democratic, and Judge Kelley, of
Philadelphia, on the Republican side.
| They both began life among the lowly,"
and the best evidence of the purely intel
lectual character of their success Is that,
while both are prominent among the pub
lie men Of the day, neither has acquired
wealth on the road to notoriety. In this
respect they differ from the Cameron type
of ''self-made men" who "grow uch by
stealth and blush TO find it fame" who
rise from ill-gotten wealth into ill-deserv-
ed leadership.
scholars, as he has been one of the closest
students, in the House. He began life
as a school teacher, then many years ago
twenty-five, beleye-came to Washing
/ ton to write for a New York paper On
the savings of his work for a long session
| he went to Europe, and travelled the con-
tinent on foot, studying French and Ger
man as he went dong, and acquiring q
thorough knowledge of the habits and
manners of the people among whom he
travelled. By close application ever since
he has perfected himself in all branches
OF knowledge, until he has become one OF
the most interesting speakers in the
House to listen to when a subject Is up
which calls for historical illustration. His
voice is not pleasant, being a constant al
| formation between a shrek and aseold and
his gestures are limited to a monOtonOus
shake and a monotonous bending forward
of the whole body, but he can generally
be read with interest and profit, for his
facts if not for his arguments. His per-
sonal appearance Is quite prepossessins.
l should guess him to be quite fifty years
of age He is rather above than below
the medium size and height-broad-faced
and broad-chested, always neatly dressed,
and quite up to ones ideal of the repre-
sentative of the richest district IN the
i United States-a distinction which l be-
lieve he enjoys. In social life he is lit
tie inclined to coldness and reserve, and
not apt to impress a stranger favorably.
| But after the first or second approach,
| you will find him clever and genial, re-
markably fond Of conversation, and with
a singular power of contributing to its in
terest and making it attractive. Few ap-
pear to such good advantage in that most
| difficult of all species of oratory-the af-
ter-dinner speech. No matter what the
| subject of the toast, or the occasion of the
cdIl5 ne Is never wanting II dPpIOpIl-
ate remarks" and never hesitates at the
brink of the tipple as if embarrassed or
afraid, but plunges in medids res INTO re-
sponse, and always concludes too soon for
his audience, in which respect he differs
from most of the postprandial orators I
know of. In his political career, Mr..
Brooks is another illustration of what
said in former letter-that the jewel Of
copSiotapcv hos M Dlapa IN fha ciuic
crown. While you can not apply the po-
etic verdict which is so fitting for Nor
ton