The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1875-09-04

Tue OuuuAnK Ou WhitAh Seeet W SVO s"S |
sights, was importuned a. soon an i
turned toward the entrance, by young gen |
tlemen canvassers, enthusiastically desl-
rous that / should get the right ticket,
and firmly impressed that the election Of
Opdyke would hurt the country as much
as would the election Of Jefferson Davis
to the Presidency Of the United States.
Not being a member, had no opportunity
TO help the right side on this occasion. The
contest was doubtful for a while, but the
conservatives calling themselves "pro-
gressives finally conquered, and Mr.. OPP
dyke became a martyr.
But he and his friends have in a meas
ure got even with those !" bullion shrek
ers." He is now president Of the BOARD
of Trade" In fact, that institution Is a
regular greenback concern. Pliny Free
man is Vice President, Wallace r. Groom
is Secretary, and | believe John G. Drew
is one of the Directors.
Mr.. Opdyke's enemies have tried to
/ ildhC Jul VI
against him on account Of the misfortunes
of the Oswego and Midland Railroad, Of
which he was president, and which has
gone into the hands Of q receiver but he
has not been damaged apparently by this
oaset
He is tall, long headed, shrewd-look-
ing man, and | notice that when in his
Office he watches the telegraph ticker "
as carefully as the youngest broker, though
| have not heard that he is a speculatOr.
| rember when the bullionists rallied
round their golden calf in Cooper lnsti-
tute last year, although it was ostensibly
free meeting. they rather looked askAnce
at Mr. Opdyke, as he appeared on the
platform. They were an awkward look
ing crowd, and many Of them no doubt
stood In reality about where Jackson
Shultz does. He had told me previous I,
that meeting, that he used to think tina
, he knew something about finance and cur
rency, but had given up pretending to.
, Schultz sat ON the stage that night
} pretty well back, and looked an if he hac
, been stealing sheep, or oxen-perhaps h
is a leather merchant. After Simon Il
Chittenden-" Little Chit and othe
t secondrate inanciers, had got IF thei
| essays, Opdyke stood up, and in his dry
formal way, entered a mild protest agains
, the worship Of the specie fetish. Tn
hall was pretty well filed with reformers
1 doctrinaires, and thinking workingmen
f and the Union saver got but small encour
| agement or applause.
Z A specimen Of Mr.. Opdyke's cool styl,
r of argument is seen in the following
5 when the distinguished Professor (Bo
amy Pnce) visited the Chamber Of Com
merce, in New York, &c scolded bad,
our repudiated promises to pay. Tn
, Hon. George Opdyke suggested that tn
; difficulty would be obviated by omittin,
the promise and stamping the amount d
the paper, as We do on metal, thus coinin,
1t. This shut up the Professor, and Mr.
Opdyke was ahead, but the Chamber y
t Commerce never forgave him. He couldn'
E be their President alter that
PLINY FREEMAN.
One of Dickens characters kept saying
"a hate fool. There are some men o
? such clear insight, such a faculty of see
/ ing through shows and humbugs, and pos
sessed Of such an utter detestation Of fools
t that they cannot conceal it, Such vii
: often overlap all barriers Of prudence
| and spoil their chances in life, rather thar
E not say their say about what they clearI,
! see is sheer stupidity. MIR. Freeman i
7 rich and prudent, but he has this insight
and is great fool-killer In 1872 "a
{ clearly prophesied all our present fnancia
caamities.
He saw what an utter cheat the ordinar'
Z system Of life insurance was, and invente,
! ''the first practical non-fOrfeiture plan,
according to which the man who, afte
e paying his dues for years, happens 10 mis-
some payments before his death, still make
1 Justly proportIoned provision ior III
family. Those who have watched til
e working Of the Globe Life Insurance Co.
+ Of which MIR. Freeman is President, asser
: that it carries out this plan That sam
t impatince Of folly that made him an ii
q novator in insurance has attracted MI
1 Freeman's attention to the true science ,
h money, and he was one of the first a,
tenders of the 3.65 bond. As readers I
I currency reform papers are becoming (,
milIar with his lnclslve style Of handin
this subject, | need not dwell upon hi
$ special views
JOHN EARL WILLIAMS.
Here is a bluff King Hal, full Of busi
ness and energy, Mr.. Williams, Presiden
of the Metropolitan Bank, is a born king q
trade and finance, 1ut differs from most 0
these kings, inasmuch as he feels that hi
extra strong faculties are given him to b
used largely for the public welfare. II
answers well to my demand made year
ago for linen Of financial ability 70 con
stltute themselves hnan cial missionaries
and each be Moses, to lead multitude
, out Of the land Of EgyPt-out Of the hous
I Of financial bondage Such men fee
that their peculiar abilities are as mucl
given to them to be used far the publ
good as do the noblest clergymen, scien
fists, poets and other authors, artists anC
physicians.
Genuine goodness is the characteristic,
that most strikes me in Mr.. Williams Il
may seem funny to some that | should sa,
such thing Of an old Wall Street stagel
Of 40 years, perhaps, but with all Their
piercing clearness he has as really Sweet
blue eyes" az one often sees in a sweet
hearted girl.
met several such men while was dig
ging around among the magnatcs last year,
IN behalf Of the Dwelling Reform Associa-