Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-02
Vol. XIV. Vl,leINe. 1866. NJ. lS.
Two Dead Hen.

Tweed's death last week preached SER
mon which every fool or child could under
stand, Not the less forcible, either, be
cause everybody showed the natural kind
ly impulse to cover the sins OF the dead, to
put him and his life and its moral decently
and quickly out Of sight. A few weeks ago
q man Ms prominent as Tweed died In Phil
adelphia, the meaning Of whose life was
as broad and pithy; but L was one which
everybody was eager TO hold up to view
aud make much Of For It Il curious
fact that even vicious and weak men are
proud Of another mans life which they BE-
iieve to be thoroughly pure and genuine,
and feel themselves and the world the bet.
ter for 1t. II old Plutarch were alive he
would have held the two men up for COM
parison uuil we could see the lines Of their
characters in shrewd and terrible contrast.
There were certain circumstances In CON-
mon In the lives of william Welsh and
William Tweed which would have justified
such comparison. Both were men Of
great original force; both followed tie
path they had marked out for themselves
uuind0enced by others; both were born In
the atmosphere of commerce, and began
ousy life in early bovhood with very scaniy
education; both amassed great wealth, and
made their way to q leadership In the a.
iairs Of their native cities. But there the
likeness ceases. What Tweed was We all
know-honest aud industrious probably in
his youth, until the greed tor show, for
money, seized him then q thief, the bold
est, most gigantic and successful 10 his
swindliug operations that the country has
ever known, Eight years ago his pros
perity and wealth seemed invincIble; dia-
inonds literally giittered upon the shoes of
his children, and many Of the proudest and
l. ,tst, 49, "a
homage to him. Last Friday the white
haired old man lay dead in prison cell,
and Of all his followers there was none so
poor A. TO do him reverence.
William Welsh had neither genius nor
scholarship TO give him eminence; he was
simply Christian. The force he brought
To bear upon the world was that OF BROTH
erly love and stern integrity. Tie never
held an office to which q salary was at
tached.-Yet he rescued the vast financial
interests confided to the city OF Philade-
phia in trnst, which had else become the
prey OF rings as INSCRIPTIONS as TWeed's
and controlled their management for years
on principles of strict economy and honor.
He was known as the friend OF theIndian
in every tribe.-He gave a powerful heir-
ing hand TO every enterprise which would
strengthen or elevate the criminal, the
poor, or the wretched. For thirty years,
while carrying on one OF the largest and
most complicated trades In the country,
this man never neglected to 90 once
week TO the orphans of Glrsrd College to
talk to them OF God and life and Heaven
as a loving father would 10 his boys. He
died = week or two ago without mo-
tnent's warning, in hospital surrounded
by the poor and blind, to each one Of whom
he had been friend. The whole city
stood his mourner. From the Indian
tribes, from distant countries, came lanien-
tations from countless human beings
whom he had befriended and helped.
Both of these men had great wealth;
but, lying dead to-day, neither has taken
a dollar with him. Ia the words OF Mr..
Welsh, nothing lasts in this world but
| character - In the world beyond 10 which
| they have gone--, Bat there our curious
eyes have no right to follow them. We
want to call the attention OF young men 10
these two lives, and TO their curious Illus
tration of certain old truths OF the Bible
which DO not often md their way into the
daily journals. Put them out OF sight as
| We Will, their awful Justice is no less alive
and omnipotent. Reward or justice or
| retribution does not wait tor another life
| They come here and now. They are at
work to-day In our lives as cestan and in
exorable AS in these two dead men.-N. y
Tribune.