The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-07
- A BASE ooNspIRAuY.

A pamphlet recording some Incidents In the
eventful career Of our distinguished fellow
citizen, William Rufus Crane reminds us
that we have allowed that great man to drop
out OF our calculations In a manner which is
as discreditable to ourselves as It IL unjust 10
him We might, perhaps, plead that tie
events Of the past year, though stirring
enough In their way, were but the ekirmlsh
preliminary to the great battle of the presI-
dental year, and that we were reserving Mr..
Crane for an arena large enough to afford fit
ting scope to his colossal abilities, and this
would be strictly true; but none tho less do
we confess with shame that we have neg
lected to invoke In tho peoples belleIf his
counsel, and as 1t were, TO pluck from him
for general distribution the fruits Of his vast
experience. This pamphlet. therefore, comes
to lis as q sort OF q cross between reproact
and nformatlon.# II perces our secret soul
with repeutant pain while 1t illumines our
understanding with blaze Of know-
edge It Is In fact n full exposure of
tho disgraceful conspiracy in which tho
Republican leaders of this State have for ten
years been engaged, having for their object
the suppression Of Mr.. Cranes glory and emil
hence. How these ungrateful traitors have
ignored Mr.. Cranes claims 10 leadership, how
they repudiated his services. how they have
combined together to prevent the people from
seeing him in his intrinsic majesty all this
Is fully and eloquently set forth. Nothing can
be clearer to the mnn who rends this graphic
and inclsive statement than the fact that Mr.
Crane has. from first 10 last, been the object
OF unrelentlug hostility and the victim Of
jealous and malignant persecution. Not only
has the Republican party eliminated him
from its annals, but the Republican leaders
have actually agreed among themselves to
pretend that their organization does not owe
It's existence to William Rufus Crane. The
history of parties does not contain anything
more monstrous than therevotlng etfrontery
with which theee wretched creatures disre-
gard their obligations to that illustrious III n
We shall keep this priceless pamphlet In
addition to the proofs it gives Of his doml-
nant influence in every supreme political
episode since tsG5-which influence we have
always admlringly recognized 1t throws q
Hood OF light upon some OF the earlier events
of Mr.. Cranes career, concerning which
there has heretofore been serious. not to
say painful, uncertainty. For Instance we
find in the supplement this interesting
statement:
w. II. Crane was born on tho third day of
February, 1909, within three hundred yards of
the adsflce IN Washington City. D. O., known ns
the National Capitol: and near the close Of tho
Va, and took I'M thnir rasldenee a. within tbrea
hundred yards OF the edi1ce known AZ tho Capi-
toll OF virginia, after their location in Rich
mond. where w. Il. Crane drew his first con
sclous breath.
This disposes OF the malicious report, cir
eulated by MIR. Cranes enemies. that he was
born more than three hundred and fifty yards
from the Capitol building a report which, to
our knowledge, has done Mr. Crane Injury on
more than one occasion. Furthermore, It es-
tablishes thelmportant coincidence that after
having been born exactly three hundred yards
from one house in Washington, he subse-
guently, and within the space OF single
year, went to live exactly three hundred
yards from another house Ia Richmond. 1t
Is not too much to say that this could have
happened to no one except William Rufus
Crane. No life less symmetrical and slgnitl-
cant than bis could have begun with such
q circumstance. No less remarkable and
characteristic Is the fact that although Mr..
Crane was born In February 1909. 1t was not
until he had removed to Richmond, nearly q
year afterward, that be drew his first con-
scious breath. Ordinary persons draw II con-
scious breath at q much tenderer age than
twelve months. but Mr. Crane, with that
elaboration which has distinguished him
through all his life, took a year to decide
whether he would consent to join the army
OF human pilgrims. Happily his decision
was In favor of humanity.
But our space Is limited, and we must, 80
to speak, let go. The pamphlet is still with
U.s. however, and not soon again shall we for
get, In hours OF trial and emergency, that our
hope and refuge, our I,gis and our shield, is
William Rufus Crane.