The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1882-02-22

Withstand the stroke of his paw.
Like all men of immense brain
power, supported by strong physique,
he is not entirely free from @cranks.''
Anda "crank," in his powerful hand,
becomes a dangerous weapon. 1t
were far better for the State, were
he less an extremist.
There are many things about
Judge Ferguson, admire; there are
a few, ] deplore.
Were ] more familiar with his en-,
tire life, ! could understand the man
better and, hence, portray him with
greater accuracy,
Besides, as a mere journalistic
sketcher, l feel, in this particular in
stance, trammeled and circumscribed
by certain conventional proprieties.
To explain: DR.. Oliver Wendell
Holmes, the brightest Of New Eng.
land wits and the sweetest of New
England poets, in his "Autocrat Of
the Breakfast Table," assigns to every
man three distinct characters. For
example there is the mans man, or
the man he believes himself to be;
the peoples man, or the man the peo-
pie believe him to be; and lastly,
Gods man, or the man God knO,cs
him to be.
Hence personal biography, like
Boswell's Johnson, or historic biog.
raphy, like Carlyle's Frederick the
Great, to be of much value, must
present triple-faced portrait of its
subject. But such is not within the
scope of our present purpose.
That there exists striking points
of difference between Ferguson's Fer,
guson, and the Peoples Ferguson,
and that both have but little in com.
mon with Gods Ferguson, is evident
to any discerning man who scans the
suggestive features, and studies his
remarkable career.
But we have only to do with the
Peoples Ferguson. And of him, we
can say in brief: He has the strength
of an intellectual giant, with the
petulancy of an impassioned child;
the wisdom of a philosopher, with
all the prejudice of an extremist.
The greatness Of his mind is marred
by the defects Of his emotional ma.
ture. Combatiye and aggressive, he
is splendid fighter, olong us things
look favorable; but let the enemy
surprise him with IL brilliant flank
movement, and defeat be threatened,
and you will see him at once become
demoralized and leave the field in
disorder; lacking the GOODNESS of Nor.
row and adroitness of Hubbard tc
make his retreat appear u mastery
"change of base"
Take him, all in all, with his per.
fections and imperfections, his virtue
and faults, and he still is the brainicsl
man in the West Virginia Legisla.
ture.
HON. WILLIAM P. HUBBARD.
An expert leader, thoroughly vcrs.
ed in parliamentary tactics, can make
a minority influential in legisla.
tive body. The Republicans in the
West Virginia House of Delegates
though inconsiderable in number
are not without their influence
This is attributable, in great meas.
ure, to the excellency of their leader
Hon. William P. Hubbard from the
city of Wheeling, who, of the four
delegates representing the large coun.
ty of Ohio, is the sole Republican.
His appearance cannot be termed
prepossessing. 1t is certainly not
indicative of the latent power of the
man.
The features, when composed, are
ordinary, but, frightened up by ex.
citement as they often are III debate
they become pleasing, to a degree
almost handsome. His gesticula.
lions are awkward, though at times
expressive. He walks in a sort Of
rush, when by himself, with shout.
ders slightly stopped and head thrown
down and forward as if prepared to
butt at something.
He is not easily approachable. On
the other hand there is noticeable
absence of that genial warmth that
| a ffront F.;aoJ,l,,, - I ........l a.