The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-01
TIMES CHANGES.

we are living IN b iaSt age
Changes are made in the affairs Of
men and nations with almost light
ming rapidity. The beggar of to-day
may be q millionaire tomorrow; the
p%urse-proud aristocrat Of yesterday
may be q fawning sycophant q week
hence; the begging place-hunter of a
year ago may DO the dispenser of inn
mense patronage the next. If we
needed q reminder of these truths
and Of the vanity Of human aspiTa-
tons and human greatness, we have
only to place ourselves in the RePub-
lican camp four years ego and con-
template the changes which are pre-
scented to US. Men who were then re-
ferred to as great, r almost lost to
public view, while a few who were
then but little known now fill the
public eye. As the World says:
Grant was q great man then, the
leader of the leaders, the strength of
the strong; States were instructing
their delegations for him with cast
irsn Instructions, the stalwarts were
recruiting the "Thundering Legion"
of the 3O6. Now Grant is a simple
citizen, a model host and neighbor in
his cottage at Long Branch and a
failure as a Wall street Spectator.
The stalwart legion have nothing
but their GRASS medals.
Four years ago Blaine was a
plumed knight, a princely Rupert
flashing along the line of battle, his
name a battle cry and his presence a
presage of victory. He scared for
the Presidency with an eagles pin
ions, but he didn't get there. Now
Blaine is only known as a man worth
a million dollars who is writing a
book. Four years ago Garfield,
flushed with the triumph of a Sena-
torial election, was preparing to 60
to Chicago as a delegate-at-large to
cast the vote of Ohio for John Sher-
man. His was the false and empty
now! The doctors fin
ished the work begun by the assas-
bullet, and death has spread its
charity alike over his weakness and
his triumph.
Four years ago Hayes was one
than the greatest of en-
perors, for ne emperor had eve rob-
bed fifty millions of freemen of their
Now the dead successor
to the title is not more helpless and
obscure than his fraudulent predeces-
sor. Four years ago Conkling, the
greatest. leftiest OF them all, held the
reins Of power. But the combined
power of jealousy, treachery and
bribery, perfidy and patronage, pre-
to keep him out of his proper
place as the foremost leader of the
Senate. To-day he casts the scorn-
full glance Of an exiled Marcellus at
rabble of little men in the arena,
and turns from his political Pavia
saying, All is lost except honor"
And then there was the Window
boom. Windem had converted the
he had served his party for a
quarter OF a century, he had built a
house in Washington. He built on
the sand !; the Window boom was
wind. In less than four
years he Twas an ex-senator; his
house stands tenantless; he too
up in Wall street, the irony
Of fate placing him al the head of a
and eyanescent safe deposit
Per contra, fortune which cast
down the mighty has exalted the
humble. Arthur, who is President
now, was then rubbing the sores of
ais hasty exit from the custom house.
It is toe long to name them all. "My
Dear Dorsey" wa preparing to levy
1is assessments on my dear Brady
md my dear Morton to save Indiana;
low he skulks back to New Mexico
ike a wounded bear showing his
:eeth while sulkily licking his
wounds; he is a winged turkey buzz
ard; he is not dead but he will roost
over. And my dear Filley, who led
he stalwart column Of Nissourians
nto the convention, he is a rejected
for the humble position of
collector of water rates in st. Louis.
We dare to look forward; do the Re
dare to look back ward?
Then their great men were so many
hat they crowded the earth and
here was not room for them. The
rouble was, among so many, which
o choose. Now the wonder is who
8 obscure enough to be offered up as
victim. Decidedly we can stand
he prospect if the Republicans can