The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-21
A VISIT TO MR.. THURMAN.
The Great Ex-senator at His Home
From the NeU York World.

From the Ne,c York World.
COLUMBUS, o., Feb. 11.-In quiet
unpretentious looking two-story red brick
house on High street, a few blocks away
from the State Capitol Building, lives ex
Senator Thurman. He built the house
when he moved from ChilIicothe, o., to
Columbus, in 1853, and it has been his
home ever since. There is no yard in
front and the door is reached by single
stone STEP High street is the main street
of the city. 1t is nearly six miles long
and there is crowded on it very large
part of a place that has but $4,000 inhab-
itants. l could but wonder yesterday, as
l stood in the doorway of that modest
dwelling, at the contrast between it and
the dwelling-place he who has gone in and
out there for over thirty years has builded
in the hearts of the American people.
[ had never met Mr. Thurman, and ]
only knew him as most of his other fellow
citizens knew him-through what he has
said and done. To go and see him in his
own house, by his own freside, under the
roof where he had come into the bloom
and perfection of his splendid manhood
was glad pilgrimage. was let in by a
little house-woman, and went back through
the broad, high hallway, that reminded me
of Virginia house of the olden time, to
the library, and found it to be large
square room with many easy chairs, a ta-
BILE With lamp, shelves of books reaching
to the ceiling on two sides of a big, roaring
fire. And in a moment in came the great
ex-senator. I knew before | went there
he was seventy-one years old, and ex-
pected to see a man somewhat bent with
age and very white-headed. But he was
not bent nor was he very white-headed
He carried his left arm as though it was
somewhat paralytic, and he was little un-
steady on his feet, but he had great,
broad massive chest and his face was as
clear as boys He broke his left arm
two years ago, and it has never entirely
recovered and he is somewhat unsteady
ON his feet from rheumatism in his knees,
a malady that has afflicted him for twenty
years, and which he got by inheritance. 1t
was not from paralysis, then, that his left
hand and arm looked slightly limp and
shrunken. When he had sat down in a
big armchair, which he comfortably filled,
he looked very hale and comfortable. He
was stronger, far fresher and younger look
ing than two-thirds of the members of the
United States Supreme Court, and Her
cules compared with Mr.. Tilden, when he
was nominated for President in 1876.
His great, fine head sat on his broad shoul-
ders as steadily as if he were but thirty
five. His eye is clear, his complexion rich
and healthful and his mouth firmly set.
As he sat and talked with a deep, rich,
musical voice his face and head reminded
me of the marble statue of Napoleon in
the Corcoran Art Gallery at Washington.
There is the same over-shadowing breadth
and extension of the brows, and the same
massive, beautifully proportiOned forehead,
and something of the same contemplative,
far-off look in the eyes There is of course
not the wasted form nor the shrunken jaws
nor the hollow breast that seems ready to
yield up its last breath, but of all the stat
ues of Napoleon none have so much mean
ing in the head and face. There is about
Mr. Thurman's face strikingly similar
revelation of great soul, though it is an
expression more elevated with the buoyan-
cy of strong vitality. He has short
gray beard that covers the lower part of
face, but his upper lip is clean-shaven and
fits down squarely and solidly without a
wrinkle. His mouth is large, and when
he smiles or laughs, as he often does, he
shows a set of remarkably well-preserved
teeth.
THE EX-SENATOR S HEALTH.
When | asked him about his health he
said he felt better than he had for a long
time.
"Does your rheumatism trouble you
much Senator?
every little, now. | have suffered more
or less from it for many years. It came
to me by inheritance and it is sometimes
in my shoulder, sometimes in my elbow,
sometimes in my knee. Then again it
falls into my broken arm, and then hurts
me good deal"
HIS RELATION TO MR.. CLEvELAND's CAB
met
[ next asked him if he would talk for
publication about the current political
questions of the day. | told him he was
of course aware that he had been warmly
urged for place in Mr.. Clevelands Cabi-
net, and that the people would be greatly
interested in any expression from him at
this time as to the policy of the new ad-
"You must excuse me from saying a
word" he replied with great frmness. "I
do not think it would become me- Any
of opinion from me now would
be ill-timed and out of place. AS to my
going into the Cabinet, [ will say only
this have received a bushel of letters,
l suppose, from kind friends all over the
United States, expressing the hope that I
would be selected as one of Mr.. Clevelands s
advisers. [ have not even answered one
of these letters. Some of them are from
gentlemen | esteem very highly, and fear
they think strange of my not having ac-
knowledged the courtesy they have ex-
tended me, but [ have felt, and still feel,
that not one word on the subject shall fall
from my lips. 1 have not authorized
living soul to speak to Mr.. Cleveland in
my behalf. | have not seen him myself
and l have not said to anybody that I
would either accept or decline place in
his Cabinet. Mr.. Cleveland ought to be
left to make up his executive family to
suit himself Positions in the Cabinet are
not positions to be sought after A man
who seeks Cabinet position or who has
others seek it for him is not the material
of which Cabinet should be made"
Mr.. Thurman did not refer again to the
Cabinet or any current political topic dur
ing two hours conversation, but he did
not have to do that at all to make himself
a charming talker. He grows on one
There is about him gentleness, sim
plicity and homely wisdom that make one
feelas near to him as father.
THE SENATE OF THE oLDEN TIME.
''There was one thing in particular that
struck me when went into the Senate
Chamber the first time" said Mr. Thur
man, "and saw Benton, Clay, Webster and
others of their class. They were nearly all
large men, | believe two-thirds of the
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