Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-06-29

pays to Thurman He says:
"Nlr. Humans rank in the senate was
established from the day he took his seat,
and it was never lowered during the
period of his service. He was an admir-
ably disciplined debater, was fair in his
method of statement logical in his argu
ment, honest in his conclusions. He had
no tricks in discussion, no catch phrases
TO secure attention, but was always direct
and manly His mind was not pre-
occupied and engrossed with political con
test or with affairs of state. He had
natural and cultivated tastes outside of
those fields. He was discriminating
reader, and enjoyed not only serious books,
but inclined also to the lighter indulgence
of romance and poetry. He was especially
fond of the best French writer's. He
loved Molliere and Racine, and could
quote with rare enjoyment the humor-
Gus scenes depicted by Ralzac. He
took pleasure in the drama and was
devoted to music. In Washington he
could usually be found in the best seat of
the theatre when a good play was to be
presented or an opera was to be given.
These tastes illustrated the genial side of
his nature, and were a fitting complement
to the stronger and sterner elements of
the man. His retirement from the Senate
was serious loss to his party-a loss,
indeed, to the body"
Thurmau's common sense is one of the
strong elements of his nature. He sell
dom loses his head, and he is, as John
Randolph used to say, as cool as the cen
ter seed of a cucumber. His talk as vice
presidential candidate on love for the
party is based on good record in this
regard. 1t recalls how he repulsed man
who wished 10 wean him away from the
Democratic party. 1t was about the time
of the panic of 1878, when the Green
hackers were at their highest, and when
a number of new parties were in the field.
There was = convention of one of these
parties at Columbus, and several dele
gates, two of whom were old friends of
Thurman $ and who had been strong Dem
ocrats, called upon him. They found him
sitting in the library of his drab house
on High street. They told their story,
and said they thought they could make
him president of the United States, and
with him they could break up the Demo
cratic party and defeat the Republican
party.
All" said Thurman, and he looked
soberly down at the table.
Then the spokesman again began his
speech but Thurman interrupted him
with the question:
MY friend. what do you imagine the
size OF this room to be-
1T is sixteen feet square, l Judge,
was the reply; but why do you ask
because, sir" said Thurman, pulling
out his red baudanna and violently wlping
his nose because, sir this room, sir, is
too -- small to destroy the Democratic
party in. Good day, gentleman, good
day, and that was the end of the CONVEX
sation. Nv
Judge Thurman is now about "A years
old. His work in the courts has shown
that his mind is as active as it has been
for years and he may do great deal of
good work yet. He is man of means; his
wife brought to him fortune and he has
made another himself. He has trained
himself to enjoy life and he gets a great
deal of pleasure out of the reading of
French novels in the original. When he
was on the supreme bench of Ohio he was
very fond of mathematics, and while he
was in the United States senate he played
as good game of whist as any man in
Washington. He would have made a
good chief Justice of the United States
and he is fully as we'll fitted for the bench
as for congress. He keeps up with polit-
zeal matters, uses stenographer in the
carrying on of his correspondence and is
in reality leading a rather active life He
( made speech on the tariff last fall
that showed that hi, oratorical abilities
are as strong as they have ever been,
and if he would work at it, he could
turn ont very interesting and a very
profitable work on the history of the coun-
try Governor Hoadley, of Cincinnati,
once said to me that Ohio never allows a
man to get more than two feet high be
fore it wants to cut off his head. This
| has been true with both part les in Ohio,
and Thurman 5 career in this respect runs
almost parallel with that of Sherman.
Both have been for years conceded to be
great statesmen by the nation, and both
have been fought by men within their
a own parties and defeated again and again
Thurman had Tom Ewing Hugh J.
p Jewett, Henry b. Puyue and John X. Nc
. Lean against him, am his opponents were
I all good men. Payne succeeded in getting
q the United States seuatorship and Nc
+ Lean would have taken Sherman's place
had Ohio gone Democratic that year
=, Sherman might have been nominated fol
, the presidency in the place of Garfield
had not Ohio had another great Republi
: can.
( Henry B. Payne will probably close his
. senatorial career with this term He i,
q too old man to receive Il nomination ant
n the Ohio democracy is calling for young
a blood | am told that John Mclean i,
ambitious to go to the senate, and heal
q also the friends of Cal Brice, the railroad
millionaire proposing him as a desirable
# candidate. There are numbers of smaller
: men in Ohio politics who will come to tn,
front when a senator is to be chosen, bu
" 1t is probable that the next Democratic
nominee will be a young man. AS I,
= Sherman, lie has five years yet to serv'
a and the term of his service will expire il
II 1893. He win probably have a reelection
~ if he wants it, though Foraker or Foste
d may be among his contestants. Fiv,
10 years means great deal in politics, bu
!. the present generation of statesmen il
il fast passing away, The generation o
,e men born since the war is striving to ge
~ its hands on the reins of the government
Ie 1t lisa young giant and it will in time pusl
10 the old men to the wall.
, FRANK G.. CARPENTER.
ip An I1itnr IlafrienIa Iva Clan,