The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-30
LITTLE MEN,
Self-Assertive Small Men Persistent
and Ingenious
From the Philadelphia Record.


From the Philadelphia Record.
Attention is being called to the light
weight Of MIR. Melville Weston Fuller
whom President Cleveland has named for
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 1t
has been said that in the matter of avoirdu-
pois he only reaches 125 pounds. Mr.. Full
Ter, however, has undeniable brains, and,
while as general proposition it may be
admitted that there is better proportion be-
tween a stalwart frame and large brain
power, no unfriendly critic has gone so far
as to insist that little man should not be
made Chief Justice. Many great men
have been of small stature, though the pre-
cedent seems to call for large men for Chief
Justices. There is no doubt that a COM
manding stature helps its possessor to make
his way in the world. 1t is all the more to
the credit Of little man who pushes his
way to eminence that he gets there He
mas overcome one constant drawback
which larger men do not have to contend
with. May we not safely conclude that
the little man who starts on the same plane
OF opportunity with a more stalwart COM
petitor and comes out ahead in the struggle
for place or power has proved himself more
capable than man of large stature who
has attained an equal rank. In other
words, is not little Chief Justice greater
Chief Justice with more imposing pres
ence? Napoleon Bonaparte would have
been less of a wonder if his bodily presence
had partaken something of the port and
consequence that belonged to his martial
achievements. Let us not undervalue
brains, however carried about Cassius
made great mistake in undertaking Caesar
because he could outswim Caesar
But there is a natural and not atogether
vy1ra oh I'D IL
disadvantage of little men. Because of
their httleness they sometimes make them
selves obnoxious. They are apt to be ex-
traordinarily self-asservative, which is all
the more obtrusive and noticeable on &C
count of their physical insignifcance Do
but notice the room little man will take
up in crowded quarter-in an over
crowded streer car, for instance. In such a
place a little man needs as much space as
boy. The urchin must squirm, and the
little man must protrude his elbows. The
same reason informs the souls of BOTH
The boy sQuirms because of his small long
ing for greater potentiality, and the man
swells himself against the ribs of others for
like cause 1t will be observed, as a
rule, that people overtall or overfat at
tempt to diminish themselves in order to
try to bring down their compass to pro-
per average precisely as understood NOR
tails undertake to swell themselves to like
proportions For this reason big people
get credit for obliging manners on &C
count of what is only an amlable desire to
appear well, whilst little people, having
the same regard for appearance, are
deemed churlish.
The Italians have a proverb that one
should never trust rogue or a cripple
The sting in the tail of this proverb is the
idea that cripple is necessarily a rogue,
because he makes his mind crooked to suit
the deformity ot his body. Shakespeare
puts this idea in the mouth of Richard,
Duke of Gloster, who was born hunch-
back.
Then since the heavens have shaped my body so,
Let hell make crook'd my mind TO answer it.
Without subscribing to the full in the
philosophy of the proverb, we may safely
admit there is something in 1t. The mind
of man under all circumstances seek to al
leviate the disparagement of fortune.
Little men exc out with their brains what
ever they lack i'll Drawn. Usually they
get the better of Drawn. They are more
persistent They are more ingenious.
When they come to know that knowledge
is power they acquire that consciousness of
power that brings with it ease and dignity
Coming back to the new appointee for
Chief Justice, when he shall get his gown
on, it will measurably hide the small frame
of the man aud leave his fine head exposed.
Judges stand upon their heads; it does not
matter so much about the size of the rest of
the body. Mr.. Fuller has head enough. He
will make his way.