St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-11-03
THE COMMON VICE,


When political stumpers in the heat
# a campaign make extrayagant state
nentS, littl harm is done, for they are
expected, often hired. to stir the party
lO0d and fire the heart. and large sac
ifices of history and fact are often
equisite for this. Still, it doesn't look
quite right to unfired minds to see men
Tho claim to rank up in the high eleya-
lions of craftsmanship indulge in loose
less of statement. For instance, in
public speeches in New York in one
lay the governor said that under the
present administration 1.-THE cabinet
places have been put up ana sold to the
highest bidders" and one of the sena-
;orS speaking from his adverse stand
point said it was fact that "a eOnsid-
cradle portion" of the Democrats of the
next congress ''held their title to seats
through fraud, violence and murder. ]"
This was diScreditable partisanship
in both. But extreme statements,
eXaggeratiOns that shrink into
small fractions of the picture,
are frequent In the pulpit as
well as on the stump. There is, per-
haps. some palliation in the theory that
the sluggish need to be shocked out of
their lethargy for their own good. This
will not, however, excuse injustice to
individuals, even If dead. In one of the
recent sermons of TALMAGE he drew
this picture of the last period in the
career of DANIEL WEBSTER:
He drank until his eyes grew dim and
his knees knocked together and his
strength failed. Exhausted with lifelong
dissipation, he went home to die. Min
listers pronounced eloquent eulogiums
and poets sung and painters Sketched,
and sculptOrS chiseled the majestic form
into marble, and the world wept, but
everywhere it was known that it was
strong drink that came like the infa-
nous Delilah, and his locks were
ShOrn."
If it were true that the greatest states
man and most profound exponent of
the fundamental law of the republic,
one who had held with honor the po-
position of prime minister, had the per-
sOnal habits the preacher alleges, it
were better to turn the picture face to
the wall, and not hold it up before the
young and ambitious. LII DANIEL
WEBSTER could be drunkard and
achieve such distinction that 1.-THE world
wept" at his death. the self-reliant
youth would feel like taking some
chances in merry indulgence himself.
But TALMAGE uses the case to make a
dramatic period at very large expense
to his own acquaintance with or fidelity
to the facts. Those who look upon the
life of WEBSTER as llIuStriOus, and
boon to the nation struggling through
constitutional mires to solid ground, will
be disposed to resent this unwarranted
attack. WEBSTER grew up when drink
ing was common with all classes, and
he was not singular in his tastes, but he
was never a drunkard, and does not fill
a drunkard's grave. 1t is an asSump-
ton for which facts will not be easily
hal. that his life was in the least
shortened by the use of liquors.
His greatness made him an OBJ
ject of a constant observation. and
his habits were in the main credit
able. He was not saint, although an
orthodox church member. nor did he
reach the abstemious exaltatiOn of mod
ern refOrmers; but there need be no dark
colors spread over his portrait. 1t would
be near the fact to state that he died OF
a broken heart. He was ambitious to
be president. He felt that his services
to his party and country entitled him to
the nomination for the presidency. In
1913 he had been set aside for Gen. TAY
I.oR, who had no civil experience and no
qualifications other than those of a sue
cessful soldier. In 1852 he was again
thrown over for the supposed available
ity of Gen. SCOTT, who was still more
unfit than TAYLOR for president. Many
of his cherished friends, too, had turned
against him for his conservative position
on the rising slavery issue: and with
sad, oppressed heart he went down to
his home by the sea and died. There
were some features of similarity in the
death of HORACE GREELEY following
his defeat just twenty years after the
death of WEBSTER.