St. Paul daily globe., 1890-04-13
TOPICAL TALK.

Sam RandalPs A man OF courage
Gus honesty cannot die
! Superior without being missed.
Such q man was Sam
Statesman Randall, Iand there are
but few prominent in
ship. public life but could be
spared bet ter than he.
Mr.. Randall was not only a pure man.
but he was a great man. His natural
abilities were of high order, and TO
these we're added scholastic attainment
and experience in public affairs that but
few American statesmen enjoy.
1t was Mr.. RandalPS misfortune to
representa- con stituencv whose interests
were antagOniStic To the creed of his
party, and thus he occupied an almost
isolated position in congress. His would
have been master mind in the senate,
but unfortunately he belonged to state
that doesn't send Democrats to the SEN
ate. He would have made a famous
president, but there came in the
double trouble of hailing from
a state that doesn't give Demo
cratic majorities and of being at
lOggerheads with mis- own party on the
foremost issue of the day. 1t was SIM
ply Mr.. Randall's misfortune, and the
nations misfortune as well, that he
was eircumscribed all his life to seat
in the lower house of congress. Yet in
spite of the disadvantages that beset
his political career he rose by sheer
force of ability to the foremost place in
public affairs, so far as influence and
popular admiration were concerned.
happen to know that it was the daily
ambition of Mr.. RandalPS life to become
his party'S candidate for the presidency.
Whether he expected to be elected if
nominated, or whether he simply wished
to eXtort from his party just recogni-
ton of his distinguished services, L do
not know. But [ do know that he
wanted the Democratic nomination for
the head of the national ticket above all
earthly things. | remember at Gin
cinnati in 1880 how he worked,
and how his friends worked to secure
the honor that was conferred upon Han
cock. And l also remember how, at
Chicago in 1884, he hoped to have his
named inscribed Oh the victorious stand
ard that bore Grover Cleveiand'S name.
And yet. in both instances. he accepted
defeat with grace and a cordiality
that never saw exhibited by any other
defeated candidate. can see him now
as he stood on the platform at Cincin-
natl after Hancock's nomination, and
speaking with tone and manner that
carried conviction of the sincerity of
his utteranceS to every heart. declared
that no sting of disappointment ranked
in his breast, but that he would work as
hard for Gen. nancock'S election as he
would have done for his own. And he
did. He was man Of Sublimated moral
herOiSm, who never flinched under the
SevereSt tests. Bnt ii is not as q parti-
san tlat Mr.. Randall will be remem-
bered. He belonged to the nation, and
the nation will mourn his loss.
ST. Louis st. Louis has taken
final farewell of the
Shelves the horse car. The equip
ment of seven new
Horse Car. lines of street rail
way and ninety-two
miles of track in st. Louis with
electric power is an especially note
worthy indication Of the superiority of
the electric system on such roads, and
more particularly so because of the eX-
tensive use of cable motors in that city.
A st. Louis gentleman, who has been
devOting great deal Of study to street
railway improvements says that nothing
has ever yet been suggested at all com.
parable to the electric system. He says
that IAN electric road can be operated
at cost of about 40 per cent less than
a horse line, with the carrying capacity
doubled" The objection to the cable
system has been that it is more
expensive than tn horse ear, and now
that the electric system is known to be
more satisfactory than the cable, with O
cost away below the horse car, there is
no reason why it should not come into
universal use. So far as experiments
have gone the only serious objection
urged against the electric system is the
necessity for overhead wires and the
danger arising from them. This will
doubtless soon be overcome by improve
ments on the storage battery system
which will enable every car to carry its
own power stored away under the floor.