Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-04-18
CHARACTER OF THF MAN.

striking individuality Never Displayed
An Incident of One of His speaIership
Contests.
Samuel j. Randall was one of the men
whose character and abilities are best
measured after death, for then prejudice
will bow to justice. No man of his nature
could avoid exciting antagonism and an
tipathies, only to be still when the object
of them has passed away. Therefore,
now the estimate can be formed of him
which is his due. In all respects he was
one of the most remarkable men of his
times. In the long period of his twenty
eight years of service in the House of
Representatives there was no man in
either branch of Congress who displayed
such striking individuality, or whose
hand was more hrmly felt in all the coun-
cilssin which he participated. His moral
and his physical courage reached stand
ard which has never been excelled by
mortal man.
1t was impossible for one to look in his
piercing black eyes and not feel that there
was a man to whom fear was unknown.
at whose glance corruption would wither,
and whose foot would never swerve one
inch from the path in which he set it. He
never argued. He would define his own
position, state his recollection of cir
cumstance or his unders andng of fact.
If disputed he made no reply. When
resolved upon course neither supplica-
tion nor imprecation could move him. In
the minds of those who knew him we'll
ther exists no doubt that in his whole
public career his action was prompted by
motives which he beliveed to be right.
A GRAND WEAKNESS.
The weakness of a character 50 grand
in many respects lay in his bitter
prejudices, his implacable resentments,
his inability to see any but his own side of
a question, and his arbitrary crushing,
whenever he had the power, of opposition
or dissent. Mr.. Reed has been called
czar, but no man ever sat in the speakers
chair who put the iron heel of power on
men and measures personally distasteful
to him with more vehemenc9 and less re-
morse than Samuel j. Randall. He treated
appeal or remonstrance with lofty dis
dain which alike excited wrath and com
PEELED admiration. His iron will never
bent before any storm. Mr.. Reed carried
through his recent programme by the
force of will. When he first suggested il
there were men of his own party who dis
trusted his ability to succeed. He was
victorious becaus there was no man i'll
the opposition whose will was equal to
his, There are many who are strongly of
the opinion had Randall been on the floor
tie result would have been different.
FIGHTING THE FORCE BILL.
There never has been more exciting
and desperate parliamentary battle than
that waged over the force bill in the win
ter of 1S74.75 There was field for the
courage, the determination, the aggres-
siveness that inhercd in Randall. Day
after day and week after week, leading
the Democratic minority, he was the ideal
hieftaiu-masterly in plan, daring in at
tack, cautious in retreat, wary and watch
full of evry weak point of the enemy
mary elous in endurance, unflagging IN
spirit. When the moment came that
Phyrric victory sat in the enemy's camp
his unvanquished hand still shook de-
fiancc.
No party leader in legislative halls ever
had more devoted and trustworthy fol-
lowing than he had in all the years of
strife from 1865 to 1875. 1t was not be-
cause he was loved, for he was not given
to contracting friendship, and his cold
and .repelant manner chilled affection.
But the fearless man, the resolutc man,
the man who has confidence in himself
always inspires confidence in others. Nut
urally, therefore, and without question
the Democratic minority in those days
gathered about Mr.. Randall and followed
his lead with abiding faith. When lion
heart Is Joined to commanding intellect
there will be found the essential elements
of leadership.
A STAINLESS CAREER.
Mr.. Randalrs public career can truth
fully be termed stainless one. There
have been times when his friends trembled