New-York tribune., 1890-04-14

shock produced By his death, therefore, scarcely
mgatcd and ii is no mere form of words TO say that
sorrow the loss Is as deep and sincere il is
widespread. While Mr. Randall by means
demonstrative still less elusive in his manifestations
OF sympathy friendship, he was man who won
friends easily and speedily, and kept them after lie
had them. In his modest home he was the
tender and faithful husband the kind, indulgcnt
father and withal the plcaslncSt companion OF wife
and children. No man ever was more hoSpltable In
the trucst sense, for all he had to offer was at the
command Of his guest or friend. lie cared nothing
for display, but good deal for what he used TO call
:" the plain comforts OF liie" and those comforts he
delighted in sharing with his friends. At his freside
or dinner table he most cheerful and COM
panionable man. even long after the shadow OF an
insidous and fatal disease had crossed the threshold
Of his happy home and he had realized that the re-
maindcr Of his life must be stern constant struggle
against the inevitable. For it is true that Mr.
Randall many months ago. felt that lie would never
recover his health
Late In October 1888 the writer of this paragraph
spent day with him at the country place where he
staying few miles from Philadelphia. Neither
Intellectually mentally the Pennsylvania
statesman ever alert, alive 50 10 speak, than
he was on that day. lie felt and expressed an alb
sorbng, intense interest in the Presidential campaign
which then nearing lis end and In confidence,
gave his for the defeat Of his party. which he
clearly forc>aw and foretod but with no feeling OF
triumph qualification. lie was so gloomy that his
visitor suggested that the Democrats might do better
next time Wcl.' replied Mr.. Randall. "we
might do a great deal better, but the question Is
whether we will not make the same mistakes again.
Aftcr a pause he added say we but. Of course,
the party. This is the last general election that
shall live to see. did expect until recently that
SlOud fhn IIOuSp. and that ! should
stay here long enough 10 see the party in good trim
for the next Presidential campaign, but nave ceased
to expect that. | cannot shake of this disease and
the doctors cannot il. Probably as much as
hope for Is to outiast this Administrations
Mr.. Randall then quickly turned the conversation
from himself, and at the dinner table, a couple of
hours later, he cheerful. and even gay and merry
in tone and manner. Whatever may have been their
physical effect upon him. there is the best reason Tor
saying that Mr. Randall keeny fcl'. and as bitterly re
scnicd the indgnitics to which he was subjected by
the dominant faction 81 hi, party which controlled
the Cleveland Administration He % loyal TO MS
party, partisan Of manly type as Mr Blaine ex-
pressed il in hi, Twenty Years Of Congress-, that lie
could bear. without showing recruitment 10 be deposed
and degraded from the nominal leadership OF his party
in the lIOuse-a place which he had fairly wOn-evcn
If he did remember the ngratitude of the southern
Democrat, who thus repaid the debt which they had
owed him from the time when they only
small handful in the membership Of that body but he
never forgot nor f0rgave the act, Of the Democratic
Administration and It's favorItc counselloS. which
thrust him aside and sought 10 destroy his influence
in the party TO which he had been faithful from his
youth ND on one occasion he said to the writer
You and other RepIbcans express surprise that l
should b. opposed To Clyn service Reform Now, deny
that am oupo-,d t. H. What / against j. a false
pretencc sham. why. IN Pennsylvania Demo
cratic oncehodcrs by The hundred and from all parts 81
the State have been all the influence they possess
. MIN. ~ n.fls n II.
Randall mar chairman OF state Committee, and 'o
down Randall" in every comedy able and possible way
Of course everybody who has commonsen@e knows uat
such crusade would LaSr boon begun or carried on
II had no; been inspired and encouraged by D'mo'fa''
,o arc ~ .rlinen, on account of their professions IN
favor ~ civil service Reform they are FOR their "tcal
-aracity. So l not believer Ia the sort oi ~"
s.rvc. Reform which "c now 'ee 20 mn'h o anu near
- much about.
Mr. Randall was as loyal to his country as he was
to his convictions OF public and private duty and 1t
4, scarcely praise 10 sar Of him that he was a
incorrptible I'm public life as he wa, honest IN MS
urlyate life All Of hi, best years were devoted Ia
the service Of hi, state and his country. Men who
knew him a, a member OF the city Council OF Phlla
dclpha declare that he honest and faithful
there and he bore the reputation while he
hold the Office of state senator bcfoN the war. Vet
ern, Of the Union who served with him I'm the field
a, the outbreak and in the first year OF the Rebellion
testify to hi, patriotism and fidelity. rs member
~ the House Of Representatives. for nearly twenty
cl,l.t years. In which period he was thrice chosen
speaker Of that boiy. he made record IN whca MS
family and personal Friends well a, his party.
can Justly feel pride. for he was faithful indus
trion~. able and hone csi-lator. That he was a
man Al ,outcly without fear well a, Of unyeldnS
tcnacitv Of purpose. was shown more than one
occasion. and notably ~ hi, conduct ~ speaker
II the House during the stormy scenes "hl'h AT
tended the decision Of the Electoral Commission III
i.77 when large faction Of his party seemed to be
ready and willing To- seize by force the prize whl'h
If had failed To buy or win hy fraud. Friends who
were near to him and had his full confidence during
that irving period know that he never wavcred for
an Instant but stood hc rock on the side OF law
and order. He never tried - shlrk
rc>pon,ihny for hi, oihcial acts. Among his polti
cal oppoucnt, Nr. Randall formed many close and
warm personal friendships. .ctwc.n nm ana ,'rlnt
there was an almost brothcrl, ancriion' ana IN"
same might be said of the tie between MN ahu Gar
nckl Blaine and many other Ropullcin> VINO srrfri
with him Congress and cam" 10 KNOW MIN we'll !
Mr. Randall vi, not a rich man on the o"hihf'
a.. wns rather poor II measured by modern standards
Of money getting and money keeping lie was gen |
..rnu. almost to a fluli. hut he never pacrd Ms
rrucro-itv His house in Washington. "hith u" |
bourht with savrs~ from his ~dLiri. = % pihii' hou
est hnu,r in a hcalthful. hut out of the way ana nm
fashlnnal,r quarter of the city. In street wh'h MiS
never improved at great cNpenHc tlintth h'> lhnu
cncc The house might sell for Tf"'o OF T',oV'
under the hammer. and /, believed I" comprise ABOUT
orc third cf the estate