Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-02-23
Col. Tom Ochiltree Says Great States
men Are Rural Products.
EXAMPLES IN PAST AND PRESENT.
Philadelphia Furnished None Of PennsyI-
Vania's Bright Lights
FACTS AS TO THE SITTING CONGRESS-
WRITTEN ror THE DISPATCH,


average readers of the great newspaper.
published in the centers of population
throughout this country manifest no very
distinctive respect for the rural magnates
who are found in Congress or in the high ad-
ministrative places of the Government.
Such people will doubtless smile at the as
sertion made about the siatesmanship that
emanates from the great cities, for tendency
seems to have grown up OF late to sneer at
the class of men who have been dubbed as
"cross roads politicians, rural sages" and
"turnip representatives"
This tendency is indicative both of mex
cusable Ignorance and foolish prejudice.
The history of this country has been made
and glorifed rather by men from the rural
districts than by those who have had their
origin and homes in the large cities Of the
land, and it is entirely probable that the his
torian who may compile the data fo- the
story of this nations future will have no
cause to change this record. The proportion
of statesmen of ability in Congress has al
ways been Overwhelmingly in favor Of the
country districts. This was true in the first
years of our struggles for national existence,
it continued so down through the days of
our gradual progress to greatness and pros
perity and is equally true now.
LOOKING BACKWARD.
Let us see if history bears out this asser-
tion. Glance backward for a century
through the records of the Continental Con-
gress, of the National Constitutional Con-
vention, and over the changing story of the
war for independence and the later years of
the country's lite. How many statesmen
pre-eminent in ability and magnificent in
their attainments and success have the big
and populous cities of the country given to
this nation? OF the great and renowned
soldiers whose names are memorlZed in
storied marble or massive bronze, and held
cherished in the hearts of millions of their
countrymen, how many of them came from
the crowded centers of population?
You can count those who did almost on
the fingers of one of your hands. Philadel-
phia, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Gin
cinnati, st. Louis or the cities of the South
have not a single name on the roll of their
history who can lay claim to great states
manship. The Quaker City has a sort of
hall defined claim to some interest in Ben
Franklin, and there is kind of hazy tradi-
tion that Henry Clay, in his prosperous
days, occasionally bought his clothes there.
Coming down to these later days, there, of
course, is Samuel j. Randall, born leader
of men in and sometimes out of his party.
But Sam Randall does not really belong to
Philadelphia, for his home is outside of the
city on his pleasant farm in the country.
Can anyone recall any other .nan known to
the nation who within memory of the present
generation has made the great Pennsylvania
city proud and honored.
CHICAGO GREAT IN TRADE.
Chicago, booming and pushing forward to
a leadership of the giant West, has thus far
in her wonderful history given to the nation
a line of wealthy, industrious and stirring
business men who have made the world
stand amazed at the enterprise that marks
their progress toward controlling and hold
ing the trade OF continent. But what great
statesman, general or legislator has in
scribed his name on her birth records and
brought deserved honor to the splendid city
that sits by the lake side? Not one as
yet.
New York City itself-the metropolis of
the contlnent-has very little to boast of in
the greatness and renown of the men she has
given to the nation. Every now and then
some orator Of post praudial persuasion
tells Of Alexander Hamilton as one of the
glorious sons of the city, yet even he was
not native of the town, for he was born iu
the West Indies. Of course, she had Aaron
Burr and Livingstone, but who else paid
allegiance to her in the early days, and who
lives to do her honor to-day? Men of local
repute and renown-yes-but what big man
is there of her sons who stands head and
shoulders intellectually above his fellows
and whose name and fame fills the land ?
William NJ. Evarts? Yes, you may call
him statesman, though he has not added
to his fame since he went to the New York
Senate, and though he lives in New York
he was born in Boston just 70 years ago.
NEW YoRK's CoNGREssMEN.
to represent the metropolis in the House of
Did anyone beyond the
confines of the North and East rivers which
flow around the town ever hear OF Dunphy
Turner Mccarthy, Quin and the others?
True, Amos Cummings is bright and sue
cessful newspaper editor and Roswell P.
Flower judicious and trained legislator,
but neither of them would expect to rank
among the statesmen of the country. Yet
such are the classes of men now contributed |
10 the country by the largest, wealthiest and |
most intelligent of its cities.
Take Boston as another instance. If |
anywhere in the country one could |
anticipate finding a sup |
ply of educated and Intelligent |
it would surely be in this
,enter of New England trained and cultured |
thought. She gave to the country Charles
Sumner, and for that deserves the thanks of
Millions yet unborn. She had sort of half |
with PhiladeIphia in Ben
Franklin in the earlier days of her exist
.nce and does not forget to boast OF both
hese great men. But the world has not
'een electrified by the doings of any other
AIMED men that the New England city has
Produced within the memory OF this or OF
he past generation. She cannot lay claim
o the Adamses or to Webster, for the coun-
~ districts were their birthplaces and their
ZONES, and Boston but an occasional stop
ling place for them. Nobody outside of
" Washington knows who represents Boston
n the House Of Representatives to-day, and
loeS anybody care?
MANY INDUSTRIOUS INSTANCES.
What is true of Boston is equally so in
eference to the other great cities of the
and. Look at some of the old time states
nen to begin with. In Pennsylvania James
Buchanan, Simon Cameron and such as
hey, were veritable hayseed PennsylVanians
oming from the country districts and the
roducts of rural constituencies. Thaddeus
stevens, the great apostle of reconstruc-
ion and man who welded more power in his
ay in Congress than any other man who
yer stood upon the floor OF the House,
pent his life when at home in quaint old
arm house In Lancaster county. Jeremiah
Black, the, great Attorney General was a
armer-a real farmer in York-and would,
o-day, in all probability be called rural
age or turnip representative.
New YORK repeats the same history.
William L. Marcy, Silas Wright the Van
'urens, Horatio Seymour, William H.