St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-28
is DoNNELLY GETTING OLD :?

Mr.. DoNNELLY's physical contour
maintains that pleasing undulatory out
line which would perhaps unfit him
from impersonating with the highest
perfection Hamlet, whose was grace
ful and elegant slimness; Cassius,
whose look was somewhat lean and
hungry. But his face has of late as
sumed such an unusual cast of severity
and melancholy, his public utterances
are so completely shorn Of the rides
cent wit which used 20 set the nation in
a roar, and he calls his combine to arms
with bugle blasts of such tragically in
fiated intensity, and stamps his foot
with such transparenty peeyish disap-
pointment il any of them are loafing in
the coat rooms when he wants their
presence, that it has become subject
of general remark that the Sage is a
changed man. People are asking, "Is
DoNNELLY getting old?'
The GLOBE is, and always has been,
friend and champion of Mr.. Don
NELLY. 1t enjoys his confidence to such
an extent that it has been able by con-
suIting an encyclopedia to learn his eX-
act age. 1t therefore announces to the
expectant world with the authority Of a
special organ that DoNNELLY is not
growing old. He is in the neighborhood
of sixty only. He therefore has forty
good years of constitution crushing be-
fore him, besides an Immortality Of
fame. If that hardy young sapling, the
constitution of the state Of Minnesota,
has been laying to its fond heart the
fattering JUNCTION that after decade or
two it will be allowed to grow unmo-
Tested by the trampling Of the Sage's
iron heel, it had better cast its leaves
and begin to wither. Mr.. DONNELLY
is not getting through his work by any
means. He is only just begun. Thus
is another lie nailed.
The GLOBE, as friend and champion
of the great man, confeSseS that it is
little bit disappointed in his present
tack. He is so terribly serious-minded.
He seems to be making speciality Of
obituary literature, and, except for his
delicious bullyragging of the capitalists,
makes very scant contributions to the
amusement and entertainment of the
public. This is very unkind of him.
The GLOBE pleads guilty of having a
simply insatiate nav for fun, and
it and the people of the state in
general have counted on his gratifying
them without stint in this direction.
There is no higher field than this for
the eXertions of statesman, philan-
throphist and patriot. A foreign critic
once said that the Americans enjoyed
treating their public men like base
burning stove, around which they might
sit and spit tobacco juice. This is
clearly untrue. But the Americans do
like their public men to be Interesting.
Look at the majority Tom REED got
down in Maine, all because he had
made things lively i'll the house
and given the newspapers something
to talk about. An outraged nation
would have driven his district from
the Union it it had not returned him.
In the same way, if Mr.. DoNNELLY
wants to be governor of Minnesota or go
to the United States senate, let him
shelye his tragedies for while and
come out in a roaring farce. The co m
mon people love farces, and the more
horse play the better. 1t may be hard
for the Sage to do this at first, because
the reformation Of society rests on his
shoulders and makes him little stiff
in the joints. But let him remember
that he does not carry this burden
alone; JERRY SIMPSON is holding up
his end nobly down in Kansas, and
EDWARD BELLAMY is still writing
books in Massachusetts. The work
may go on bit more slowly if Mr..
DoNNELLY ambles a little. But the
public wants to see him amble. Time
is long, and we need not be wholly saved
at one session of the legislature.