Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-16
They Are Personally Much Alike but In
Opinions They Differ Greatly.

They Are Personally Much Alike, but In
Opinions They Differ Greatly.
Especial Correspondence
! NEW YORK, July 6.-Publishers say that
! the most popular of the writers of short
/ histories and biography are Professor Will
| liam I. Sumner, of Yale college, and Con
gresham Lodge, of Massachusetts. In
some respects these two men have had
! careers singularly alike, while in others
/ they have been as different in their WAYS
, of living, in their opinions regarding great
historical events and characters and in
their literary style as two men can well be-
/ Professor Sumner is now nearly fifty years
of age, but he looks and acts like young
man. He was bald even when, recent
graduate from Yale, heaccepted an instruc-
tors chair there. But if he was bald he
was also youthful and full of good com
radeship, SO that he became a great pet
with the college boys. He was classmate
of William c. Whitney and Governor
Chamberlain, of South Carolina, and even
in his college days he achieved distinc-
ton among his classmates equal to that
which these distinguished men gained
when they were students.
Young Sumner was not favored 10y for
tune, except that he was blessed with brain,
and when he finished his college career he
found it necessary for him to dosomething
at once for his support. He was appointed
a tutor in Yale college and at the same
time he studied theology. lie was ordained
a priest in the Episcopal church and could
at any time retire from his professorship
and enter the pulpit if so disposed He
was never called to any pulpit, probably
| because Yale college chose him it's professor
of political science.
Professor summers enormous popularity
with the students, his democratic ways, a
certain cynicism of speech and manner,
which after all could not conceal the good
nature and the love of fun which were in
in him, made his influence very great with
the students. Before he took his chair the
tendency Of the Yale students was to favor
the doctrine of protection but since Pro
fessor Sumner has taught them it has been
observed that many of the students now
graduate with decided inclination toward
the free trade doctrine. Some of them
alter their views after they get out into the
world and some maintain them.
At one time Professor Sumner believed
that in order to understand politics in its
highest and best sense a person should
have an actual familiarity with it's opera
tiOns. He therefore consented to become
an active politician in New Haven, and his
party was only too glad to avail itself of
his popularity. He was elected an alder
man and served in that Office with great
credit, and, it must be said, with great dis
satisfaction to himself. Personal contact
with the ward politician gave Professor
Sumner an insight into politics and re
vealed to him certain mysteries which
both astonished and Disguised him. He
L. -.
tics for him was study that must be car
ried on from afar, and he retired from &C
tive political life quite satisfied with his
short experience therein.
Professor Sumner has written, besides
text books and countless controversial es-
says upon the tariff, some admirable short
biographies of American statesmen, and it
is understood that he has in contempla~
ton an exhaustive study of Thomas Jeffer-
son.
Henry Cabot Lodge is few years young
er than Professor Sumner. He was enter
iEg Harvard as a student just as Professor
Sumner was beginning his work as in
structor in Yale college. Lodge was born
with a golden spoon in his mouth. His an
cestry was numbered among the most dis
tinguished people of Massachusetts, colony,
and he received at birth not only the herit-
age which comes from such worthy and
distinguished lineage, but he also received
promise of Il fortune when he should be-
come of age. His tastes were decidedly lit
erary and after his graduation from Har-
ward he took up literature as a profession
and wrote several biographies and short
historical essays. His best work. perhaps,
is his life of Alexander Hamilton, of whom
he is an enthusiastic adrnirer. His biogra-
plies were published in the same series
as were those of Professor Sumner. His
style is more elegant than that of Sumner,
but not so vigorous. His analyses are
more pleasant, but not so subtle as those
of the Yale professor.
Like Sumner, Mr. Lodge in the early
part Of his career studied politics from the
closet and theorized much about it. Then
he undertook as Sumner did, personal ex-
perience in the game. Instead of retiring
with some f cling of disgust, as was the
case with Sumner, Mr.. Lodge became fas-
cinated with politics as a practical every
day study He found that it required
greater ability to deal with men, to mold
public opinion, to gain and maintain a per
sonal influence, to sway caucuses and con-
ventions than it did to sit down in II closet
and write about such things. Therefore
be determined to make politics his career,
and being patient he has at last managed
to gain recognition as one of the growing
men of his party. Sumner will be esteemed
the greater writer, while Lodge will be
called the greater politician.
Z. J. EDWARDS.