Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-13

in him no blind subserviency to mere party
| behests, and no party fealty or party disci-
I pline could force him into giving his sup
port to any measure that his judgment and
conscience did not fully approve. No one
has ever better voiced my estimate of the
man than did his colleague on the Appro-
priation Committee, Mr.. Forney, of Ala
bama, who had exceptionally good opportu-
mites of knowing him, and who said in his
funeral eulogium:
"Mr. Randall has been called born
leader of men; and why? He possessed all
those great qualities which go to make up a
leader. He had an iron will. He had
nerve and courage. He hated intrigues
and despised shams. He was open, frank,
manly and honest. to his opponents. He
wore no mask. His panop1y was the
| justice of his cause. He had convictions,
and he was always loyal to his convictions.
One of the highest evidences of his loyalty
| to his convictions was that he never yielded
one jot or title of his convictions upon the
| great tariff question, when he knew with
reasonable certainty that, by his yielding
and falling into line with his party upon
that question, he could have reached the
highest position in the gift of the American
people"
BLAINE's FRIENDSHIP FOR RANDALL.
With all his natural ability as a leader he
might never have become such simply for
want of the fitting opportunity which by no
means comes to all men. Opportunity
amounts to nothing in the man who has not
the ability to seize the opportunity; to take
the tide at the food which leads to fortune,
as did Grant and many others. 1t is the
fate of many 'to die with all their music in
them" for the want Of opportunity to give
expression to it.
The opportunity for Randall came through
the friendship of Blaine, another one of
''the four boys" and which began on their
simultaneous entry to Congress, and con-
tinued until Randall's death. The Speaker
of the House has the political fortune of its
members in his own control by the arbitrary
and autocratic power to recognize whom he
pleases as entitled to the floor. This right
was literally exercised by Blaine, after he
became Speaker, in favor of Randall. 1t
was generally ''the gentleman from Penn
sylvania" who was recognized, and hence 1t
soon became manifest that if the Democrats
wanted to accomplish anything in the House
it was important to secure Randalps infiu-
ence. This made him inevitably the leader
OF his party. His abilities in this direction
were conspicuous on many occasions; never
more signally than in his opposition to the
so-calIei force bill in the Forty third Con-
gress, in which, however, he was greatly
aided by Speaker Blaine, who was in full
sympathy with him in his opposition to the
bill.
IN THE CRISIS OF rs.
No more remarkable instance Of his
courage, manliness' and independence was
ever seen than in his course as Speaker dur
ing the excitement incident to the ve1ed
question of the Presidential election of 1876.
The magnitude of that crisis has probably
never been fully realized by the general
public, nor the imminence of the revolution
which threatened us, and which the calm
Judgment and stern determination of Samuel
j. Randall, who was great enough to rise
above party, did much to avert. He curbed
and ca1med the fiery turbulence of some OF
the members of his own party by quiet
exercise of moral power such as has been
seldom witnessed, and perhaps prevented
General Watterson from carving out his
threat to march on Washington at the head
of 100, 900 men equipped with the distinct
lively Kentucky ammunition.
If he had performed no other public serv-
ice this alone would entitle him to the ever
lasting gratitude of his fellow countrymen.
CLINTON LLOYD.
Io,,7i,i1bt In, fbe n1Ifbor