The record-union., 1892-05-23
NOT A CANDIDATE.
VIM. H. Mills Would Not be United
States Senator.
lie Points Out Some of the Reasons
Why He VIII Not Enter
Public Life.

ing him most available man for that dis
tinguished position. Mr.. Mills has never
been heard from on the subject until a
few days ago, when the following letter
10 j. A. Woodward appeared in the Los
Angeles Times:
Friend WOODWARD: For the past two
days have taken glances at intervals at
yours, written in pencil, dated January
18th. . Your letter Introduces to
my attention a subject which l have at
various times considered with various
people. | do not propose in discussing
1t with you to make the slightest conceal
menL OF my position.
With this determination TO be entirely
Just, altogether candid and fully conf
dental. permit me to say that l am not
candidate for United States Senator. In
sanctiyely the people distrust corporate
influence, corporate power over fortunes
OF men, and corporate supremacy III the
political control Of the country. Ii this
distrust was referable to any specific mis-
understanding, II II had a foundation IN
some well defined cause, it would have
sufficient definition to grapple with 1t.
But since it is causeless, since it is un-
substantial, it may not be touched or
handled, ana therefore cannot be elm
mated.
ask myself, as an average citizen, if I
position for United States Senator, and
the answer is NO"
Beyond this, official distinction has
never had at any time in my lie any
special charm Tor Inc. You called my
attention TO the very eloquent and able
address OF Judge Gresham upon the &C.
casion Of the unveiiing of the Grant mon
ument in Lincoln Park, Chicago. | read
1t with pleasure and profit; accompanied
the discourse in parallel lines Of thought.
revived my love Tor the old hero, tor
the ideal and historic Grant. / loved the
old hero more as Judge GreSham'S deyel-
opment OF his character grew broader and
stronger. L experienced a shock of dis
appointment when L reached That portion
OF the discourse which treats of Grant S
civil administration. The character had
uniolded to dignitied proportions. 1t was
ike ascending a gradual slope 10 high
tableand OF manliness, only to hnu q
sudden ana precipitouS descent. 1t was
vastly greater to be Grant than To be
President. From Grant to the Presidency
was an anti-climaX. ApostrophIze the
great office Of President as you will: in
vest it as word magic is capable OF doing
with all the grace of its dignity: speak OF
1t as the Chief MagiStracy OF a great ma
ton; magnify the greatness of the nation
that It's Chief MagiStracy may be exalted;
yet it was greater to be Grant than to be
President.
remember Horace Greeley as def
nitely rounded personality, moving on a
plane OF true greatness to the point of his
nomination tor the Presidency, and at
that point the Greeley of distinction dies
and tie Greeley OF dimniution prevails.
AN incident came under my personal
observation illustrative of the thought [
am pursuing. L attended the Grand En-
campnent OF the Grand Army of the Re-
public, held III Columbus, Ohio, in Sep
temCer, 1855. There were $1,000 veterans
OF the late war III line. The head OF the
procession passed the point OF NV obser-
walton at Ia o'clock in the morning. the
rear guard in the afternoon. AS the old
soldiers kept step to patriotic music,
"reminiscences of the great struggle, with
Its patriotic Impulses, its heroiSln its
self-devotion, crowded upon the mind. |
saw nation truly united and trul y great:
proud and happy people, rising out of
the darkness ana despair Of that greatest
period III our history. l saw the fruits OF
liberty growing upon the tree OF national
life, whose roots were watered with the
Tears and blood OF patriotic devotion. and
while the eXaltation of feeling was Lead
ing me into The realm of dreams TO that
high prospect point which rises above
the marshy Levels OF common conte;nnla-
ton, and lays the topography Of history
plainly under observation, / noticed q
carriage coming down the line with a
single occupant, The face was half IA
millar, half forgotten. As it came abreast
OF my point OF observation a man behind
me said: Hello, there's old Hayes,n and
instantly recognized the face of the ex-
President OF the United States. little
later in the progress of that carriage. a
faint shout went up from those on the
sidewalk. The eX-PreSident in Of
1usive gratitude, lifted his hat and bowed
TO the right and TO the left as If to en-
courage and invite further demonstra-
ton OF recognition and applause. How
the past official greatness of the man gave
emphasis to the present forgettulness in
which he is held.
1 have met eX-United States Senator'S
whose former official elevation served
only to give emphasis to their stupidity.
j once assisted a friend TO achieve the
official distinction of being Senator in
Congress. lie was elected at II O'Clock
His rooms during the afternoon were be-
sieged with place-hunters, obseuuious
friends, repentant antagonists with a
sprinkling here and there of sincere CON
gratulations. The evening witnessed a
repetition Of the scenes of the afternoon.
and at last at y O'Clock the last visitor
had gone and he and l were left alone,
He closed the outer door, turned out the
gas in his ante-chamber, and turned to
grasp my hand. / addressed him with
the one word, Senator He looked
into my face and said: when bow |
read Mrs. Heman's Traveller at the
Source of the Nile / followed the crea-
ton of her genius through his toilsonle
way up that ancient and mysterious
river. At last he stands at the little
spring, the mysterious beginning of that
grand Hood, eXclaiming, And is this alp
lie recalled the springs in his own coun-
try, more atfiuent and more beautiful.
So" my friend said, 81 have chased
VF,rs l,ENI - I,. -
and eNclaim with the traveller at the
source of the Nile. And is this all?'n
/ have seen more men ruined by official
distinction than have ever been blessed
by it. l have seen fair characters under
mined. / have looked into the face of a
self respecting, right thinking, manly
man and found there assurances that he
would not bend his convictions of right
and his detesGation of wrong Tor ali the
laudation and inSincere praise TO which
official distinction is heir. But / have
seen the canker spot of ambition touch
that character: l have watched it spread
until its symptoms of disintegration were
unmistakable; first. a polite obsequious-
ness to men without character: next a
profession of conviction from stand
point OF prudence only; and so the entire
conscience itself became enwrapped in
the darkening mists OF hypocritical pre-
tense. IN that mist the old self-hood.
the Oltl IIdnh AuutpSudeiice. the OLD ROBUST
conScientiousness. with all other attri-
butes OF high manliness, We're lost, and
my former friend had abdicated the dig
nifty of the man TO become the time-serv-
ing official.
/ say TO you with great frankness that
ain not a candidate for this species of
disintegration of independent character.
for this abnegation of self, for this decay
of personal respect.
The territory belonging to the United
States on the Pacific Coast has special
needs one who aspires to represent this