The Republican., 1892-09-09
As Told by Himself.


will naturally wonder why he should
require so many more words to re-
late his services to the state than
rs colleagues, whose lives have
ocen spent in public service. We
will let him be the historian of his
pwn distinguished public career.
AS a mans ancestry is of Vita
Importance to the official record.
ne informs an admiring people that
they are indebted to his Scotch-Irish
parentage for the phenomenon who
is now strutting before the Con
gressional footlights. Les 1t should
not be suspect d, he does not fail
TO acquaint us with the fact that
his juvenile mind was developed
and enriched by liberl education
in the public schools Of his native
county, until he wa nearly Is
years of age. HIS birth and edu-
cation appear to have teen the only
striking public events IN his history
thus far.
Then he bursts into prominence
as a boatman of coal an the canal
to Washington cityl"during The
navigable portion of tie years 1860,
81, '62, '63, GA AID '65." In
this connection it ma, be remarked
parenthetically that tlis is the first
instance on record of, portion of a
year being "navigable" The truth
of this navigation EPISODE, it may
also be remarked, his been posi-
lively disputed by pesons in posi-
ton to be informed. Mr.. McKaig
may have incidentally gone down
the canal, but it is ortain that, in
his sweeping statement, he has per-
mitted an exuberant fancy to color
his facts.
His next public srvices consisted
of reading law, his admission to the
bar and the failure of his health,
which diverted his public duties
from their wonted channel into an
excursion to Colorado, where he
continued @ ta !sg. sssgEys s.!,ss.,IgIs the IgIssoEe by
ing and trapping"
In the spring of 1874 his public
duties again underwent change
and so remarkable was his capacity.
that in the brief space of six months
he engaged in the hotel business"
at two places, Manitou and Denver.
the call of public duty then making
him a wanderer through Utah and
California. In the latter state his
devotion to the service of the peo-
pie drove him into the gold mines.
where he says he worked about as
long as he kept hotel.
Pursued by the Nemesis of pub.
lie duty, he became the peripatetic
servant to the people in Mexico.
Central America, the northern part
of South America and finally New
York, and he does not fail to state
the name of every place honored
by his presence and elevated by the
spectacle of a man whose entire OK.
lstence was subordinate to the pub
lie service.
Not content with telling the peo
pie what he did do. but he started
to tell what he didn't do: but
over powered by the magnitude of
the prospect, he confined himself
to this statement: Failed TO Sc.
cure the democratic nomination for
states attorney for Allegany coun-
ty, thus illustrating the melan-
choly reflection that failure NAV
destroy the beautiful continuity Of
the most successful life. Nav the
reflection be prophetic.
Talents such as his are not
"cribb'd, cabin'd and confined's
by any special branch of service.
We now behold the boatman, LAWYER,
traveller, hotel-keeper, miner, hun.
ter, statesman, resplendent in the
gorgeous regimentals of that effect
i've military organization, the Mary
land National Guard. There was
no slow gradation from the ranks
to commanding position for this
towering military genius. He
stepped proudly, panoplied, from
civil life into a colonelcy on the
staff of the Commander-in-Chief
and subsequently became Chief Of
Ordnance, the head of the formida.
bic artillery service of the SOVEREIGN
state of Maryland.
Obedient to the public voice.
whose slightest whisper reached his
attentive ear, he suffered his war;
like ardor to cool and, closing his
eyes to the alluring prospect of
glory, be again entered the
more tranquil paths of civic life as
a member of the Maryland Senate,
from which he climed easily and
naturally to that giddy pinnacle of
greatness reserved alone for the |