The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-15

COCKERILL'S LETTER.
The Weather, Mayor Grant and
Tammany Discussed.
Down with the Speculators-JohnB risben
Walker and His Magazine-Yachts
and Yaehtsmen-Californi2
Reward.
COPYRIGHT, 1892

COPYRIGHT, ISJZ
II there is a more moist, damp, muggy
Section of the world outside of the
British Isle than this island of Manhat-
tan am not familiar with it. 1t would
really be a treat to have three days in
New York city free from humidity. Be
ginning with last February, we have
had succession of rains mists and
fogs which would do credit to the upper
end of Scotland. But we are sometimes
favored with one clear day, and when
that clear day arrives it is the bright
est, most buoyant, most champagne
like weather produced on this CONT
nent Speaking of humidity, 1
was talking with Mayor Grant the
other day about his recent trip to Mex
leo in quest Of health and recreation
The mayor Is troubled at times with a
tendency to granulated eyelids. He
took trip in the early spring to Mex
leo After crossing the Rio Grande he
says that he Travelled through district
OF country there for day or two in
which drop of rain had not fallen in
something like three years. The whole
country was parched and burned to a
yet it was necessary to close every win
dow and aperture of the railway car to
shut out the alkaline dust. As it was,
the dust made the car almost unendur-
able The mayor said that he had to
wear pair of green goggles over his
eyes, not even taking them off at night
when he retired. As between general
humidity and a country of that peculiar
aridity, certainly prefer the moist at
mosphere.
Mayor Grant assures me again that
he has no idea of accepting a renomina-
ton for mayor. He declares that he
has had suficiency of politics, and he
proposes now to attend to his own bust
ness affairs for awhile. Nobody seems
to know what Tammany halls plans
are in connection with the mayoralty.
Through the benign dispensation of
Messrs. Whitney, Grace & Co., who are
managing the reformatory end of Mr..
Cleveland's campaign, Tammany viii
have no democratic opposition on its
municipal ticket this year. The friends
of Mr.. Cleveland stood ready, in the
event Of Hills nomination for the pres
Tammany, and all the machinery was
set in motion for new democratic
local organization. Now that Mr.
Cleveland is nominated, Tammanys
votes are wanted for the ticket, and it
will be given free field in municipal
matters. If Tammany is the wicked and
corrupt organization which it is repre-
scented to be by Grace & Co. it would
strike the sincere friends of good gov
eminent that efforts should be made to /
reform it out of existence at all times /
and in all seasons. But the scientific /
trade of politics has some very peculiar |
aspects. The state of affairs here in .
New York just now is illustrative .
thereof.
THE SOLE BIT OF GLORY.
About the only bit of glory brought I
back from the Chicago conven- /
ton by the followers of Tammany hall |
was that reflected by Mr.. Bourke Cock
ran, the orator 1t is claimed by his
admirers that Mr.. Coclzran's speech in
the convention nominating Hill and
protesting against Cleveland was one of
the finest oratorical efforts vouchsafed
mankind since the days of Demosthenes.
Mr.. Cochran is certainly good speaker.
He has fine physique, pleasing man.
ner and lung power which may be set
down as A No. l. But | must confess
that / cannot recall the fact that ever
was illuminated intellectually by one of
his speeches. There is a roar and
cadence about his oratory that suggests
4H,a ,rio EA1ia,, har,, th.a
winds blowing through emerald groves.
But Cochran does not seem to be a man
Of great ideas or great sincerity.
l went one night to the Academy of
Music especially to hear Mr.. Cochran
Drate. The occasion was the ratifca-
ton Of Mr.. Cleveland's second nomina-
ton for president. The great theater
was packed TO repletion and the oppor-
tunity was great one for the orator
who could fill the remaining space with
his voice. This Mr.. Cochran did. |
listened to him with great interest and
at times was fairly lifted out of my
chair by his ringing sentences and
lofty climaxes- The great audience
roared, and the orator roared back. He
walked up and down the stage, and for
more than thirty minutes there seemed
TO be no place between the words,
which came like pillows upon the sea
shore, in which not even the point of /
knife could have been inserted Such Z
such command Of language, (
never heard And yet when got out ,
side the building | could not recall |
single phrase or a novel suggestion of 7
that entire address.
When a man like Col. Bob Ingersou I
talks for five minutes he either furnish 6
es an epigram or phrase that one feels r
like recalling. Mr.. Cochran is not that
kind of an orator. at the same time
he is most useful man to Tammany {
hall He can make four speeches a L
night for forty nights if necessary, and
by the sheer force of dYnamics is able
TO weld and fuse crowds of people who G
happen to think as he does But vehe-
mence has never yet taken the place of \
persuasion in oratory. Mr.. Cochran is 0
q very rich man. His connection with Q
Tammany hall secures him an enormous f
amount OF business before our courts l.
here, which he seems TO have turned to
good profit Every time big corpora
ton gets into trouble or needs assist /
ance, Mr.. Cochran is likely TO be called |
n He deserves great credit for the
success he has achieved Ten or twelve l
rears ago he was q poor man, apparent {
v without a future, living chiefly by l
he favor of Tanmany hall He cor {
-ected his habits, married happily. and c