The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-05
FICTION AND POETRY.
THEY HAVE FURNISHED INSPIRATION
FOR MANY STATESMEN.


pew, chatting not long ago with friend
about general literature, said that he had
not read novel for twenty years, and it
has been reported by one of Grover Clevc
lands friends that the president elect told
him that he had not read Il story since he
was boy. The reading habits of men who
have achieved much i'll public affairs fur
nish no suggestion of their intellectual
quality Mr.. Dcpew may not read fiction,
but he has been able to keep up with his. !
torical literature.
No American who is prominent in public
life keeps SO constantly in touch with higher
literature, both current and classic, as does
Mr.. Gladstone. But n few years ago an
American statesman lived who could have
matched Gladstone in the extent of his read
ing if not in the depth of his learning That
man was Jeremiah Black, attorney general
and secretary of state in Buchanan's cabi. |
net. Perhaps Judge Black and Caleb Cush.
ing were the most persistent in the excur-
sions into all fields Of literary endeavor OF
any of the American statesmen.
Judge Black read everything. anything |
If he could not put his hand upon n Shake.
speare or Il Bible, both of which he knew al. |
most by heart, he was not asl med to read |
some of Ned Buntline's exciting stories of |
wild life i'll the west, and he rcjoiccd tC |
take up Thackeray or Dickens. while Bret |
4iultC StOllcS StNc llfIll great NtIlHnt. tAs |
learned man perhaps as ever sat ut Il cabi |
net table, he would rather read a dime novel
than to read nothing
Justice Lamar, of the supreme court, has
been for forty years n lover of novels He
1t was who said of fiction, as the Kentucky
colonel is reported to have remarked OF
whisky: "There are no bad novels. sir.
Some are better than others; some are treas.
are houses of delight, but none is act,i.
ally bad" Once Judge Lamar, Mt n time
when he was member of the senate had
permitted several months to pass without
making any other utterance in the senate
chamber than to vote. a friend met him
on the way from the Capitol to his hotel
and asked him why he had for so long
time kept silence.
II am refreshing my mind am allow
ing it to lie III fallow; in fact, am living
with the heroes and immortals am read
ing Dickens through once more. One of
these days | shall have something to say in
the senate
y few weeks later he did have something
to say, making one of his most brilliant
speeches.
General Arthur was the only president
who was fond of fiction. The works of the
best writers OF romance and other fiction
We're sent to the White House by his direc.
ton rs soon as published, and late at night
the president would spend an hour or two
over novel, quite often reading until he
had ncutralized the nervous strain caused
by the labors of the day, and then he sought
his pillow.
Ex-senator ingalls,, when he was a mem
Der OF the senate, was said to have been the
best read man in that body, although Mr.
Blainc's reading was i'll certain directions
more exhaustive and Senator Conkling's
In other fields quite rs thorough. Senator
ingalls, was fond of good fiction, of history
and of scientific works not technical
Mr.. Blaine was careful reader of news
papers and many of them. He possessed
the faculty of the trained editor of obscrv-
ing the contents of Il column at what
seemed to be single glance. In this re-
spect he was cXcellcd by an associate of his
i'll Garfeld's cabinet, General Thomas l..
James. whose capacity for swift and yet
thorough newspaper reading is so remark
able that 1t always caused wondering com
ment among his friends. Mr. Blaine did
not continc himself to newspapers From
the time he yielded the Speakers chairto
Mr.. Randall, Blaine has been critical
and exhaustive reader of American poiti-
cal history, and also has bestowed much
research upon the material condition of the
two American continents, which, he is con
WINGED, are destined ultimately to come in
TO very close political relations.
Conkling's general reading was of poetry.
especially that of Byron and Milton and he
was also fond of fiction. although this was
not known until after his death eXcept bv
his family. He liked stories Of adventure
and was especially fond of the works of
Ouida, n liking III which he had some dis
tinguished company--James A. Garfield
and Charles a. Dana, for instance
EX-Speaker Reeds devotion to fiction.
and especially to the best French authors,
whom he reads in the original, is well
known, but he was the only speaker since
the time of Robert G. Winthrop who cared
for general literature. Schuyler Colfax
was newspaper man, and after his retire
meHt from public life became a lecturer.
but he had no interest in literature Mr.
Blaine, while he was fond of general litcra-
ture and had Il remarkable faculty for
criticism Of the higher art, had no time to
crafty this taste until after he had given
up the speakers chair.
Samuel j. Randall never read anything
but the newspapers and public documents,
and Mr.. Carlislc's inclination was entirely
In the direction of works on finance or kin
dred topics, which he read not us the lover
OF literature would, but rather as lawyer
preparing Il brief would do.
Senator Hoar has fine literary taste but
Tor many years it has been directed toward
the literature bearing upon the colonial
era. His reading and researches in this
direction have made him. it is said, one of
the first of authorities respecting that era
One of the best read men in the house of
representatives is Amos j. Cummings who
possesses small but choice library. and
whose books bear evidence of frequent use.
Henry Cabot Lodge, who is to be the next
senator from Massachusetts, has probably
read more exhaustively i'll the early politi.
cal history of the United States than any
OF his associates, and the fruits of this read