The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-11-24
JEREMIAH M. RUSk.


home in Wisconsin, on Tuesday. the
naJion loses one of its prominent men
"a man who never flinched in doing
his duty as he saw it, liz whatever sta
tion of life he happened to be. He
was not a polished man. being de-
prived of hose early advantages which
chip off the rough edges, but he was
endowed with an unlimited quantity
of rare good sense, great energy and
physical power.
The opening of the war found him a
farmer in western Wisconsin. He
promptly offered his services to his
country, and served through those try
ing days with distinction. Since then
he has been almost continuously in
public life. He held various minor
state offices, and served well his
country as a member of congress,
while his fearless record as governor
of Wisconsin gave him national rep
utation simply because he dared to do
his duty under the most trying cir
cumstances.
He was sometimes called by his en-
emies rough, harsh man, but he had
warm heart under his rough eXteri.
or, as many of his kind acts will testi-
fly. One instance in particular will
illustrate this. While he was govern.
or, there was riot in northwestern
Wisconsin precipitated by some rail
road laborers who had not been paid
their wages and were left without the
means of subsistence. The authOri
ties there, unable to quell the trouble
telegraphed the governor to send the
militia to put down the rioters. But
Gov. Rusk had been inQuiring into
the situation, and characteriStically
replied that it was thread, not bul
lels," which was needed, and the nex
train north carried provisions for the
starving laborers, and the governor
took steps to see tnat their wages il
full were paid to them.
1t was such acts as these which con
tributed to his election to a thirc
term as governor, from which he re
tired to private life, only to be called
by President Harrison to the secreta
ryship of the department of agricul
ture, which had just been made 9
cabinet office. This department haC
hitherto been the target for all sorts
of lidicule, but Mr.. Rusk raised it tt
a position of respect, and made it in
valuable to the farmers Of the country
Of his services in that department
the Chicago Inter Ocean says:
Bet his especial claim for a high
place among The great statesmen OF
the country was his success in break
ing down utterly and completely the
barriers against the introduction OF
American meats in the European mar
ketS. Until his time the matter haC
been left entirely in the hands of the
state department.. and one secretary
after another, beginning with VIM
NJ Evarts, of the Hayes administers
ton, tried to apply remedy but
failed. Secretary Rusk stepped ir
| with bill for meat inspection, which
he urged congress to pass, saying liz
effect to that body: Pass this bill
gentlemen, and between the inspec
tion the department. of agriculture
| will make and the use of the same
that the department of state car
make, under the provisions of the
! q ia y
| hog and the American steer the free
dom of Europe. Congress passed thu
| bill, and that great expectation wa!
| fully realized. Secretary Blaine en-
tered cordially into the spirit of tn,
plan, and between the two the under
taking was thorough success, adding
many millions annually to the valu,
of our cattle and swine.
There was no little talk of running
"Uncle Jere," as he was affectionate
ly called, for president in 1892, and b,
would undoubtedly have been a very
strong candidate, but his sense o
honor forbade his allowing his nam,
to be used as against President Har
rison. With the close of the admins
tratiOn be returned to his farm
| What further hOnors might have beer
in store for him, it would be idle tt
surmlse. He was content to retir,
| permanently from the cares of publ,
life. He was happily free from tn,
cankering ambition which has render
ed the last years of so many of on
great men sad and pitiful. He will
be remembered in the annals of Wis
consin as a model governor, and in tn,
| history of the country as one of tn,
| few cabinet officers who really achieved
greatness at the head of a portfolio.
Henry Wilson, the postmaster a