St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-08-05
THE TRULY STRONG MAN.

1t is no matter of surprise to those
whose memories cover the greenback
craze of '6S TO 'TS that ex-senator
THURMAN thinks there would be no
danger to the country in giving free
coinage to the fifty-cent dollar. They
will remember when the Ohio DemOc-
racy-always timorous and shivering
body, scared at its own and every other
shadow until the infusion into it of the
courage of the HURDs and HARTERs
and JOHNSONS of today-bent before
the greenbacK craze and adopted its de-
mand for fiat paper money that Senator
THURMAN went with his state party,
saying that. while he did not personally
subscribe to the doctrine. he felt Obliged
to remain with his party. This COM
plant sacrifice of party to temporizing
policy appears in more pronounced
form in the second generation, and we
see the "0ld Romans" son presiding
over congress" of silver conglOmer-
ates in Chicago.
In marked and pleasant contrast to
this weak yielding of Senator THUR
MAN was the conduct about the same
time of Senator LAMAR, who, when the
legislature of his state adopted a joint
resolution requesting him to vote for
the initiation of currency, replied to
them declining to assent to their re-
quest and giving his reasons therefor. A
weaker mau in many respects than is the
ex-senator from Ohio, Senator LAMAR
showed himself on that occasion to be
very much the stronger man, posse ssed
of that fine courage and moral strength
which enable a man to stand up for
what he knows is right in the face OF
popular clamor.
1t is only under stress of adverse cir
cumstances that the strength of the
character OF men is shown. 1t is easy
always to float with the tide; it Is hard
10 resist or pull against 1t. The corn
stalk can stand upright amid the gentle
| breezes of summer, but it takes the
oak to withstand the assaults of the
| tornado. No matter what may be the
mental abilities of any man, they are
worthless to him and to the public. I'M
| less they are at his command in time of
danger. The captain who loses his head
when the storm is on is unfit to COM
| mand the ship in times of calm, no mat
ter how complete may be his knowl-
| edge of seamanship. 1t was the cool
ness and self-p0Ssession and courage of
| THOMAS at Chickamauga, when OF her
| generals were leading the movement to
| the rear. that made him the trusted
leader of his troops,as it was the steady,
persistent courage and stubborn per-
| Iar no Il
! verse of circumstances. that made the
nation lean upon him as upon trusted
staff for its support.
| 1t is this grand quality of power to re-
| Sst pressure, of strength to do his duty,
| of courage to stand by his convictions of
right, in the face OF strenuous opposi-
ton. against the strong current of pop
ular opinion, that is the leading cbarac-
teristic of President CLEVELAND. 1t is
this that makes him today the recog-
nzed leader. not only of his party, but
OF the Intelligent, conservative, thinking
| portion of the nation. He resistS with
undaunted front the hordes in and out
of his own party, who, moved by selfish
interests, or yielding cowardly to the
clamor of ignorance. would plunge the
| commerce and trade of the nation into
the quicksands of a debased currency
No finer contrast could be presented
than is that shown in the different man
ner in which these two men, CLEvE-
LAND and THURMAN, met great crisis !:
the one bracing himself the.more firmly
to stand upright against its danger, the
other bowling his form to escape Its
blasts.