The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1894-11-03

to this remarkable man and
rendered comment on his place in
political life timely and pertinent.
That such man as he, has'succeed
ed' in what is called politics is, it is
not too much to say, the most cheer
ing and inspiring incident in the too
cherries and uninspiring public life
OF the day
We are not unmindful, when we
say this, of the career of Mr.. Cleye
land; it must be remembered that
Mr. Cleveland appeared in American
politics at time favorable to the in
PRODUCTION of such man, when New
York State politics were in a condi
ton of ferment and ppheaval, and
when that master Of political man
agement, the late Daniel Manning,
was looking for a candidate with
whom to beat his political rivals. 1t
was to his credit and to the decided
advantage of Mr.. Cleveland's polit-
ical fortunes that his choice fell up
on man who so abundantly justified
his judgment. and proved to be SO
useful a public servant.
Mr.. Cleveland, moreover, represen-
ted State which had long occupied
a commanding place in national pol
itics, and, besides, possessed and
displayed certain qualities Of mind
which rendered him not ayerse TO the
employment of existing political
agencies in the advancement of ben
efcial public politics, the success OF
which Injured to his advantage.
Mr.. Wilson, on the other hand,
was the citizen of a'State Of slight
political Importance, and he has won
his present political eminenee unaid
ed and by sheer force of his eharac-
ter and ability. He has acquired
and retained his acknowledged place
in not only the confidence, but affec-
tion of his people, not less by uncon-
seious appeal to the heart than by
conquest of the intellect. He owes
absolutely nothing to the arts of the
politician, for he possesses none, nor
anything to the backing of politi-
clans. A political career of high
moral purpose and unselfish dedica
tion to the public good such as his
is rebnke and reproach to the
politicians of our day.
The truth is that Mr.. Wilson has
won the people By his singular devo-
ton to their interests, and the peo-
pie have forced him on the politi-
clans, to whom he is a wonder and a
puzzle. He entered public life as
scholar, but ne had not long served
the people when it was found that
Letters and broad, practical states
manship could be combined in one
man, and that they were in fact uni
fed in the modest, retiring, but earn
est young representative from West
Virginia
Learning, imagination and the fac
ulty of eloquent and convincing
speech were gifts with him not to be
displayed as the accomplishments of
the rhetorician, but to be used by
the statesman in stating, illustrating
and enforcing solutions of the prac
tical questions of legislation. These
rare fruits of his studious and refee-
tive life he dedicated to the public
welfare, to the illumination and en-
forcing of the hard, dry arguments
of science which never was dismal
in the light of his lucid reasoning
and creative Imagination. He had
the faculty Of giving warmth and
, color to the closest reasoning and to
infuse into the learning of his sub
ject that spirit of humanity which
Is the striking characteristic of all
his discussions of the tariff question.
He was as successful in making his
audience feel the inherent meanness,
the brutal selfshness of protection
as in exposing its impolicy and folly.
No other advocate of tariff reform,
except, perhaps, that other scholar,
whose intellectual powers and facul-
ty of exposition once made the Sen
ate body to be proud of, can be
compared with Mr.. Wilson in the
expression of the moral objections
to the system of commercial restric-
ton and subsection.
But, after all, it is not the orator.
the statesman or the scholar which
is to be the most admired in Mr..
Wilson. 1t is the purity of his po-
litical life, his freedom from the ideas
that corrupt so many public men,
his aversion and unbending hostility
to men of schemes, his singleness OF
purpose and his moral earnestness
that make Mr.. Wilson not only a
unique figure in our politics, but an
inspiration. Mr.. Wilson may be
said to be the hope of the younger
Democracy who have learned to alb
hor the Older machine of party as
the abnegation of principle and the
embodiment of selfish purpose. They
see in him states man in touch with
the best and highest aspirations of
the party, coming and not a pass
ing man, a leader whose heart is as
sound as his intellect is clear, who
. will hold aloft the light of Democra-
cy and point out and pursue that
course of good government by party
which fixes party in the confidence
and esteem of the people.-Balti-
more Ne,es.
, Perhaps Mr.. Thomas Reed carries
his daughter with him on his cam