The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-22
STEVENSON'S OPINIONS.
Gladstone and Horace as Viewed by
the Vice President.
His Scholarly Traits-Adlai Knows
How to Talk When Necessary, and
he Is Going to Spend the Summsr
With Great Listener.

With Great Listener.
(Copyright)
New York. July 21.-That quaint little
Maine resort known IS Sorrento will this
year have season comparable in bril-
liancy with that of the most noted sum-
mer time Mecca in the land The vice
president of the United States has made
arrangements to while away the warm
weather there, so far as his official duties
may be said to make such a thing as
Willing away any kind of weather posi-
bic TO him at all, and his interesting fam
ily's presence must, of course, be an event
in itself. But in addition to the Steven
sons, the Main resort will also rejoice in
the presence of the chief justice of the
supreme court of the United States,
gentleman whose family is larger than is
that of our second magistrate, and fully
as interesting, if not more so.
These exalted officials are warm friends
Much of their mutual leisure is
passed in each others company,
and both are alike in keeping very
much in retirement. The Vice
President particularly is careful in ex-
pressing his opinions on any subject,
and his success in managing the
full with conservativeness which he
can decide heated difference
without otfense to either party in
voled. Yet he is not the victim of any
overpowering sense of his own dignity,
by any means. He is nothing if not
arfable.
Few people are aware that Adlai E.
Stevenson is an unusually well educated
man-far better educated than Grover
Cleveland. The Vice President is really
scholar, whose reading has covered
nearly the whole of the ocean Of litera-
ture, and here and there has dipped
deeply. Indeed, he is a great admirer of
Gladstone almost entirely because the
grand old man has not let his lore get
rusty in the strife of party warfare.
Il sincerely hope he will come 20 this
country" said Mr.. Stevenson, when the
matter Of the possible visit was preached.
1t was evening, and odicial cares were
temporarily jaId aside.
mo, 1t may be that Mr. Gladstone will
find our request impossible" proceeded
Mr.. Stevenson, in answer to another
question. "One can readily understand
how resting must be his present learned
leisure. He can really begin life over
again among his books, and that is one of
the best ways of finding out from expert
ence that a man is only as old as
ne feels. By the way, how is it
that the older man grows the
more he loves Horace? One would think.
in view of the amorous ditties sung by the
protege of Maecenas, that only young fel-
lows of twenty-five or so would care for
him. But that is not so at all think it
is because Horace is a sort of metrical
fountain of youth. You can't feel old
reading him.
MIR. Stevenson expressed some eager
ness to see the result of Gladstone's la
hOpS q c a G a f,f 1,,,-
President, by the way, is one Of the most
Observation-Disclosures the most dis
Observation-Disclosures of the petition pre-
sented to Gladstone to honor our republic
with his presence.
Are our public men as learned as those
IN England, Mr.. Stevenson"
1t depends upon what you mean by
learned In the first place, opportuni-
ties for the display of learning are not so
frequent in our public life as they are on
the other side. When man gets up to
speak in congress on, say the tariff ques-
tion, we do not expect him to drag Homer
In. An allusion to or quotation from
any classical author is rarely happy here
in such a connection And because the
air of debate does not vibrate with Latin
and Greek quotations the assumption is
hastily made that our public men could
not do something in that line if it were
appropriate. That is mistake. Learn
ing in Official life is not at all unusual
with us. You would be surprised at men
who come to Washington did you have
the opportunities of finding out how
well educated they really are But it is
not knowledge so much as action that at
tracts attention here.p
The Vice President, by the way, has
long been deep student of social phe-
nomena, yet his opinions are slowly
formed. No one, for instance, has ever
succeeded in getting from him all utter
ance on the future of the social organism.
If he discusses such questions at all, and
he certainly must, what he SAYS is not
made public, except when he speaks be-
fore an audience. He is unusually effective
at such times, largely on account OF a
magnetic quality in his voice. and an abil-
ity to keep the interest of the listener
constantly aroused. 1t is not merely
classical lore that Mr.. Stevenson has as
simulated, but the fruits of the research
of workers in philosophical and scientific
fields. Hence the.veritable avalanche of
invitations to him to speak on all posi-
bic and impossible occasions.
The ronN ersation drlfbed to scenery, and
Mr.. Stevenson was asked what he thought
were the most beautiful portions of our
country.
That is question to which only a
general answer is possible he replied.
land general answer is usually no
answer at all. How, can you institute a
comparison between the natural beauties
of Virginia and those of Maine2 Or be-
tween those of California and those of
New Hampshire2 Do you know the fame
of locality, as far as scenery is con-
cerned, depends largely upon its having
some genius TO pro lain it to the world?
For instance, Whittier did wonders in
making known the natural beauties of
New England. How beautiful the Hud-
son river is and the scenery of the Cats
kills, but if Washington Irving had not
written their beauties up thousands of us
would never have known that they were
particularly attractive. In the same way
many locality is only awaiting some
genius to advertise it to the world, and
presto we will have one more resort"
You seem to be an admirer of descrip-
tive writing2"
Yes, suppose I am, but most Ameri-
cans are, for that matter. We have so
much TO describe, and it requires real
genius to describe it. / think our Ameri-
can writers are in some respects eXcelljng
even the French in the art of word paint
ing. English seems to have acquired a
new subtletv in the hands of American
authors. We have assimilated the nice
ties of the French with all the vigor of
the idiOm we owe to our British cousins.
That is why the poetry of America has
won is way into the literature of the
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