The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-12
CAMERoN's RETIREMENT.

Philadelphia Times: mo man ever rep
resented a state In the United States sem
ate continuously for eighteen years, as
j. Donald Cameron has done, who was so
little understood by the great masses Of
his constituents. The popular impression
| of Senator Cameron Is that he Is an in
dolent and not eminently ornamental MEN,
| ber of the senate; that he has exercised lit
tie influence in important legislation. and
| that he has used his position very largely
| for his personal enjoyment beyond the de-
sire to serve q circle Of personal friends.
This general misapprehension as to Sem
| ator Cameron's record In the senate arises
largely from the fact that ne Is not In any
sense magnetic; that he scrupulously
avoids all efforts to popularize himself.
and he lacks the genial surroundings OF
political leaders always enjoyed by his
father and which contributed so much to
building up the Cameron power OF the
state. In point of fact, the United States
senate has few more intelligent members
than Mr.. Cameron, and we doubt whether
any one senator has displayed the indi-
vidual power exhibited by Cameron, not
| only In the matter Of appointments In
which he was Interested, but in debating
the policy Of the Republican party In
meeting every great national problem pre-
scented for solution. Few public men have
approached him In moral courage when an
important duty confronted him. and In
no way was 1t better illustrated than
when, as secretary of war under Grant, he
peremptorily refused military appoint
ment to his father. then a senator, in
the face of the most earnest appeals of the
elder Cameron to serve friend. He re-
fused 1t because 1t was necessary to pre-
vent the decentralization of the army.
Soon after Senator Cameron's entrance
upon Senatorial duties he decided by his
single vote the overthrow of the carpet
bag rule in the south. by the admission Of
Senator Butler. of South Carolina, to his
seat In the body. 1t was done against
the vehement protests Of his Republi-
can associates, but he believed that the
Republican party could not maintain IT.
self by defying the popular will In the
reconstructed states and sanctioning the
rule Of the carpet bag adventurer and
spokesman. In a very few years the wis.,
dom of his action in the admission Of
Senator Butler was conceded by nearly
or quite all his Republican associates.
Again in 1891 he did one Of the most he
roic acts of our political history. Con-
gress had. met on the first Of December,
1890. and the Force Bill was pending in
the senate. 1t was expected that a vote
would be reached on II before the elec-
tion of senator in Pennsylvania about
the middle of January, and Senator Cam
eron was candidate for reelection. He
kew that to oppose the Force Bill might
imperil his individual success. but he
openly proclaimed his hostility to 1t, and
II was J. Donald Cameron, and he alone,
who made It possible to defeat that In
famous and despotic measure. Senator
Cameron's views on the free silver Ques-
ton are confessedly ut variance with an
Overwhelming majority Of the Republic
cans of Pennsylvania. but his dellveranoe
on that issue is simply In character with
the heroic methods of his public career.
He has been single from the common herd
Of public men in manliness Of expression
and action. and In never being impelled 10
play for the galleries. II II only just that
Senator Cameron should be thus honestly
understood by the people he has repre-
sented In the senate for more than half a
generation.
Warrington News: The declinatiof
Of Senator Cameron TO b. Z candidate for
rejection said well-known Republican
politician from Pennsylvania at the Ar
iington, means bitter fight among proml-
nent politicians In. PHILADELPHIA. There.
viii b Z number pf oandldatea from that
city, among them ez.rostnAstsr 0enofAll
Wenama,ef. etlte osnat6r Botes PenroSS,
4 cloeo pesseaol oud polltlcal fy1en1 ol