The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-08
a STATESMAN AND ms SHIRT.
Wisdom and ChivaIry May Not Al
ways 30 ButtOned tn.

FROM the washington POST.
The campaign in Florida has opened IN
der circumstances OF unusual fervor and
enthusiasm. We are in receipt Of copy
OF the Ocala Star. of July ., which con-
tains a highly impressionistic account of
a grand democratic rally at Blitchton, the
day before, and the very briefest per-
usal puts the whole scene before US in the
most vivid style imaginable. We can see
the gathered multitude-between 600 and
1000 the Ocala Star declares-the blazing
sun. the streams Of perspiratlon; we can
hear the wild fury Of applause as the
speakers one by one blow off their long
pent steam. And then we seem to fee.
the deafening outburst OF delight as Sem
ator Call advances slowly and gracefully
to the front, and. tossing back his bill
lowy name, turns on the torrent of his
eloQuence. OF Senator Call however, we
shall let the Star speak for itself:
Senator Can was warmly welcomed
ana treated with such respect and defer
ence as an intelligent and refined people
would naturally extend to a man occupy
ing the high and dignified position Of Uni
ted States senator. Everybody expected
the senator to display at least enough
senatorial dignity to appear on the plat
form properly clad. but to their great as
constituent he came out to deliver his
speech clad in such a manner as to shock
the modesty of the ladies and disgust and
outrage the intelligence Of the gentle
men.
"A candidate for the legislature from
Marion county said to the writer that Mr..
Calls appearance was a reflection upon
the intelligence and refinement Of the
community. This Is only another confirm
alton Of the Oft-repeated statement that
Norida's senior senator is in his dotage
and cannot bring himself up to the point
OF fully realizing that cracker Ignorance
and cowboy vulgarity of thirty years ago
have given place to a citizenship unsur-
passed in all the country for intelligence
progress, and far-reaching enterprise
Ihere Is school house on every hill
top and church in the valley, and II Mr.
Call or any other man thinks he can
please the people and secure their suf-
frage by mounting a public platform with
an unbuttoned shirt front so as to expose
to view his person, ne has woefully de-
cetVed himself and miscalculated the
times In which we are now living"
Ies, we can see AZ all We could have
imagined It had the Star kept silent. With
the Star to help us, we gaze upon the
scene as thought it were depleted for us
by a master hand.
But is our esteemed Florida contem-
porary quite sure that II does its favorite
son run Justice In this particular case?
We admit that 1t is somewhat uncon-
ventional for great statesmen to appear
on important public occasions in desha-
bile Such are the calling limitations and
tyrannical restraints of custom. But may
there not be occasions when this custom
is more honored In the breach than in
the observance? May not a crisis arise
In which leaders Of popular thought are
warranted in repudiaung the hide-bound
rules that govern lesser men? We have
had Senator Cali with us in Washington
now these many years. In all that time
we have never seen him regardless Of any
proper and becoming obligation. So far
as we know, he has not once appeared
at presidential or a cabinet reception
without his coat, or gone barefooted to a
single dinner in high official circles. Our
n q tor No11 L. N1.uk ~
always been scrupulously careful In these
matters, and, considering the load he hab-
itually carries on his mind, that is a
good deal to say. 1t was once alleged
of him that he took off his shoes in the
Senate and put his feet on a desk in front
of him. But what of that? Corns are no
respecters of persons. They attack alike
the pauDer and the prince the master
and the slave, the tribune and the gutter
snipe. Is Senator Call to have no refuge
from so irreVerent an enemy? Besides
he had on the most beautiful sky-blue
socks ever exposed to view in the Senate
chamber. They were infinitely prettier
than his shoes. Oh not we take no stock
in that story--none whatever. And we
venture to say that the Blitchton episode
can De explained also. How do we know
that Senator Call did not inhibition his
shirt for purposes of eloquence and ges-
ture? These are times in which our lead
the bastard foe, and to bare their breasts
10 the impending storm. The groan-
ing masses are threatened with dire perse-
cution. The hell hounds of capital pur-
sue them dreadfully. What Is there 10
show that Senator Call did not intend. In
opening his shirt, to invite the hurting
| tavelin-to say strike here and culver in
this throbbing breast and let my people
ltve!'-how are we to say ii NAV not
have been something in that line?
Let our esteemed contemporary think
1T over. Let Ii not denounce such a man
as Hon. Wilkinson CAN without the most
prayerful and exhaustive Investigation
Shall we reject the brightest and the hest
among our statesmen because they slip
their shoes? Is the country to be rayisboSS
of its wisdom and its chivalry because Of
an unbuttoned shirt?