New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-21
A FALLEN STAR.


Some ten or twelve years ago there arose above
the horizon of intellectual stagnasion, besotted
ignorance, unbrided sefshness and rapacious
greed. which hung like a pail over Dedhan
Mass, something that seemed like star, though
II might have been a comet or meteor or sky
rocket or a balloon. or possibly the bewilderng
fare ut the tail Of n wagon where the phan-
throplc fakir emits high moral sentiments for
nothing and sells soap for cash For short
time its orbit was just round Dedham. but pres
emily It rose above the horizon of Boston ana
hung over the Saturday afternoon dinner-taDles
Of that intellectual centre with brilance that
paled into inslgnificance the usual ana Gus
tomary -prandial stars OF those dehGht1n
feasts Of reason and gurgling flows of son II
not only daZzled men with its brilance but IL
tired out the strongest ntellects with its staying
power Under its influence philosophers, sages
and reformers whose habits had never before
subjected them TO the domestic frOWn frequent
" STAYED at the festive board until after sun
down. and then went home so full of the most
elevated sentiments and the newest and most
original ideas that they seemed dizzy when they
staggered into the family circle.
In Dedham it was called the star Of George
Fred Williams 1t settled down to that in Bos-
ton Also though at first the Cambridge astrono-
mers conjectured that 1t might be Halley's comet,
not due to be sure until 1911. but liable TO have
gone astray in period so full Of prodigies. por-
tents and graveyard rabbits. and so to have
popped I'D, as It were, suddenly and unexpected
" in Dedham 1t soon came to be understood
in Dedham and some parts OF Boston that the
star Of George Fred was in the ascendant, and
that while this was the case almost anything
might happen--indeed, that more things were
liable to happen than even during the ascen-
dancy Of Sirius, when, as everybody knows, that
noble animal the dog, often goes utterly and
Inexcusably mad without cause or pr0vocation.
But the conviction was profound In Dedham
and some parts of Boston that, whatever hap
pened. George Fred could take care or ana con-
troll it; so that in the end the interests OF the
human race would not seriously suffer. They
were certain Of this because they had heard
| George Fred express his views at great length
on current questions and they knew that II he
could once get the floor and his second wind
when anything was about to happen 1t never
| would happen. His earnestness, sincerity and
continuity would stop clock.
| But they said that in order TO utilize to the
| utmost his remarkable gifts he must be sent 10
| Congress, where he would be on the ground 10
defeat the inlquites Of the tariff and overthrow
the conspiracy for the free coinage OF silver. On
both these questions they said, and he said, that
he was absolutely sound. And he was. All
sound. They sent him to Congress He was
then at his perihelion. Disappointed in the de-
feat of the candidate for Speaker whom he had
declared to be the logic Of the situation" he dis
solved in tears and refused TO vote for his party
nominee. He was so heightened and superior,
Then he tapered off, Neither his tears nor his
entreaties nor his arguments moved Congress.
Things went right on happening just as though
he wasn't there. And at the end of his term his
| constituents sent another man in his place. But
he did not entirely subside. He gladdened the
piazza at Gray Gables with his presence and
illuminated the intelligence of Mr. Cleveland
with his views in 1892, and frequently carolled
sweetly to Democratic audiences in subsequent
campaigns; his chief anxiety during these troub-
| lous times being to demonstrate the shallowness
and dishonesty Of the advocates Of free silver
coinage. Chosen delegate to the Democratic Ma
tional Convention in 1896 as an ardent and I'M
compromising opponent Of free-sver coinage he
calmly threw a somersault and came out for
Bryan and everything else for which he had be-
fore expressed his adherence.
On Friday night he addressed an audience of
$50 persons in Carnegie Hall. in this city. on
Money and the Commonwealth" the purpose
! Of which was 10 show that there could be 10
prosperity for the masses In this country until
the free coinage Of silver was established by
law And this is the way he began
| Eighteen hundred years ago there arose above
the horizon OF pagan selfshness the star Of HUI
man brotherhood and Of human charity Under
that star alone can our Republic Gods own Re-
public prosper. IL the money changers have
| entered the sanctuary Of common wea n
| shall we hesitate to cast them out. when we can.
| even though the scribes and the chief priests
seek how they may destroy US?
What else he said does not much matter That
| opening is enough. He said there had been "a
great upheaval," and that 'the deprecated dol
lar is IN these days the only honest dollar but
while there was little hope for the immediate
future" he was willing TO have the present ex-
pertinent Of government tried out" This was
very handsome In him. and we ought to be CRATE
| full for 1t. 1t IL more OF a concession than he
would have been willing 10 make when his star
| first rose But the star that arose above the
II