The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-22
AN OLD-TIME STATESMAN.
"reminiscences of the Late Senator
George-His Great Independence.


George-His Great Independ ence.
The death of United States Senator
James q. George Of Mississippi removes
notable figure from public life. He
was great as an orator and not great
as a statesman, but he was one OF the
purest and most characteristic repre-
sentatives of his section, and he did
not know what physical or moral fear
was. He did not say 'whar" and
thar" or "cyart' and -gyarden," like
some of the older-style Virginians, but
he had the soft, sIurring, voweI-sIided
southern accent more strongly than
any public man I know In the heat
of debate this would cause the galleries
to smile. Son" he would say to his
committee clerk, "cain't Y shut tn do ?
Pears L me in reason Y could f I'd
try right hahd. With the accept he
had something of the manners Of the
old southern school, but he was a
rough man by nature, and the veneer
of social usage rubbed off sometimes
ard showed the gnarled grain Of the
wood underneath He had plenty of
temper, which was not under steady
control, and he believed always in call
ing a spade spade. His disposition
led him into many alterations with
contenp oraries, but it cannot be said
of him that he ever showed an unwilI-
ingness to combat or a disposition to
retreat In person, he was heavy and
clumsy. He had a leonine head and
his voice was harsh. He was idolized
by his people. and will be mourned sim
cerely.
Senator George was a man of earn
est convictions and one of the s0undest
CONSTITUTIONS 1aU-VerS fhp cO1rDrrIr IN :
produced, says a writer in the Chicago
Times Herald. Perhaps his most no
ticeable trait was Independence. He
was a living REPUTATION of the Byronic
maxim that every man has his price
Nothing could buy him. When Mr.
Cleveland called congress into extra
ordinary session in 1898 with the pur-
pose of repeating the Sherman coinage
act. and thus utterly demonetizing
silver, he withheld all important nom
nations with the design of whipping
congress into line, and he did whip
them into line. American history fur
nishes no more pathetic instance of
men surrendering their most cherished
convictions for the sake of spoils. Sen
ator George would not be led or driven.
He was much interested in the candi-
dacy of W. II. L. Hemingway to be
district attorney for New Mexico. In
order to pIacate him, Mr.. Cleveland ap-
pointed Hemingway. but he would
not be placated. Then Walter @
Gresham, a, man whom he loved, was
sent to him. with a request that he
call at the White House You tell the
big beef from Buffalo," was his bluff
answer, that it is no nearer from the
capitol to the White House than from
the White House to the capitol 1 get
up at o'clock every morning, eat my
breakfast, come down here and go TO
work. If he wants me, he knows
where to find me"
When Mr.. Cleveland nominated Judge
Peckman to be one of the justices Of
the supreme court. nomination which
was subsequently, defeated by D. B.
Hill. he again requested Senator George
to call. This time both Gresham and
Lamont were the emissarie5. George
went. Il know Mr.. President, what
you want with me- he said, as he en-
tered the executives room. You want
going to do it: but l want you to I'M
derstand that 1 am not going to vote
tor him because you want me TO vote
for him. / am going to vote for him
because Judge Peckman believes in the
unconstitutionality of q tariff tax and
in states rights. If he didn't I would
see him farther in sheol than a pigeon
can fly with a grain of corn before he
could have my vote" The result of the
interview was that Senator WalthalI
got all of the patronage going to Mis-
sissippi.
Though learned lawyer. Senator
George knew little of the ordinary
things of life. He did not mix in So
ciety and held it rather in contempt.
An apocryphal story is told of him. He
dined at swell restaurant in Wash
ington with a party of Mississippians.
One of them, gIancins at the top OF the
card saw the word "Menl1" ssYVhat