The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-14
A RETROSPECT OF VOORHEES,.


the funeral of Senator Voorhees,. All
the Senators were there and it was an i'm
pressive service. He was IA golden-heart-
ed gentleman" and was a patriot of high
| type: / had the good fortune to know
him well during my two years residence
in this city and to receive from him
evidences of friendship and regard, and
felt a sad pleasure in happening in the
| In all its history no man has lived in
Indiana who has had such a hold ON the
affections of the people He boldly and
eloquently antagonized the position of the
abolitionists before the war. During the
war he stood against the measures that
the administration pressed. After the
war he denounced the measures of Re
construction. 1t required the courage
of ones convictions to do this ins an era
when mems passions in his own State
ran so high that men holding his views
were prescribed and attacked ferociously.
1t took the highest order of ability and
eloquence and mastery over men holding
| views so antagonistic to the soldier ee-
ment of his State to win success after
success, and maintain himself in public
life for forty years. The secret of the
long career of the dead Senator was pri-
marily in his matchless elOquence. He
could charm, thrill, captiyate and con-
vince as could no other speaker in his
State. He spoke always with the old
time stately eloquence that, though dis
continued now never fails to move men,
even I'M this practical age. On the
prairies and along the forests and in the
villages and towns of Indiana his ora
tory could win liz way to the heart of the
most prejudiced hearer | have heard
some of the old timers of Indiana, who
knew Voorhees, in his prime. They say
that no opponent on the hustings ever
had second joint debate with him. He
had a skill at courteously driving his
competitors from the stump.
To this eloquence, which will linger in
history and tradition for all time in the
Hoosier State, he added warmth of
heart, genuineness and affection for his
friends He never forgot a friend He
had no malice He cherished no ami
mosities. He had sunny disposition,
and as he grew older became more and
more attached to young men and loved to
1 1ax- hon Il ia
old until. two years ago disease marked
him. Even in his sufferings he was
bright and cheerful. In the late cam
paign his voice, so potent for forty years
in giving courage and strength to the
Democracy of his State, was not heard.
From the meeting of the National conven-
saying to the committee that he would
take the stump next week" The next
week heightened into the next and the
next, and his illness, that had in it the
germ of death, held him in its embrace
so that he finally realized that his days
of speaking to the people and rallying
them to great principles had past He
came here in December sat one day in
the Senate-a mere shadow of his physi-
cal greatness and mental vigor-and
never entered the Senate Chamber again.
Three years ago the four able VS.
as they were called-Vance, Voorhees,,
: Villas and Vest-were among the great
leaders of the Senate. Two of them
the ablest and most eloquent of the four
| have gone to their last resting place.
After a betayal of his party, which
brought him political death Mr.. Villas
retired from his first and last term of
service to his Wisconsin home to see the
wreck he helped to make of once
powerful and victorious Democracy. Mr..
Vest has recently been reelected to an
other six years term-the sole remainder
of the four VS. who helped to make
the Senate famous. His Democracy is of
| the true Jefferson flavor, and his trench
ant use of English, his originality and
mong his associates in the art of ele-
/ gantly skinning. j. Sterling Morton
would testify to this.
The death of Senator Voorhees, recalls
the fight of the repeal of the Sherman
act. Mr.. Voorhees, had for thirty years
been silver advocate, and had cham
pioned it before many of it's younger ad-
herits put on pants. He was chairman
of the Finance committee, and Mr.. Cleve-
land and Mr.. Carlisle felt it necessary to
, secure the help of Mr.. Voorhees, to carry
the measure through the Senate. When
the Sherman law passed the Senate,
Mr.. Voorhees, had voted against and de-
nounced it as a fraud because it was
used to defeat the free coinage of silver.
He never liked it, and he wanted to re-
peal it and put a free coinage law on
the statute books. This was the place
that Cleveland and Carlisle began their