The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-09-08
A STUDY OF GORMAN.

VI Auo othleN, VIII DOt sluuu ibf
70 election. This on the authority OF an
intimate friend. who has been talking To
the Washington Post. 1t Is not sudden
determination, says writer in the Chi-
cago 1imes-Herald. for MIR. German has
been thinking OF 10 for two years. In
other words, ho has been thinking OF it
since the first appearance of the anti
German revolt in Maryland. lie prefers,
10 would seem, To leave behind him an
unmarried record of yictories lie has
toen warned by the grewsome fate OF
John Lawrence sullivan, another SOFT OF
gladiator. who went into the ring once
too often.' Who shall say that he Is not
wise? Better IL is that the star should
sink below the horizon before its time,
provided that 10 blaZes with uDdimmed
lustre to the last. such is the acuteness
OF Mr. German, such his judginCnt OF
men and knowledge Of facts. that 10 may
la said now that If no has determined To
withdraw % private life 10 Is n certainty
that no could not be reelected II he
wished. America has had greater orators
greater statesmen. greater patriots, but
30 greater politician.
lie has never held any high office out
side II the upper chamber of the Ameri-
can Legislature lie is not the author Of
any noted law. Nobody quotes his
speeches. No wondrous document OF state
craft bears his signature.
lie is not giant of tho forum. He is
not nm eloquent or ingenious debater. lie
lacks magnetism. lie Is not man of high
ideals. Some of lis methods are more
than questionable. But his face Is familiar
TO every man and woman in this country.
lie has dominated more than one national
convention Of the democracy. lilo has
NOV d the chieftains of his party as
though trey were the titular Gignitaries
Of the chess board. He is insi1ious, per-
vasive ana persuasive. Ordinarily he
works as the mole works. He Is be-
lever in the Machiavellian doctrine that
language was made To conceal thought.
Like "Stonewall' jackson, If he thought
that his coat knew his plan he would
take ii of and rurn it. Yet he has high
order OF courage, and is capable upon
occasion of bold defiance. Those who
heard him will never forget mis- eXcoriation
of President Cleveland during the great
tariff debate of 1894 He pilloried the ex-
ocutive of his country, then rubbed stink
ing mud in his Dostiils. Ii is seldom that
"A public man received so meroiless an ex-
ooriation, and Mr.. Cleveland has not for
given or forgotten.
Mr.. Germans decline dates from that
day He nal been paramount in Maryland
politics lie Issued his commands with
the certainty that they would ba respect
Ell as arc the uSases Of the Car. He sat
up men without question and pulled them
down without remonstrance. He reward
cd his favorites and broke his enemies
upon the wheel. The Legislature and
the state executive were his, He could
not dominate the Supreme Court, but he
could make 10 innocuous to his designs.
But when he rose from his seat In the
Senate and denounced the head of his
party as n traitor TO his party. the Cleve-
land forces in Mryland went out TO battle
against him. The war has been merciless.
First German was successful and then his
foes. All of his enemies. and he has
"A I.N1 Into h. GAlI 1fa
marvellous power OF organization ana his
skill as n captain have been demonstrated
by the struggle. He is no longer dictator.
but no is yet commander. Still Ee pro-
sents an unshaken front to the foe. Still
his serried leeions are behipd him. SO
iron is his 81 Up on Maryland that as one
talon is detached the others sink more
deeply in. Not many days have gone
since the meeting of the State Democratic
Convention. German WIS there. Hs
swAyed IL as be pleased. He directed its
| every movement lie put up one candi-
date who was enthusiastically indvrsed.
| For reasons of his own he hauled him
| down and substituted another who was
| received without murinur. He named
! the presiding officers, temporary and per-
manent. lie timed tho speeches lie
moditled them SO that the party should
not be committed by a thought hastily
spoken. He wrote the platform. 1T was
the silver issue, and 10 was lodged. He
wanted n compromse declaration of prln-
ciples, and he got it merely by utteranoe
of his wish. The Democrats or Maryland
have entered their campai 9u with denun-
citation OF the Dingley tariff and ReDub-
lican extravagance.' They have let the
heaven born ratio alone. That is German
all over He risks nothing whsre nothing
is TO be gained The triumph OF silver
in Maryland, he said, could rot in any
way affect national legislature. Why
drag il into a local Campaigng'
Mr.. German began his political career
as page of that Eody Of which he is now
one OF tne most powerful constituents.
There is something alert and dapper
about him even vet.
He is man of small stature, with a
strong. pleasant, smoothly shaven face.
lie is we'll built and carries himself well.
Evidently he has plenty OF physical
strength with which TO support his men
tai labors In the fierce campaign Of
1892 which resulted in the election of
MIR. Cleveland, he performed tasks beyond
the mind muscle and body muscle of
ordinary men. From its inception to its
close he was the informing and dominat-
ing spirit of that struggle, arduous, con-
stant, slespless, steady, calculating and
invincible. Two weeks before its close
he unhesitatingly announced Democratic
victory to the press and called the name
of every state that would go for Clevo
land except one. When he claimed
Illinois, he was greeted with n laugh of
denial. "Go slow Senator" said one
newspaperman. illinois il Repu blcan
state, and has been since the birth of tho
party" lit is q Republican state now"
snid Mr.. German, but it will 90 for Mr.
Cleveland by decided majority. You
mustn't lose sight of the fact that this is
tidal wave. Tho bitterness of that
toll was in his memory when no de. D..
nounced the man whom he had made
president of tho United States for tho
second timo. From that day until the
Inauguration of William Mckinley his
foot did not cross the White hous,
threshold.
When Arthur Pue German retres the
American Congress will lose one of its
most notable and attractive figures, and
| politics one OF its master minds. Whatever
| purists may say of bis meth DDS. il clnnot
| he denied that tnoy have been successful.
Whatever enemies may say Of his savag-
| cry and tho Indian malignity with which
| he pursues the man who has crossed his