Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-03-11

can in politics, but patriot in senti-
ment. All his life he has been a pro-
moter of peace. a counsellor against
hastiness, a defender of whatsoever
is right and just, but absolutely in
flexible in the maintenance of JUS
tiCe.
You might imagine that the present
strain, incidental to the loss of the
Maine and the incidental stress of pub
lie opinion, would have a tendency to
rattle a man occupying the position of
Secretary of the Navy 1t might rattle
some men, but it will never rattle John
d. Long. Amid all this uproar and ex-
element, when hot-headed people are
striving to find some sort of excuse
to lay the responsibility for the wreck
ing of the vessel upon secret enemies
when everybody is perplexed and una
BILE to understand why it should hap
pen that one of our vessels of war is
blown up Immediately following the
retirement of Minister de LONE; when
the feverish inclinations of bellgerent
citizens are having their influence,
and people are becoming unreasonable
and prone to criticise our officials for
not doing this, or that, or something
else, Mr.. Long is as calm and unmoved
as if nothing had happened, and is
pursuing his Investigations according
to the strict custom prevailing in the
naval service, through and by which
the blame for the loss Of the Maine will
be laid just where it belongs.
The American people can rest per-
fectly secure in the conviction that no
influence can be brought to bear upon
John D. Long which can, for an in
slant, swerve him from his duty to the
American people. If the Maine was
lost through an accident within her
self, that will be the report that the
Navy Department will issue. If it was
the fault of anybody he will be pun
shed. If it was due to outside treach-
cry the people will be truly and plainly
told so.
John d. Long is the soul of honor,
one of those men who are so brave they
dare face the truth, dare speak, dare
live it, When he was an obscure
young man studying law he was up
right, fearless, guided by principle,
ambitious, but not Unfortunately So He
aspired to shine III politics, but the
man doesn't live who ever had the te-
merity to ask John Long his price.
In personal appearance Secretary
Long is short, chunky and rOtund. In
frame he resembles the popular idea of
Napoleon more than President McKin-
ley does. His head is phenomenally
large, his face broad, full, pleasant of
expression, and he has wonderfully
agreeable, persuasive, sympathetic
voice. His name is that of a man
entirely master of himself. and no mat
Ter how illustrious the company or how
distinguished the surroundings, Mr..
Long invariably holds up his end and
impresses everyone with unaffected
| greatness.
When General Butler entertained
I some desire to be renominated for the
Governorship of Massachusetts he said:
There is only one man in the State
I'm afraid of and he is Long. If he
wants it he can be elected hands
| down"
II is extremely fortunate that such
a man is at the head of the Navy De-
any bOhg NuH D6
when all is quiet and everything is
plain, easy sailing; but it takes a tried,
trustworthy and responsible mind to
exercise, without excitement, the OH
cial functions certain to lead to the
unknown, and which may lead to the
unexpected.
In this trying hour the people will
have a chance to Judge and learn what
manner of man is at the head of that
branch of our service upon which great
reliance would have to be placed in any
critical time. and it will be found that
John d. Long will measure up to all
that is expected and required OF him,
and will have headiul OF brains and
heartful OF nerve 70 spare, for he is
one of the safest statesmen the admin
istrative branch OF our government
contains.