The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-13

Inc dOn' DAVID bHhhNhH HENDERSON,
possesses loyal and vigilant friend In the
person Of the Rev. DR.. JULIUS A. WARD OF
this borough. DR.. WARD has written to us
before now to defend Col. HENDERSON
against the aspersions Of political enmity
or the comments OF Hippant or too acrid
criticism. He now informs us that he has
personal knowledge OF the fact that Col.
HENDERSON did not use In his Ohio speech
the surprising language attributed to him
concerning the Commissioner OF Pensions.
He did not say. as reported, IF were GoD
would not have made EVANS"
This Ia q good thing to know, and the
authoritative announcement by Dr. WARD
confirms our previous suppositon that tho
next Speaker had been unsupported. 1t
seemed hardly possible that after publicly
apologizing at Dubuque as recently az June
81 for the great wrong" he had done to
II. CLAY EVANS In the past, Col. HENDEI-
SON should turn around and attack the
Commissioner Of Pensions in the contempt
uous and neutrality-suspicious. language
above quoted. We congratulate DR.. WARD
upon his ability to clear his friends repu-
tation OF 80 unpleasant a reproach.
our esteemed correspondent appears to
take his protective functions perhaps a
trifie too seriously when he protests against
our description OF Col. HENDERSON as "a
warm-hearted sort OF a chap" He does
not regard the phrase as a proper one to
apply to a parsonage "of the eminence OF
the next Speaker" His objection, we
infer, Ia to the noun chap rather than
to the adjective warm-hearted. DIR. WARD
cannot have known Cols HENDERSON
long and intimately without discover
ing the temperature OF the organ that
beats In his bosom. The next Speaker
Is a man OF impusive. generous habit a
man Of the most social sort. II Ia to this
quality. in part. that he will owe the high
honor which the Republican majority in tho
Fifty-sixth House Is about to bestow upon
him. He Ia a veteran Congressman, OF con-
siderable experience and recognized powers
OF intellect. but Col HENDERSON might have
continued to sit on the lower level until he
attained the age OF one OF the minor patr-
archs. had he not likewise happened to be
warm-hearted and consequently much liked
by his associates.
As to chap, we admit that In the strictness
Of pedantic philology there is ground for
objection. A chap Is a chapman. a ceap-
man, a Kaufman, one who buys or sells
The Hon. DAVID BREMSER HENDERSON Ia n
soldier. a lawyer. q statesman. not a mer-
chant. Nevertheless, in It's constant search
for terms OF endearment, affectionate public
interest is always employing In loose and
familiar sense words which will not stand
the more rigid tests OF etymology DR..
WARD apparently thinks he detects
note Of depreciation or dispraiso
in the word chap. That Ia no more the
case than with the word follow. Either
fellow or chap can he used contcmptuously,
or ma a colorless expression OF personal
indifference; on the other hand. either may
be harnessed with certain adjectives in
n manner tn frame n compliment worthy OF
any Speaker or any President. When we
speak OF Col. HENDERSON as a fine fellow,
and when we speak OF him as warm
hearted chap we are paying him the
tribute OF sincere admiration which his
own bump OF language will be quicker
than DR.. WARDS TO understand.
Undigniiied Not bit Of IL! Why, the
Hon. DAVID BREMNER HENDERSON himself
! is accustomed to address his fellow citizens.
publicly assembled to deliberate upon the
gravcst questions OF nationa' policy, and ia
prepare for the exercise of the solemn du.
ties Of the electoral franchise, as "b vs."