Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-06-16

LEBANON, No., June 16.-Congress-
man Richard Parks Bland died at his
home near Lebanon, peacefully and
without apparent suffering.
Mr.. Bland returned home when con-
-ress adjourned i'll March and soon suf-
fered Il relapse from an attack of La
grippe. For more than two months he
nad been confined to his home and his
health had gradually declined. He
thought he would not survive the at
iack from the first, and showed his
thorough knowledge of his condition.
On the third of this month, Mr.. Bland
suddenly grew worse, and his sons, who
were in school, were summoned home
md for the first time the public was IN
formed of his critical condition,
From time to time after then the pa
5ient showed signs of improvement. but
lie continued to grow weaker. Sunday
and Monday lie presented an improved
condition and Monday afternoon strong
hopes for his recovery were entertained.
About 10 o'clock Tuesday night, how
ever, he fell asleep and continued in
that condition until death.
The funeral will take place at Leba-
non ut o'clock Saturday afternoon
Mr. Bland S remains will be placed in
the opera house today and will lie i'll
state for about "a hours. The funeral
will be conducted by the Masonic order
and all the ministers of Lebanon will be
present to assist.
Richard Parks Bland was born Aug.
10, 1885, near Hartford, KY, in the
Green river country. He came to Mis-
souri, when about 20 years of age and
five years later went to California,
thence to Utah. He practiced law
there among the miners and had ample
opportunity to study the mineral inter
ests and the relative output of gold and
silver. There he absorbed the doctrine
of bimetaliism. He returned to Mis-
souri, i'll 1865, locating at Rolla, III
Phelps county, and i'll 1869 removed to
Lebanon, his late home. In 1872 he
was hrst elected 60 congress and took
his seat i'll December, 1878. In 1877
Mr.. Bland commenced his work for the
restoration of free coinage. His. most
noted measure was a bill for the free
and unlimited coinage of silver, restor-
ing 4l21s grains of standard silver as
the dollar and the unit of value. After
passing the house it was amended in
the senate. by Senator Allison and was
known as the Bland-Allison law. 1t
was vetoed by President HAYES and
passed by both houses over the veto.
In 1894 MIR. Leland, the Republican
candidate, defeated him for congress by
a narrow majority, but the silver cham
pion was reelected handsomely two
years later and again in 1898. Before
the Chicago convention no man was
named oftener as u presidential candi-
dat, on a free silver platform, but stead
fastIy refused to push his claims, hold
ing that the cause was too great to be
imperllled by personal ambition. When
Bryan was nominated nobody was more
ardent in his support than Silver Dick.
Bland never accepted ii railroad pass or
any other present tor his political work.
Early in 1860, while Bland, III the Ca
pacity of Il schoolmaster on vacation
was visiting the young ladies seminary
at Caledonia, No., he met Virginia
Mitchell, daughter of General Z. Y.
Mitchell, whom ne later married. Mrs.
Bland is still young, though she has
been the mother of ten children, four of
whom are dead.
BY his simple directness and plain,
kindly manners, Mr. Bland won warm
place Ill the hearts of his constituents
and colleagues. A. distinguished Re-
publican once declared that he was the
only Democrat since the war who has
deserved the name of statesman, "being,
as he is, honest in his views, thoroughly
and entirely above consid-
erations of policy apart from his we'll
fixed principles.
A dispatch was received from Colonel
William j. Bryan, at Chicago, stating
that he would attend the funeral. Mrs.
Bland has received several dozen mes
sages OF coincidence from admirers of
her husband all over the country. The
strain on Mrs. BANDS nervous system
has been very great, and her friends are
concerned. Mr.. Bland leaves
no life insurance and dies compare
lively poor man. Colonel Bryan and
all OF the visiting congressman are ex-
pected to pronounce brief eulogies on
the character and public services of the
deceased