Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-06-29
81 =.

o1z b F-s N rs P=T1~ Esa rruas = "a
ssrE
Azs IL II - nzs su-zEg al F1sG tA-ehg-
Hand Sot an Orator.
have said that Bland was not an GA
ter, but in the days "a come his speech
q viii Be z~nxlyrei and studied as the
handspring 9s gr@s; political r~eEolu-
ton
II Bland ever took any thought Of
fame-which / an persuaded be did
not-be would have chosen to rest his
rspntatio1 as . public speaker upon the
great speech known as THE Parting
Of the Ways speech. delivered in
August, 1888. on the repeal Of the pur-
chasing clause Of the Sherman law. It
was an epoch marker and rendered pos
Ebls the Chicago platform Of 1896 and
the astounding campaign which Bryan
made upon il. In effect il was like Pat
nick Henry's great lyric speech before
the Virginia house Of b~urgesseS. pre-
c~ipifating the Revolution. which stil
stirs the heart like strains Of martial
music. That day Bland faced a hostile
audience and defed the mighty power
Of an unfriendly administration with
a serene courage, a directness Of utter
anee q demonstration Of candor that
forced round after round Of applause
from his most steadfszt opponents
When with a face glowing with inten-
! sity of feeling and with a lions roar
be shouted. awe have come to the
parting Of the ways, men knew that
1t was war. bitter war, among Demo
Gratis until BANDS principles became
bis paTty's creed he secured only 10f
votez but be had set in motion forces
which have triumphed in the party and
which, under God, viii triumph in The
country and throughout the world. /
have often regretted that the portrait
Of the Grand Old Man could not have
been painted by a master hand az be
appeared that day-the greatest day Of
his life, a day-big with the fate OF
Cato and Of Rome. Such a picture
would deserve to rank with the great
est historical paintings Of the world.
From that day to this ! have loved
and reverenced the man. and Twin love
and reverence his memory always
Though intimately associated with
Bland. ! never heard him mention that
speech. From that and other facts. ]
am inclined TO believe that be never
had any clear conception Of what a
colossal historic parsonage be was and
greatly moderated the influence which
be had exerted on the destinies OF his
country and his kind.
An Able Statesman.
It was persistently asserted In certain
quarters that Bland was not big enough
for president. That was all bosh. ANY
man who could serve in congress rs
years, growing constantly. and hoe as
big a row as Bland did is big enough
to be president.
The little girl was a philosopher who
put an obstacle in the pathway Of the
astronomer who was always gazing
skyward, and, when be barked his shins
and angriIy asked her why she did it,
replied, Look close about you, and you
viii find beauties nearer home" I com
mend her wisdom to BANDS detractorE
Campbell's Pleasures Of Hope ID
the greatest long poem in our vernacu-
lar. II contains one c0uplet that has
always chung to my memory like a
bur:
sr. 49, $500 4. a.. -
Ahd robes the mountains in thsss azure hae.
And distance performs precisely the
same Office for public men. ! can give
an accurate rule for measuring them.
Statesmen are great exactly in proper
ton to the square Of the distance you
are away from them. Few, very few,
can stand the severe test Of personal
contact and close inspection. Many Of
them shrink and shrivel into repulsive
nothingness. like Rider Haggard's
"she." For SO years any man who
happened 10 be elected governor Of New
York, Ohio or Indiana at once assumed
presidential proportions. As a grower
Jonah's gourd wasn't q marker TO any
Of them.
have read and studied and thought
somewhat about American presidents
and have ~endsayored with unpreiu-
diced mind 10 ascertain the causes Of
their eminsnce, their mental strength
and educational equipments, and my
conclusion is that u Bland was not Is
great as Washington, Jefferson, Jack
son Oh Lincoln neither was or Is any
American Of cur generation. If we
wait for a president till the equal Of
any member Of that great quartet ap-
pears, we are likely 10 have q long in
terregnum.
As a scholar Bland did not rank with
Madison, John Quincy Adams or Gar
field. he was not a soldier, as were
Washington, jackson. Taylor and
Grant. he waa not 80 much Of a Chez
terrified as Pierce or Arthur. As a
manipulation be was not In 1t with Mar
tin Van Buren,. But in common sense,
which. after ell, IL the best sense, be
had bad no superior among our chief
magistrates
he had more intellect than Monroe,
Van Buren,. William Henry Harrison,
Tyler. Polk. Taylor, Fillmore. Pierce,
Buchanan, johnson, Hayes or Arthur.
He had more reputation than any
man ever nominated a first time for
the presidency except Washington,
jefferson, jackson. Taylor and Grant.
His name lie household word wherever
money circuiatss or civilization
abounda.
hight For Rights sake.
Bland was a modest man. he was
very much disposed to hide his light
/, under a bushsI. He did right because
be loved the right and left the conss-
quenees 10 take care Of themselves He
never ~seriousIy thought Of being presi-
dent til the peopls pressed II on him.
In 1894, when / nominated him for
president 10 every speech ! made, be
regarded me as an unruly boy who
loved him with more real than discrs-
tion. What Paul aid Of charity would
apply 10 him, Charity sufsreth long
and is kind. envieth not. vaunteth not
herself. IL not pufod mp. seeketh bot
her own"
he came near being the hero Of the