Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08

when. he addressed the school, the second |
when he controlled the mob, because they |
illustrate the mans character In the first
where simplicity and gentleness could count
he was instinctively simple and he was
gentle. In the second, where a great emerg-
ency arose he rose to the emergency. That
is what wish to emphasize Bourke Cock
ran always rises to the emergency which is
before him.
Indeed the measure of the emergency is
the measure Of his display OF ability to
master 1t. Mr.. Cockran's opportunity is in
tenipestuous times. 1t is the storm the
opposition that brings him out. There is
something in his very physical appearance
that seems made to ride the storm. He
does not fascinate the crowd like Gladstone
he dominates it like Gambetta-like Mira
beau-like Danton--l might almost say. OF
course | am speaking more Of his personal
domination than of his political opinions
for those think are strangely conservative
and IL revolutionary times should ever come
can see him In my minds eye, dominating
the hoets of disorder, as be did at Omaha
impressing them with his lionesque person
ality and bringing them back to reason
and to common sense.
"Mr Ct tckran has an extraordinary fond
ness for country life and rural sports Sur
rounded by his dogs he leads in the country
tbs life OF the idealist that he is. have
often been troubled over some question: he
has frequently observed to me, and found
the answer in the placid eyes of COW as
have stopped in the field to scratch her fore
head
A Deeply Religious Man.
"Mr. Cochran Is deeply religious man.
think the most sincerely religious man l
have ever known. In his curious makeup,
too, there is much OF the simplicity OF the
child, and think he is never quite so
genuinely happy as when rolling over the
grass with some little playfellow Of or 6
years, who invariably bulies him to heart
rending degree. But as I have already said
the children's school meeting in the crowded
tenement district Of this great congested city
and that uproarious meeting at Omaha must
be taken together to understand the man.
''In closing allow me to state that this
| tribute to my friend may receive enhanced
| value by the fact that in many of Mr.. Cock
| rams political and economic views l have
| found myself in absolute disagreement with
| him.
'I have spoken of his incapacty to hate
| This incapacity is strictly confined to in
dividuals. His capacity to hate concen-
| trates itself upon what he deems unjust.
| Injustice, wrong, outrage, bloodshed, he
hates with the force of his entire nature,
| and this hate think might sometimes cloud
| his judgment
| The thoughtful newspaper correspondent
whose constant business it is to watch men
and affairs gains birdseye view of public
| events and characters. Such one is E. J..
Edwards, the famous Holland" He has
| closely observed Mr. CorLran,c corear CT
| he first became prominent and speaks with
| knowledge. He also is a political opponent
of Mr.. Cochran, but an earnest admirer
| "Bourke Cochran" he sad has the
nature Of true orator, which must be al
| most that Of a poet. Roscoe Conklng was
full of the tricks Of eXtemporaneous decla-
nation; Cochran has none of them He does
not write first what he afterwards talks from.
| the platform. OF course he prepares for his
| speeches, but his preparation is without
manual work. He has an ability which few
speakers have possessed. After reading up
| whatever references he needs, as Wendell
| Phillips did, he lies on sofa, turning them
over in his mind until he is full OF his sub
ject. But that is all. What is to be done
with this material depends on the inspira-
tion of the first moment on the platform, as
it also did with Phillips.
II have heard him speak many times. He
has higher oratorical inspiration even than
John r. Fellows had and the man that has
that rarely has executive ability. He would
not be a good man to appoint to the place
recently given to Elihu Root, for instance
He lacks the capacity for executive detail
necessary in secretary of war. Cochran
must lbe leader on the moral and intelec-
tual side and Cochran prefers being that
kind OF leader to holding office. He has
certainly achieved such leadership in New
York Cochran is always right on mora
issues. The tariff, in which the republican
extremists oppose Cochran, has no mora
side. l know of not one single case involv-
ing matter Of absolute right and wrong
where Cochran has failed to see clearly
With his qualities of sympathy, eloquence
and clear insight into affairs and public
sentiment, he could have done whatever ht
liked with Tammany hall If he had beer
willing to let himself down; but he was not
Cockran's tendency, since the days when
by one of the most magnificent efforts o.
will power l have ever heard of, he over
came an unfortunate turning toward slim
uants-it amounted to a disease that grip
ped and held him-has been steadily up
ward. When / first saw him he was strik
ing in appearance, but shabby in his dress
His change into the clear r-eyed strong fea
tured, we'll -groomed man OF today, has beer
remarkable.
HE is now a man of the highest cultur,
and OF striking capacity for highest socia
relations. His case has been an ILLUSTRATION
Of the fact that wealth Is not necessar!
to him who would be accepted by the best
He must give for what ne gets, to be sure
and Cochran gives of an infinite socia
charm. Cochran Is stimulator, He is
gentleman by nature and by cultivation
This was illustrated. When his wife deC
her considerable property would have gon
to him. but he turned it over to her sister
He is not wit, nor is his sense OF hume
keen, but in conversation as we'll as on tn
platform, his poetry, imagery and flow o
diction are remarkable. His memory is no
less than wonderful, This is an advantag
few orators have possessed. Seward an
Chase had good memories. Blaine's was les
perfect; Depew has none"
So. to wind up with: 1t Is easy to fin
Bourke Cockran's friends and they talk O
him most pleasantly 1t is hard to fin
his enemies and they criticise not the mar
but his opinions. The man's honesty an
integrity OF purpose are never questioned
1t Is hard to believe that man SO regarde
by important people in a great communit