The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1899-07-08
The Ls.e silver Champion.

The Late Silver Champion.
Correspondence Of the Courier Journal. ]
Washington, June s7.-Richard Parks
Bland is dead, and while the great majority
of his fellow men disagreed with him on the
paramount issue with which his name Is for
ever linked he had the respect of every man
who knew him and the love of most men
who knew him. Take old Joseph Henry
Walker-a not altogether unkindred spirit
and Mr.. Walker, the most abrupt and
curt man in Congress, always spoke in the
kindliest terms of Bland. On the other
hand. devout Baptist that he was. fear
that Uncle Josiah sometimes used sor.ae
very hot explosives when he discussed the
ou,goings and incomings, congressionally
speaking, OF Uncle Holman, of Indiana.
George Fred William came here hating
Bland. He left here loving him.
Character is all a man can make in this
life. That is all William the Silent made.
II is all George Washington made. II is all
Abraham Lincoln made. Dick Bland made
character. He was an honest man from
crown sole. Had Dick Bland been
elected President in 1896. and had he
walked up some morning and realized his
SILVER policy was a delusion, the sun would
not gave gone down that eve without his
thorough aud complete recantation. There
never was Of stronger conviction,
and there never a man of less pride of
opinion in the offensive sense of that term.
No man in Congress had a stronger face,
and character, in every tongue and dialect,
was written IN every feature ut it. He was
the type of man who conquered the West,
the b..uneiless West, and laid the founda
tons, deep and strong and permanent. of
a civilization that will yet Ike exuberant and
in the green tree when the traveller from
New Zealand, from a broken arch of
London bridge, sketches the ruins of st.
Paul:
No more democratic man ever lived than
Richard p. Bland. He was democratic in
act, word and deed. He was democratic
in dress. Nobody ever saw him with q
dirty shirt on. and l don't suppose during
his whole congressional career. he wore a
suit of clothes that cost above $2S. 1t is
not accurate to say he wore trousers. not
exactly accurate to say they were pants.
They were '.britches.'' Old Van Wyck, of
Nebraska, was the only man who could
copper him on the subject of s.pants."
Numberiess readers Of the Courier Journal
remember Thomas K. B-cmlette, the war
Governor of Kentucky. They recall what
short steps he took when walking. Bland
was not nearly SO tall a man As Bramlette,
and has stride was even shorter.
In the Fif,y-second Congress there was
a member from Webster county, Missouri.
His name was Fyan, and he was reputed to
he of the first jurists of the West.
judge Fyan, after his election to Congress-.
met with accident which made him =
cripple for life. He was diligent in his SER
vice III the House, and every day Bland
went ..ver-ihe Democrats had a majority
in that Congress. and Fyan's seat was on
the Republican side in the ''Cherokee
strip''-Biand went over. took a seat beside
Fyan and Cheered the old fellow. 1t was
a kindly act, and am glad to testify that
it was.a characteristic act. He would sit
there for hours talking with the old man,
NJ. -. Har,er sat next Fyan, and he always
loved Bland for his kindness to his neigh
Dor.
l never knew any better man than NJ. ID.
Harter. l shall never forget discussion
between him and Bland. Harter was a
free trader, a hard money
man, a h.me-ruler. He and Bland agreed
ON everything except the silver question.
When Harter made a speech he always
went over to the Democratic side-he had
drawn a seat in the ..Cherokee Strip"
And if you will get Ha,ter's speech in favor
Of taking the tax off State banks and read
it, you will probably know more than you
now know. One day Harter went over and
made a red-hot gold-bug speech from
Bands desk. Bland sitting in Dewitt
Warmers seat, just in front of Harter, and
was gong for the tobacco crumbs in his
cheek, that is he. was chewing tobacco, as
he always did, just like sheep chews the
cud. In a burst of eloquence Har,er took
ou, of his pocket fine gold watch and
exciaimed: ssrhere is all the
gold own in the world.'' Harter was re-
puted to be a millionaire. Bland rose up
and went for his watch, a great big old
bulls-eye affair, that had probably done
service for a remote ancestor. ''rhar's a
Democratic watch,'' he roared in that
grand and metallic brass voice of his.
..Yours is plutocratic watch.'' The
House went frantic in applause.
MIR. Bland was both good and great
al.