The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-12
Another Story of Beveridge.

Another Story OF Beverage
Just before the speech the Enquirer cor
The personality of Senator Beverage IS
showing. AS character study, 1t AFFORDS
one of the most interest ting and striking
in the annals of the senate, rich in hoary
traditions and legends of famous char
Interest in the junior Indiana senator,
at no time Tagging, is just now aecen-
heralded speech on the Philippines. His
mysterious silence on that subject, since
the object of caricature and m1rthful
editorial. all of which has affected him
m as water a @a the bgoII sgd e1a 6
to characteristic number one.
Beyeridge is modest and strikingly diff
f1dent to nOtOriety. Scores of newspaper
correspondents who have sought to elicit
from him information that would redeem
to his credit and ability, can attest to his
consistent determination not to seek nor
court notoriety. He is very averse to
newspaper comment IN any torn Al tne
risk of making himself unpopular with
the newspaper fraternity, Beverage uni.
formally refuses to talk of himself or of
his public performances.
This CHARACTERISTIC of the man has been
widely misconstrued as being part of a
fixed plan on his part to achieve fame
and notabil1tg for great conservatism i, and
Il would rather be. known as a much
thinking man., said he one night, than
as a much-talking man. To talk idly
means to talk unwisely."
And yet Beverage is a charming racon-
teur- He can tell a good story and clothe
it in all the beauty of a marvellous vOca-
bulary. He seldom relates tales in which
he figures as an actor. When he does his
ground. He seldom gives vent to story
telling and then only in the company of
his most intimate friends.
He is a firm believer in the doctrine Of
himself as being living exemplification
of it. Born october 8, 1862, down in High
border, in the very heart of what was
termed the "Butternut Section" his fam
liy was the one stfohg, ioysllls9 union iaLL-
lily in the entire neighborhood. His faith
er and brothers We're all in the union
army at the very outbreak of the war.
patriot, spent much of her time riding
over the hills and hollows of that rolling
county collecting supplies Tor the com
fort of the soldiers in the field, squirting
the hearts of the women to renewed pat
riotic feryor and warmth The BeEeridge
home was the center of union fealty and
loyalty. Here every band of rowing sold
iery brought up, assured of care and COM
fort during its sojourn-
Born under these surroundings and this
environment, young Beveridge drew in
the military spirit With his earliest breath
1t became a part of his very being, from
which. he has never been able to disso-
s'The stirring roll of the drum or the
clarion note of e&sse bugle always COM
mandS me to attention. said he. "Uncon-
sciously the spirit thrills me, and I'm a
soldier with the other, for the time New
paigning in the Philippines last summer.
I was born to be q soldier; would rather
i.
/ like the singing of the bullet, the keen
whistling of the wind, To me a soldier S
cot and tent are more luxurious than the
| grandest palace but cireumst ances have
| decreed for me another life"
Illustrative of this spirit a good story is
| told of Beveridge During the production
| of Kiralfy's famous spectacular 'Ameri-
| ca at Chicago during the worlds fair,
| Beveridge was an interested onloozer one
| the Old Camp Cround'' scene was enacted
| RPV4ridRa who sitting down in
| front. impelled by the martial spirit that
would not be repreSSed. leaped to his feet
and waving his hat, fairly rent the vault
| of the auditorium with cheers. Sympa-
| thetically the audience caught the infec-
| ton of his inspiration. and the vast crowd
was instantly ", transformed to a wildly
| Beveridge is pugnacious and combative
| by nature He likes a scrap. physically. or
| AS warm friend of his puts it HE
| likes q man who will stand up and have
his, nose smashed and then turn around
| and smash the other fellows nose. He
| himself would fight like a tiger in de-
| Tense of a friend, even though it involved
| Beveridge is a pronounced fatalist He
believes in the Denomination. Men are
puppets in the hands of an exorabIe des-
kindly fate, the child of destiny.
| ,Accosted one day by a friend who
| he hesitated a moment before replying.
| Thrusting. out his heavy angular chin, he
| failures. Seventy-fve years hence you
and I will again be mingled with the dust
a moteE earth guess ygp are right Nf
takes avail nothing. Successes alone
| This charming mixture of stoicism and
fatalism illustrates Beveridge the philoso-
pher He never worries over what is past
| Mistakes do not affect him. Brilliant
| gracious urhane, Albert J. Beveridge is a
| unique figure In the senate of the United
| States.