Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-04-04
Ex-PRESIDENT AS STATESMAN.
LAWYER AND SOLDIER.
WAS BORN TO COMMANO"
Living Conscience for American
Peopie"-When President He Was
His Own Chief Min'ster--The
Right Kind OF Man-Generous
Comment of American Press.

| Bofn TO command, says the New
York Press (rep), lis peculiarly tn.
fitting legend for the tomb of that one
of the American presidents whose
force of counsel to his countrymen
has been so suddenly and sadly
silenced in death,
| "Other presidents, by achievements
in war or accidents in peace, have
risen as rapidly to the first place in
| the nation. But no other one has
shown the equipment for rulership
that Harrison possessed.
There was kaiser1ke briskness
and an un-kaiserlike deftness in all he
did His should have been, according
to his training as provincial lawyer.
that timid government by notary of
which the French have had so much
and of which they are so sick. But
no Hohenzollern or Romanoff could
have displayed moro complete
knack of absolutism than he did with
/ in the roomy administrative area pre-.
scribed by the American constitution.
That it was his party rather than him
|
didacy for reelection is shown by the
almost eager attention accorded by
his countrymen to his every .utterance
since leaving Office"
His Business-like . Jew.
General Harrison had many of the
qualifications of a statesman" says
the Richmond (Va) Times Gina
dem). He made good president
but in our opinion he took cold ami
| businesslike view of the duties 81
the position. His letter accepting
the republican nomination for reelec
ton in 1892 was business-like appeal
to the business interests of the
country to keep the republican party
in power for purely business reasons,
and his messages to congress were
very like the report of some president
of private corA oration. But for all
that he served his country well and
his administration was successful and
clean. General Harrison's death will
be generally regretted, for he was a
citizen whom the country could iii
afford to spare. Happy the public
man who docs not outlivo the day of
| his usefulness. but retires from the
activities Of life to enjoy the rest tina.
! is reserved for the faithful"
" Living Conscience For People"
Benjamin Harrison" says the New
York Journal (dem), took his place
In that high company of American
statesmen who, after 1lling the chi Il
place in our government, had stepped
| down. but up into privacy more
| illustrious than official rank. He be.
came a living conscience for the
American people, helping them Judge
the policies of the day by permanent
! standards. He was just on the
verge of'wider usefulness when death
| took him. 8, He stood in a position OF
| peculiar advantage. AS the only liv-
ing republican ex-president and older
! party leader than Mckinley himself,
he was in position to exert more
powerful moderating influence on re-
publican policies than could be
welded by any other man. His loss
leaves the opposition to the reckless
tendencies Of the new republican
management desperately weakened"
Not Afraid.
The most admired feature in the
career of ex,President Harrison, ac.
cording to the New York World
dependence, his courage in asserting
views radically opposed to the policies
of his political party. That is. Har-
rison receised--and deserved To re-
ceive-the highest praise for the
mere exercise of a fundamental right
public.
Brave Is the man who ventures 10
oppose any form OF public sentiment.
real or reputed And in no country
in the world is timidity in this respect
SO common or the exercise OF free
speech so savagely assailed as In this
republic. Everywhere and in every
matter we find Americans OF prom.
inence, in 81 the departments Of pub
lie life, most reluctant to speak out.
most fearful OF attracting attention by
uttering opinions which they hol1
but which they fear might be derided
or denounced. Harrison has earned
the praise his manly independence
has won for him. But the higher
that praise the more obvious is the
rarity OF bis kind of courage Men
are plentiful. but man is rare.
Very Human a. j Politician.
Mr.. Harrison" sayn the Richmond
(Va.) Dispatch fdem) in honesty ~
purpose and effort to prove superior
to the Influence OF petty part 'Sanship
stands easily to tne front In the line
OF republican presidents. None the
less, he was forced on occasions 10
submit, In the face Of his better judg-
ment and instinct. to party boss dicts-
ton. AS politician, he was but M
man, as politicians go, and when his
contentious for his higher ideals were
confronted with the threat that their
naturalization might wreck his hopes
OF succeeding himself, frequently