The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-09

Is common property and everybody mas
the right to talk about it. Tillman did
wrong in jumping over three desks to
strike McLaurin. About one desk was
the limit of propriety. Three desks gives
a man time to cool and that makes it
against the law to fight. AS to the time
and place, that is of no consequence
row. There was a time in the days of
Webster and Calhoun and Tom Benton
and Henry Clay when the United States
Senate was as sacred almost as church,
but now large majority of its members
get their places by conduct infinitely
more disgraceful than fighting. Bribery
and corruption have got so common that
a man can't get there without using
big pile of money and making lot If
promises. OF course. 1 do not include
our Southern Senators, for they haven't
got the money If we had some mil
lionaires in Georgia, Clay and Bacon
would have to step down and out. And
i am not so Disguised with Tillnan for
fighting in the Senate chamber. He had
reason to believe that his partner had
received promises, and / reckon he had.
He certainly had great expectations or
he would not have Topped over to the
Republicans so suddenly. Politicians
have to be paid for their votes. Till
man is a true man, but he is not great
and good man. admire him for some
traits in his character. He cannot be
bribed or intmidated. He dares to say
what ne believes and he uses
his pitchfork with impunity. He
il impetuous and combative, but
10 sc ID
mires a sincere man. Sincere is one
language. 1t literally means unsealed-
without wax-for in the olden times let
tiers were sealed with wax, but if it con-
tanned no secrets il was not sealed at all,
for wax cost money. Tillman is a bold,
defiant, stubborn man, but he is not
great A great man like Webster or Cal
houn would have said to McLaurin.
"Well sir, If am liar, I deserve the
epithet If / am not, then you deserve
IL. but / shall not stoop to give it." I
wish We were all that great. This thing
Of resenting the charge of lying with
blow is a strange perversion of proprie-
ty. A man may gain his ends by cheat
ing. swindling. over-reaching hypocrisy,
bribery or concealing the truth, but you
must not call him liar.
He may break all the commandments,
but don't call him liar, though that is
not in the Decalogue. All that ] regret
about the fight is that Spooner did not
call Tillman liar and get mauled for it
before McLaUrin came in. l want some
body to whip Spooner. He was the
teaser that brought en- the fight and was
delighted that it occurred between the
two Carolina Senators. With his party
Ii Is no crime to shoot down ten thou
sand Filipnos, who refuse to give up
their country. but it shocks them awful
ly to have little fracas in the Senate
Chamber.
Well, there are some great men and
there are many good men, but greatness
and goodness are rarely combined. Ad-
Olson says it takes both to make a man
complete. Such, for example, as Wash
ington and Robert E. Lee. Job says
great men are not always wise and he
might have added most of them are
mean, selfish, heartless and ambitious
Lord Bacon, for instance, who took
brides while on the bench, and Cromwell
and Napoleon. Webster was very
great man and long has been my ideal
of greatness. He was called the Godlike,
but sometimes his human nature over
came him. And so with Henry Clay and
Bob ToombS. One great weakness of the
people is idolatry. Partisan or sectional
or religious idolatry. Every man who
climbs up where the people can see
him Is either a saint or a sinner, ac-
cording to our politics, our section, our
creed. One man idolizes the character of
Lincoln or of Grant, another holds both
of them in contempt. I suppose that
three fourths CT the Northern people pay
homage to the memory of old John
Brown for what they call his good in
tentions, and every Northern history and
encyclopedia apologizes for him, and
even SO good a man as Mckinley ex-
cused himself for not attending the re-
interment of his\ bones. on the ground
that the pressure of official duties would
not permit him to leave Washington.
Most Northern men still denounce John
G. Calhoun as the author of secession
and justify Sherman in burning Col
umbia. Here in Georgia this idolatry
is already taking shape in our silly
hurrahs for our candidate for Governor.
But, as usual, the loudest shouters have
axes to grind and are diligently engaged
in setting traps to catch the people. But
this is the shadowy side of politics and
won't ruminate any further about it.
If the ground was dry enough 1 would
work some in the garden, and not brood
over things that will soon pass away. 1
thought that spring had come two weeks
ago, and 1 exclaimed Hail, gentle
spring" But she didn't hail-she only
sleeted-and they say that old winter is
lingering in her iap-the old rascal. He
ought to be ashamed of himself. My best
relief and comfort is to play with
the grandchildren. Our little girl of
s has had her little feelings hurt, and
is very indignant at what her Cousin
Will said. She told me about it:
Grandpa, / told Cousin Will that when
he got to be man and l got to be
young lady. he must marry me, and
what do you think he said?" 81 don't
know. What did he say?" why, he
said he would see about it. Wasn't that
mean? He ought to be glad to marry me
If he don't mind, | will marry my
Cousin Ralph; and then l reckon he
won't see about it. He's mean, amt he
grandpa" Another little chan was