The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-03-27
Barlow Man Rsverts to Fight
Between Carolina Senators.
HE DON'T BLAME THE COHDATANTS
In oIden Times Such Incidents Were
Thought a Great Wrong, But
Politics Have Changed
Status of Soions,

is common properly ana eVerypouy
has the right to talk about 1t. Till
man did wrong in jumping over three
deslis to strike McLaurin. About one
desk was the limit Of propriety. Three
desks gives a man time 10 cool and
that makes 1t against the law to fight
As to the time and place, that is of no
consequence now There was a time
Ia the days of Webster and Calhoun
and Tom Benton and Henry Clay
when the United States senate was as
sacred almost as a church, but now a
large majority Of Its members get
their places by conduct infinitely more
disgraceful than lighting Bribery and
corruption have got so common that
a man cannot get there without using
a big pile of money and making a lot
Of promises. or course do not include
our southern senators, for they
haven't got the money. If we had
some millionares in Georgia Clay and
Bacon would have to step down and
out. And l al1 not so disguised with
Tillman for fighting in the senate
chamber He had reason to believe
that his partner had received prom.
lses, and | reckon he had. He certain.
ly had great expectations, or he would
not have Hoped over to the republi-
cans so suddenly. Politicians have to
be paid for their votes. Tlllman is a
true man, but he is not a great and
good man. | admire him for some
traits in his character He cannot be
bribed rintimidated. He dares to
say what he believes and he uses his
pitchfork with IMMUNITY. He is i'm.
petuous and combative, but he is SIN
cere and everybody admires a sincere
man, Sincere is one Of the strongest
and best words in our language 1t
literally means nsealed-without wax
for In the olden times letters were
sealed with wav, but II it contained no
secrets 1t 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
Calhoun would have said to McLaurin,
We'll. sir, il am liar deserve the
epithet II l am not, then you de-
serve It, but shall not stoop to give
It," / wish We were all that great.
This thing Of resenting the charge of
lying with a blow is a strange perver-
sion Of propriety. A man may gain
his ends y cheating, swlndling, over
his ends by cheating, swindling, over
cealing the truth, but you must not
call him a liar.
He may break all the command.
ments, but don't call him a liar,
though that is not in the Decalogue.
All that l regret about the fight is
that Spooner did not call Tillman a
liar and get mauled before McLaurin
came in. | want somebody to whip
Spooner He was the teaser that
brought on the fight and was delighted
that It occurred between the two
South Carolina senators. With his
party II is no crime to shoot down ten
thusand Filipinos, who refuse to give
up their country, but 1t shocks them
awfully to have a little fracas in the
senate chamber.
Well, there are some great men ana
there are many good men, but great
ness and goodness are rarely combin.
ed. Addison says it takes both to
make a man complete. Such, for ex.
ample, as Washington and Robert. e.
Lee. Job says great men are not al.
ways wise and he might have added
most Of them are mean, selfish, heart.
less and ambitious. Lord Bacon, for
instance, who took brides while on the
bench, and Cromwell and Napoleon.
Webster was a very great man and
long has been my ideal of greatness.
He was called the Godlike, but some.
times his human nature overcame him.
And so with Henry Clay and Bob
Toombs. The great weakness of the
people is idolatry. Partisan or sec
tional or religious idolatry. Every man
who climbs high up where the people
can see him is either a saint or a sin.
ner, according to our politics, our sec.
ton, our creed. One man idollzes the
character Vt Lincoln, or of Grant, an.
bothNof them in contempt |
suppose that threefourths of the
northern people pay homage to the |
memory Of old John Brown for what
hey call his good intentions, and ev.
isy northern history and encyclopedia
.pologlzes for him, and even so good
man as Mckinley excused himself
or not attending the refinement OF
is bones, on the ground that the
rnccuro ~ nff3ciaI d,tffae xuo,,fd No, |