The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-16
"OLD MEN" WHO ARE YOUNG.
1t Is Not I'm Every Respec the Age of
Young Men.

Leslie's Weekly.
Much has been said during the past few
years about the Importance of young men
as leaders in finance, industry and politics,
and the impression has been cultivated that
only young men were fitted to do the great
work of the world in these progressive
days. Some have gone so far, indeed, as
to draw the dead line at fifty years for
men engaged in the ministry. and others
lave declared that men above that age
ought to retire from all public activities.
But when we take a look around at the men
who are actually in the lead to-day in lit
erature. science, politics. religion and bust
ness. we find much to disprove this idea
that old age Is a sign of weakness and in
efficiency.
In our own strenuous land we nave such
men as Edward Everett Hale, Theodore
Cuyler and Russell Sage still at the fore
front in a multitude of activities, although
all three of them have left eighty years be-
hind some time since. In the sphere of ma
tional politics we nave such commanding
figures as Senators Hoar and Hawley, both
of whom must plead guilty to the age of
seventy-six, while the two illustrious sena-
tors from Maine, Messrs. Hale and Frye.
are both men of many years.. the first
named being sixty-six and the other seven
ty-one. Our present gifted Secretary of
State, Mr.. Hay. is far from being a youth
full person, having sixty-four years to his
credit, while Secretary Wilson is older than
that by three years, and postmaster Cen
eral Payne is nearly sixty. Whitelaw Reid,
of the Tribune, IS sixty-five, yet no one
ventures to intimate that his powers are
waning, nor would any one be rash enough
to suggest such a thing in connection with
nrc T. mos NJ pnNklaU and LYMAN Ahhnft
the veteran journalists, both of whom are
over SiXty-six.
If we turn our gaze abroad we find equal
~ strong testimony to the fact that the
greatest responsibilities and the heaviest
burdens are resting on men who have gone
far beyond the so-called dead line" 1t is
Sir John Arid, verging on seventy, who has
built the great Nile dam. 1t Is Lord Ma
sham. verging on ninety, who has just APP
pealed to the English government to over
haul the fiscal system, and heads his APP
peal: Who's afraid?" Who can believe,
either, that Henry Labouchere, "Labby."
the brilliant editor of Truth, is a man OF
seventy? The keenest debater in the House
of is still Sir William Harcourt,
in active opposition at seventy-four. Mr..
John Morley is sixty-three, and Joseph
Chamberlain is only four years off seventy.
Italy, Germany and Russia have young
men to reign over them, but Francis Joseph
of Austria was seventy-two last August,
Oscar of Sweden is seventy-three Leopold
of Belgium is sixty-seven, and King Chris
tan of Denmark is eighty-four. The worlds
foreign relations are In the hands of men
over sixty and seventy. Lord Currie Is
sixty-eight, Sir Edmund Monson is sixty
seven, Sir Charles Scott sixty-four, and
Sir Frank Lascelles sixty. Lord Cromer,
young enough to make another Egypt. is
sixty also. and at the other end of Africa a
man Of seventy reigns as prime minister of
the Cape
Men of thought have always been dis
tinguished for their age. Scion, Sophocles.
Pindar, Anacreon and Xenophon were octo-
genarians. Michael Angelo and Titan were
| ai0htN- nina onH ninnfxninn roonanfivo1u
Harvey, the discoverer of the circulation of
the blood. lived to be eighty. Many men
have done excellent work after they have
passed eighty years. Lander wrote his
Imaginary Conversations when eighty
five. Izaak Walton welded a ready pen at
ninety. Hahnemann married at eighty and
was working at ninety-two. Michael Angelo
was still painting his giant canvasses at
~eighty-nine. and Titan at ninety worked
with the vigor of his earlier years. Fonta-
nellie was as light-hearted at ninety-eight
as at forty, and Newton at eighty-three
worked as hard as he did in middle life.
"A man is as old as he feels, and a woman
as old as she looks"