The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-30
Bourke Cochran, the Altruist.

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of our altruistic and philanthropic fellow
citizen the Hon. WILLIAM BoURKE
COCHRAN which have panied that noble
heart. To penetrate the psychology OF
80 rich and various a nature must be the
work OF patient and revercnt study; and
there is something temerarious in Mr.
JERoME's hasty sketch, Fortunately
Mr.. COCHRAN has been before the public
for some years. The grand outlines,
the peaks and promontories and shady
valleys Of his character, are tolerably
well mapped out: and it Is not In Mr.
JERoME's power nor even In Mr.. Cock
RAMS, could he have such desire, to
mislead the public as to the general con-
| iguration of that continent OF mind.
Inevitably. Mr. JEROME has misunder-
stood the ABIsTIpEs of Manhattan, and
that misunderstanding has itself been
misunderstood by the subject Of the
Misunderstanding. Referring to an as
sertion said to have been made by the
District Attorney, the Great Public
Character SAYS:
III that means anything from such mouth as
his. It means that. as District Attorney. JEROME
has become acquainted with some fact which II he
wished he could make public. and which would
make me blush"
Much as we deplore Mr.. JERoME's read
ing of that sincere temperament, we find
almost as deplorable Mr.. CoCKRAN's er-
roneous theory of his critics theory
Mr.. JEROME, it ought to be superhuous
to say, has no expectation or hope of
bringing blush to that cheek. That
would be to paint the lily. While far
from being an opportunist, Mr.. JEROME
is not absolutely impracticable.
Mr.. JERoME's unfortunate miscon-
ception Of Mr.. COCKRAN's character Is
not to be regretted, perhaps, since it has
given the latter statesman an oppor-
tunity to deny charge made lightly
against him by the envious and tho
wicked. Il have never accepted a cent,
he cries with the fervor Of Just indig-
nation, mot even for my expenses, for
my talents" This is thoroughly in line
with all his career. He lives, he talks
for the good that he can do. Who, for
example, pursues trusts with more in
sistence? Mr.. COCHRAN feels 1t to be his
duty to break into trusts. Anything
that he can collect out Of them is 80 much
levied upon the enemy, so much recov-
cred to the people. No impartial man
can study the glorious record OF Mr..
COCHRAN in connection with trusts with
out generating talents never hidden
under a napkin, but always put to fruit
full use.
The difficulty with Mr.. JEROME, as
well as with many other critics Of this
supreme altruist, is that they cannot
appreciate his simplicity in completely,
his solidity in fluidity, his uniformity in
diversity. Only the astronomers and
mathematician are able to calculate
such an orbit, and even they cannot pre-
dict his phases Yet that old bore Po-
LoNIUs has explained beforehand all
these variations and predicted this il
lustrious man, self-centred in majestic
unity in spite Of his Protean lightning
changes and vagrancies Of opinion:
This above all 10 thine own self be true
This is the foundation Of his enlight-
ened altruism. This is the Hub and heart
of life which cynics are incapable of
grasping. This and that political COM
mittee may murmur against the sublime
apostle of self-sacritice, and accuse him
of being hired. So envy barks at virtue.
So earlier oracles were accused Of being
bribed
Not less by his Roman austerity of
integrity than by his solid logic and his
severity Of argument, Mr.. COCHRAN is
an example to other orators and tribunes
of the people. In spite of the tempta-
tions to give way to tropical speech, he
answers the District Attorney and the
flsionsts dispassonately. The young
student Of oratory who wishes to master
the art of severity without vituperation
can do no better than TO commit to mem
Dry these model arguments of Mr..
CoCKRAN's:
"Desplcable thing"
This obscene creature"
BIackness Of his conscience
"Termagant in trousers"
professional black guard"
"Se1lesS degenerates,"