New-York tribune., 1906-05-15
CARL SCHURz.

By the death of Carl Schurz this country
loses devoted citizen who had rendered faith
fui and valuable service in great variety OF
activities. Mr.. Schurz unquestiOnably held first
place among the men OF German birth who
have become American citizens and given them
selves TO public life. A fugitive OF the German
battle for liberty, he arrived here Just in time
to enter with ardor into the anti-slavery strug-
gle. After serving through the war he took a
prominent part in the work of reconstruction.
and then became a leader in the revolt against
the political corruption which was the inevita-
Ole consequence OF the moral unsettlement and
business reckleSsneSs developed by the war
He was equally cOurag geOus and effective in the
campaign against greenbackism and when Mr.
Hayes, one Of his chief co-workers in that fight
for national honesty, became President he en-
tered the Cabinet as Secretary of the Interior
and there put into practice as a volunteer the
principles of the merit system which have since
been embodied in the Civil Service law of the
nation and of many states
On his retirement from the Cabinet Mr. Schurz
became a free lance in politics. the vehement
advocate of many reforms and the even more
vehement critic Of governmental policies which
he did not favor He was q fOrcefuI writer and
an orator of great effectiveness. His cOntrOver-
sial letters and pamphlets were able and his
historical work, of which he gave us too little,
instance, is one of the best brief biographies
dealing with American politics, and is espe-
Cially noteworthy for its impartiality and free
dom from the characteristics which limited Mr..
Schurz's influence in political life and confined
him. least in his later years, to critical rather
than constructive work
The limitations of Mr.. Schurz were those of
temperament rather than character. No one
ever questioned his patriotism, his prObity or
0S-Rn., H.
OF the ardent idealist and radical, intolerant of
compromise. The revOlutiOnist of 1S4S was nat
urally an extremist on all subjects which ap
pealed TO his moral enthusiasm He could study
the past with the scholars temper, but 1t may
be doubted If he ever was fully able to under
stand or respect the point OF view of persons
who differed from him on what he regarded as
a moral issue. There could be only one side to
such a question and he often lost his sense
of proportion in urging his particular enthu-
siasm at the sacrifice of sympathy with men
who might agree with him on other subjects
Though he had supported Mr.. Mckinley for
President on the issue of sound money in 1885,
his hostility TO the Philippine policy OF the Re
publican party drove him to bitter and sweep
ing criticism Of the Mckinley administration.
He himself recognized that his attitude was so
extreme that he could not do justice, or at least
be believed TO do justice to the administrations
domestic policy, and he accordingly resigned the
presidency Of the Civil Service Reform League.
These inirmities of judgment detracted from
Mr.. Schurz's influence with the general public,
but they did not at all detract from the re-
spect which his moral qualities everywhere COM
manded or diminish the warm attachment OF
those who came within the circle of his per-
sOnal influence. His often erratic and eX-
treme course in dealing with concrete problems
cannot obscure the fact that he was an inspra-
tiOn to many and an example of highminded,
uAtiring devotion to noble ideals of citizenship.
and his memory will be hOnOred for his sub
stantial contributions to the uplifting Of Ameri-
can political standards.