The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-11-29

alone in this view, for the republican
campaign managers had it translated
into several different languages and
more copies were circulated during
the campaign than all other addresses
combined. With clear, incisive argu-
ments he pierced the glittering argu-
ments of silver's gifted champion and
built up such solid array of fact as
carried conviction to the minds of
thinking men. If Mr.. McCleary had
never performed any other service he
would be entitled to the gratitude of
the country. Mr.. McCleary struck
twelve in this great effort. 1t marked
the summit of his career and the be-
ginning of his downfall. AS all
Harriet Beecher Stoves work, after
Uncle Toms Cabin, seem weak and
shallow, so all of Mr.. McCleary's after
efforts seem puerile and common
place compared to his great financial
speech. 1t tended to climate many
of his home supporters, for his dis
trict was badly impregnated with the
free silver heresy. 1t threw him into
still closer association with eastern
representatives and he became still
more thoroughly imbued with their
ideas.
Mr.. McCleary never lost the traits
and peculiarities of the professor. He
could not understand why his con-
stituents would not accept his views
with the same unquestiened faith and
confidence as his students did. And
he constantly arrogated to himself
the right to instruct them instead of
being governed by their instructions.
His self-control or self-complacency,
the line dividing them is exceedingly
fine, is wonderful. He possesses the
happy faculty of appearing before
audiences of notables that would cause
the heart of an ordinary speaker to
sink into his shoes, and remaining as
cool as polar bear on an ice foe.
His courage is magnificent, even if
misguided, and he has the courage of
his convictions. We doubt if he would
have abated one jot of his ultra stand
pattism if he had known that the
only votes he would have received in
the last campaign would have been
those of himself and son. He was
just as much of standpatter in the
second district as he was at Wash
ington and as an open opponent is
less dangerous than a vacillating
friend we doubt if Mr.. McCleary has
done the cause OF tariff revision as
much damage as those members who
advocate it in their own districts but
conveniently forgot all about it when
they get to the capitol, who when
they get to the one place in the world
where they can do something for the
cause, put it in cold storage and do
not bring it forth again till they need
it for election purposes.
Mr.. McCleary's business career is as
straight as carpenters rule, even if
some of his political methods seem
shaky, and they do. 1t should be
borne in mind, that long custom has
sanctioned methods in politics that
would be branded dishonorable in the
business world. His private life is
irreproachable and is beyond the
breath of scandal. His devotion to
his invalid wife and only son could
we'll be made a model of American
domestic life.
There is much speculation in re-
gard to Mr.. McCleary's political
future, but those that figure that he
will clay down" are reckoning with
out their host. He is not that kind of
a man. He will keep himself in the
public eye by advocating the views
he believes and if he is not republic
can candidate for congress in the
second district on radical stand
pat platform two years hence, we will
willingly trade off our reputation as
prophet for subscription to Hearst's
Chicago American.