The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-07
Carmack: A Presidential Possibility.

civilian Inglis in Harper's Weekly
Fearlessness is the dominant note in
the character OF Edward Ward Car
mack Life is for him one long ana
cheerful battle, full of hard knocks
given and taken, and the hope OF
many lusty blows to come. This is not
to be attributed to a pugnaciOus or
contentious disposition, for he fights
because he has very clear ideas OF
what is right and wrong, and having
made up his mind as to what is the
right course on any question, he fol-
lows that course regardless of cOnse-
quences. Often he wins, sometimes he
loses, but, win or lose, he is ever
ready for the fray. Native OF the
same soil as Davy Crockett, all that he
Rsks is to be sure he's right, then he
goes ahead.
The people of Tennessee like that
kind of man, and now that he has come
10 the end of the term in the senate
Cf the United States to which he was
elected in 1900, they are urging him TO
run for governor. Yet neither the like
iihood of winning that honor nor the
possibility of being the next president
of the United States has thus far
swerVed him from the plan he had fixed
before leaving Westinghouse write
and lecture and thereby acquire a more
plentiful income for his family. He is
not rich in this worlds goods, and ne
is aVerse to the idea of seeking the
presidency. perhaps having in mind the
historical fact that all those statesmen
who put up the tallest lightning rods
and tried most aSsiduouSly to attract
the vivid current of popular favor sat
for many years unhit and ended their
lays still hoping against hope.
Quality of Youth.
1t is not easy to reconcile the idea of
grave and reverend senatorship with
such n man as Carmack. full Of vigor
and elasticity and enthusiasm of youth.
His thick shock of reddish brown hair
shows mere suggestions of gray at the
temples, mis- blunt mustache is I'M
touched of time, his steady blue eyes
are clear and bright as a boys. Yet
If he lives until the fifth day OF next
November he will be 40 years old. His
quick step, muscular residence, untir-
ing energy, bespeak the quality of
youth no less than his alertness to
study new problems and accept new
truths.
There are in Columbia many hum
dreds OF citizens who never refer to
this man except as Ed. CarmaCk. This
at first strikes the ear as homogeneous,
but the stranger soon perceives that
the nickname is d tribute of affection,
spontaneous, unsought; a token of
brotherhood whose intimacy does not
diminish respect in the slightest de-
gree.
Here is Il man of Scottish descent.
though American for four generations,
nearly six feet tall. straight as
hickory sapIing, full chested as be
comes an orator clean limbed and of
powerful grip, BETTING one who has
lived much out of doors. There is about
him that atmosphere of abundant Vi
tally which rarely leaves one who has
had the good fortune to spend his boy
hood in the country. He lacks the COM
monest articles of the politician, for it
IS very difficult for him to remember
the face of one he has met but few
times, and utterly impossible to recall
unfamiliar names. He never won sue
cess by practice Of the gentle art of
hand shaking. Nevertheless his is
personality toward which one warns
intuitively, for it makes an impress
sion of rugged sincerity quite in keep
ing with the mans reputation.
lie practiced law at Columbia. and
without any solicitation or even knOwl-
edge on his part his friends nominated
and elected him justice of the peace.
in 1884 they sent him to the legisla-
ture He was editor of the Nashville
American from 1886 until 1892, when he
became editor of the Memphis Com
mercial He was elected a member
OF the national house of representatives
I'm 1897 for the tenth district of Ten
nessee. But not without a hard strug
gle on the part of Josiah Patterson.
who appeared before the house and Bit
1erly contested the election.
Mr.. CarmaCk'S speech before the
house, in which the Republicans con-
stituted a large majority, had much to
do with his victory over the contest
ant. He asserted his rights and de-
lnanded them
From the house Mr.. CaTmack was
sent to the senate. There he rugged
ly opposed the acquisition Of the Phil
IppineS as unwarranted and fraught