The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1908-11-12
E. W. CARMACK.

The death of so noble a Tennessean
as Edward Ward Carmack brings fore
IDLY to attention some of the remarka-
bic characteristics of the man, his strik-
ing record and the personal and public
influence he welded which can be but
briefly referred to at this time.
Mr.. Carmack was 50 years old on the
5th day of the present month. He had
been more or less prominent before the
Tennessee public since he became an
editorial writer on the Nashville Amer
lean in 1886. He was a member of the
lower house of the state legislature in
1884, but his introduction to the Ten
nessee public came with his newspaper
work, which began two years later.
Within the last twelve years of his life
he was distinctly national figure. He
was of that type of man who made
thousands of warm friends and many
bitter enemies. He was built on tense
lines, was of an uncompromising ma
ture; there was no halfway ground to
his affections.
There was something chivalric in
Senator Carmack's temperament that
strengthened the warm admiration in
which he was regarded. He had nota-
bly, that spirit and dash, that fearless
onslaught which made his warmest
admirers who sought historic parallels,
class him as Rupert, but he had also
a kindness of heart, urbanity of man
ner and strong sympathies that would
have graced gentler character.
In writing and in public speaking he
had a marked faculty for invective and
ridicule which he often used too freely,
though with increasing years he had
shown a disposition to amend that
fault. His thrusts were very keen and
his satire and irony often provocative,
and he possessed decided originality
of expression that gave exceptional
point to his satiric humor.
But there was another and better
phase of Senator Carmack's speaking
and writing. The lecture on "Charac
ter" that he had frequently delivered
in recent years was exalted both ir
thought and diction, and afforded {
splendid example of his more serious
writing.
During the one term he served in thu
United States senate he made an unusu
al reputation for new member of tina
body. He not only attracted favorable
public attention, but won warm prais
from both democrats and republican
among his associates of the senate. HI
seemed in that great forum of publi
thought to have found the proper thea
ire for his genius and ability, and it i
on his career there that his fame will
chiefly rest. 1t was great disappoint
ment to his many friends that he coul,
not have been longer continued in tn
!. senatorial position, and many Tennes
scans looked with earnest hope for hi
restoration to that field in which hi
ability and talents were made conspiC
uous.
Senator Camaek was by nature bot
!. restless and aggressive. A few years 9
absolute retirement from the publ
view after leaving the senate would, n
doubt, have been to his advantage. II
yielded to the urgent solicitations {
friends in entering state politics, an
when he did so ii was with the intens
earnestness that always characterize
the man.
Mr.. Carmaek's intense nature mad
his faults appear more prominent tina
than they would have appeared in
. man of milder mould, and yet it wa
this intenseness that drew his friend
to him with stronger bonds and mad
him relentless toward his enemies. TIL
: enemies he made, for the most part q
least, will attribute the severity of hi
invective that often characterized hi
utterances to the zeal of his advocac
and remember his many virtues an
his service, while his friends and al
dent admirers will treasure his memoir
in their hearts.-Nashville Banner.