The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-11-19
THERE ARE OTHERS


works. lay aside the pitchfork and
swap the scalping knife for the olive
branch would. in tbe opinion of Edi-
tor Harris. mean the political finish
of Mr. Clark. He would lose his
grin" SAYS the Banner. He would inn
Imediately fall into the commonplace
He would be no more than dozen or
more other congressman"
Then the Banner cites Ben Tillman
and Tom Watson as examples of the
success of the pitchfork brand of pol
itics. The people like ginger"
1t is the unusual that attracts. We
| like to behold the volcano In eruption
We like the Napoleonic method OF
warfare. To whom friend was no
friend if he stood in the way of his
ambition: to whom all men were but
worms. to be used as stepping stones
to success. That's what men like"
Dear Brother Harris, it is largely
matter of temperament. There are
times when one likes the lurid gran
deur of the volcano and. other times
when one prefers the steady. reStful
glow of the lights of home. The man
who is stirred by the awesome rush
of Niagara delights in it but for the
IOnce-the ceaseless roar of the tor
rent deafens and disturbS-fOr the
continuous performance, he turns
with relief and contentment to the
gentle purling of the peaceful brook.
In his political preferences the
thoughtful man is pretty much of the
same mold. The pitchfork and the
firebrand arrest his attention and in
terest him sporadically-but. for more
permanent purposes. he is better
pleased with calm reasoning, plain
fact, solid wisdom. Especially so in
statesmen-if we may term the aver
age congressman a statesman.
Tillman and Watson won national
note by invective. sarcasm, by eXecut-
ing war dances in the temples of Lib
erty. They introduced slapstick vau-
deville on the national stage. They
threw rocks that hit the mark They
ripped and roared." They were mas
tiers of the peculiar art of roasting"
In this way they became notable
But what of their enduring fame?
Tillman? He has gone. He is an in
cident. He passes with his day and
time. But Watson? All, there's the
distinction. When Tom Watson. the
tomahawking, pitchfOrking. vitriol-
spraying, vindictive and volcanic pol
iician is forgotten, Thomas Z. Wat
son, historian and man of letters. will
be known and honored the world over.
Why? Because it is in his thoughtful,
polished, dignified and unvexed liter
airy work, calm and scholarly with the
ineffaceable charm of the classic, that
Watson speaks beyond the clamor of
the rabble, speaks for posterity and
for all timel
And, even in politics. let Editor Har-
ris not overlook the fact, there are
others" One of the most successful
politicians now living, IL We judge
success by results, is the president Of
the United States. Any pitchfork in
the career of William Howard Taft?
Another very successful politician,
judged by the same standard, occupies
the chair of governor of Florida. Did
Albert Waller Gilchrist ever find it |
necessary to throw any mud or dis |
charge pyrotechnics or turn his ad- |
on the spit in order to get
along" in public esteem!
There are two sides to the story. |
Men sometimes leap into fame, gen.
orally ephemeral. by some spectacu-
lar, astounding feat; but countless |
others achieve the Immortality of GO
MUS in that serene repose of constant |
application to the problems which con-
front them. Not by sudden flight" |
but "toiling upward through the
night"
But all this has little to do with |
the case of Representative Frank |
Clark. The Tribune has always adj |
mired this brilliant Floridian and is |
his consistent and earnest supporter
in all his political ambitions. The
words of kindly counsel which Editor
Harris pronounces Mistaken Advice"
originated in our solicitude for his
welfare. He was about to overdo it.
He ought to talk more about national
questions, state needs, governmental
principles and policies and less about
the Miami Metropolis and the cores
pendent of the Chicago Record-Her-
aid. And with these few remarks we
drop the subject-Tampa Tribune.