The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-10-15
REESE ON BEARD

regard with humor the announcement
made recently by Hon. John S. Beard,
his purpose to retire permanently
from active politics, but to others
there will be a feeling of genuine re-
greet that this is so.
Mr.. Beard has had a variety of ex-
periences in politics, having been I'M
successful as a candidate for repre-
sentative from the third district in
congress, and in the last race, as low
man in the race for the United States
senate, aside from contests of minor
importance in which he engaged with
more success. He was a delegate to
the national convention in 1904 and
has been in the state senate for the
last four years.
Mr.. Beard has good reasons, no
doubt, for reaching the conclusion
hat it is best for him to quit the
! ime. The man who is successful in
tics, if he be honest, generally
-, II without compromising emolu-
ments; much more is it a losing play
for the unsuccessful candidate. In
his two races for a seat in the nation
al assembly, Mr. Beard must have
spent a competence, including the
time he devoted to the canvass along
with the actual money spent, although
ii is likely that he spent less than the
majority of candidates do when they
go in for congress. Having given the
best years of his life, or a goodly part
of them, to chasing the vain bauble it
is not surprising that he should be
disheartened, standing at the apex of
his maturity and realizing the impos-
sible attainment of the distant hills.
But there are no regrets in the simple
announcement that comes from Mr..
Beard, though there is undoubtedly
the bitterness of defeat masked be-
hind.
We said there were those who
tician is to be heard no more in the
forum. There is need for such men as
John Beard, quixotic and tempestuous
as he is, in public affairs. The worth
of such men consists in the regula-
tive effect their fault finding and OBJ
jections have on the men who are
seeking positions and those already
in Office. Tom Watson retired from
politics is much more useful than
Tom Watson in politics ever was He
elected Hoke Smith governor of Geor-
gia and when Hoke forsook the prin-
.ciples upon which he was elected he
defeated him for reelection. We
would not draw a comparison between
Tom Watson and John Beard the sug-
.gested analogy is only in the relative
ness of their positions. John Beard
is essentially a radical. If he happens
TO be on the conservative side he is
a radical conservative. He has been
more picturesque than forceful, more
chimerical than credible. seeing more
in the romantic than the real. Yet.
without examining too critically his
work it may be ventured that he has
served his state well though results
cannot be counted as one would the
bag from a days hunt 1t may De a
weakness, yet we confess it. We like
John Beard because he typifies in his
personal as we'll as his mental accou-
trement the statesmen of the old
south. The type is not numerous, and
perhaps it is well enough for us that
ii is not, yet for those who revere the
principles, the traditions and the
memories of the past we have the pro-
foundest respect. John Beard is one
who bears from brow to bootheel the
redolence of the lines
in days of old
When knights were bold
And barons held their sway"