The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-08-05
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

This is an honor whlcn tnlS ulstin-
guished man richly deserved.
For his picture to longer lend it
self to the adornment of that house OF
dead mems bones would have been
as fresh flowers in a tomb.
Beverages picture can be taken
off the walls of any old headquarters.
but it's original can't be wiped off
the political map of Indiana.
If it had been left to a popular vote
of this commonwealth Beveridge
would still be in the Senate instead
of that political cad, John w. Kern.
For the ex-senator is the most pop
ular public man in Indiana today.
And he's popular because people be-
lieve him to be honest.
What if he is an egotist?
Isn't every man living an egotist
All of 'em are. And the majority
without any reason or basis or foun-
dation.
Beveridge has something to be ego
tistical about.
Besides that's no argument.
Almost all those in the celebrated
connection with the administration of
large affairs grow opinionated.
The truth is that Beveridge has
been the target for years Of the most
malicious and unrelenting abuse by
the political machines of this State.
And why?
Because he is a really big man.
He has intellectual initiative, origin
ality, ability, talent and a brilliancy
which has excited the envy of the
mediocre.
The assaults of the mediocre upon
the superior have been animadverted
upon often enough here.
But this is conspicuous example.
Here was a man, who through sheer
native talent" and his own concen-
trated effort rose to a place of public
power and honor in the state.
And he was young.
This was the unforgivable sin.
Because it gave him picturesque
ness and held his public magnetically
Youth is the one glorious thing in
the world.
What Youth Can Do" one of the
greatest short stories ever written
and by an American. Henry Fuller
voices this inimitably.
And because of this-youth, bril-
lance and an honesty which could
not be corrupted-this man brought
down on his ears all the maledictions
of that vulture-crew which constant
ly hovers over and endeavors to man
the famed ship of state.
For years he has been the object
of attack for that band of political
cut-throats, highwaymen and assass-
ms knows as the Fairbanks machine.
Perpetuated for the projecting of
its sponsor into the limelight and con-
Quoting, at it's pleasure, the affairs
of this commonwealth.
Fairbanks will go down the ages
as the one great joke of Indiana. He
is about as near craftsmanship as
we are to Mars.
He bought his way into politics and
stayed there the same way.
His efforts to pose as a great man
have been the most hilarious political
episodes of his generation.
One of the funniest things the writ
er ever heard was his speech before
the first state convention of the Fran
chise League held in indianapolis in
April.
1t was like a noise from a hollow
drum.
Even if hollow drum" may be a
rank case of tautology.
But the most superlative, amazing
and extraordinary feature" was his
statement to the effect that Il have
never said anything behind a politi-
cal opponents back l would not have
said to his face"
Sundry of the audience rose to re-
tire to the rear of the hall at this
point fearing some accident to their
various physical makeups when the
elongated near-statesman was struck
dead like his prototype, Ananias, and
toppled destructively into their midst.
And it is men of this ilk-mediocre,
ambitious and unscrupulous,- who
have been snarling and biting and
snatching at Beverage during his en-
tire public and senatorial career
The whole pack has ever been at
his heels.
For there is no jealousy like that
of one man of another.
Men roll the eyes to heaven and
shake the fiabbergasted head over the
manifestations of the green-eyed mon.
ster among the feminine contingent.
And, God wot, it is bad enough.
But at least they go at it hammer
and tongs.
They don't caucus in cellars and
back alleys and then slip up behind
the envied ones back and stab him
neatly and deftly under the fatal rib
The most debased and despicable
object in the universe is a jealous
man.
Against youth and talent they will
form in deadly combine.
But truth crushed to EARTH" etc
Chortling and grimacing over the
final elimination of Beverage from
the political horizon, they now teal
down his picture and throw it to the
wolves. Or the rubbish man. In