Evening journal., 1913-12-20
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
One Of GaTfleId'S Plans fer
His Future
-
By Holland.

II used to think that President
Garfield looked forward to a life OF
literary activity after he had COM
pleted his service as President of the
United States," said his postmaster
general, Thomas l.. James, to me at
time when we were discussing Gar
field and some Of his intellectual
characteristics, of which the people
had no knowledge
Il think the first suspicion of that
purpose came to me when the Presi-
dent told me that he never let a
morning pass without utilizing ten
or fifteen minutes when he was
dressing in reading some one of the
classics, Greek or Latin AT another
time he spoke to me Of history say
ing that history was not really writ
ten excepting the fixing Of dates and
the naming of names. He thought
history could best be written by
biography or autobiography.
Another thing which tended TO con-
firm my belief was his intimation to
me one day that he believed that any
man who had gained a reputation as
an orator should quit public speaking
when he was at the height of his rep
utation It seemed TO him that the
orator who had gained his reputation
could best preserve Il by refraining
from public speaking and, instead, by
cultivating literature In whatever di-
rection his natural bent pointed"
Some time after this conversation
/ mentioned il to Senator Chauncey
NJ Depew He told me that he was
confident that the opinion formed by
General James respecting Garfield's
purpose was correct. 81 do know"
said the senator. that IT was Gar
fields firm conviction that any man
who had gained a very high reputation
as an orator would act wisely If he
we're TO retire upon his laurels. Some
OF the greatest singers in the world
have retired while their voices were
still at their best, because they did
not want to wait so long as 10 compel
the public to say that the singer had
outlived the voice.
"I was talking to General Gar
field one day about oratory and he
gravest danger that man who has
gained a very high reputation as an
orator will forfeit that reputation.
The public Is very tickle. No matter
how fascinating public speaker
may have been, If he makes one mis-
take, IL he does not maintain his
high reputation, If he shows in
single instance tendency to funk,
then the public has had enough Of
HIM. All that he has done will be
forgotten. His high reputation may
be destroyed in a single moment
Garfield further intimated to me
that in his own case he felt that this
rule should apply and that the time
was near at hand when he would
make an end OF formal speaking, OF
the set or polished address. ana
would confir~ himself. when neces-
sary to speak at all, to simple, un-
assuming. quiet and conversational
methods"
Senator Depew was also inclined
TO agree with General James in the
opinion that General Garfield con-
TEN plated devoting himself to lit
erarv pursuits on historical subjects
as soon as his public life ended-an
end which in any event would come
when he was only fifty-seven years
o. age. for II he were elected to
second term and ser~ed out the term
he would be upon his retirement no
more than fifty-seven years OF age
I'm other words, a sage before he was
sixty.
ff,on,,,feht 1919 nv II I Edwards