Evening star., 1923-03-11
John Sharp Williams, Master of English,
Brilliant Debater, Forsakes Public Life

with the force that many of his ad-
| mirers expected he would. Here, as
| In the House. in his early legislative
days he was getting onto the ropes,
but II was not long before he made
his presence felt, and his was reeog-
ni1ed al one OF the keenest minds in
| the upper branch OF Congress.
While his party was in power he
| was given important duties to per-
form. many of them Of such a char
acter as to take up most Of his work
ing hours. AS q result he did not
have the time to devote to his fam
lily that he thought was due them
That. In part, Is the reason that he
decided. despite the duplication Of
thousands in his state, TO retire to
private life. He felt that he was en-
titled to spend the balance Of his
years with those who were of his
family. He recognized that he owed
a duty to them and to himself. and
that is the principal reason why he
decided TO forego any further honors
at the hands OF the electorate OF
Mississippi.
We have read of his love for chill
dren and books, but there Is another
side Of his character that has not
been dwelt upon to any great extent.
It is his love for flowers.
0NE day. shortly after he had an
" nounced to the writer that he
did not propose to run again, we were
riding up to the Capitol. The con-
versAtion in the earlier part of the
ride had been on the subject OF Eu-
ropean conditions and how soon that
part Of the world would come to a
realization that prosperity wuld fol-
low only when prejudtces were cast
| aside and when the former warr:ng
nations settled down to work. As
We neared the pension ONCE grounds
he turned and said:
Just look at the wonderful flowers
that God has given US! Look at the
beauty Of each. Think what they
mean. What Is their message? Look
AZ the exquisite coIoring. ! am leav-
| ing Congress. az 7 told you some time
ago. feel that I have done my part.
| I owe II to my children 10 be with
| them feel that 7 owe IL TO myself.
I want 10 go down TO the place that
| I have been away from so much. the
place that I call home. want to
! read the hooks that help one, to sit
| on the gallery and listen TO the birds.
| and want to see the flowers in all
! their splcndor I want to spend the
remainder o. my life among the peo-
| pie that have been most kind TO me.
| I want to go to the state I love SO
| weli-MisssS ppi.
! With mentality as vigorous as OF
| yorc n soul untarnished by the ma
! terial things Of life. with a sense OF
hun1or that has not been 1essened by
| the fight Of time, John Sharp Will
/ liams. one of the most brilliant OF
| statesmen that have come TO Wash
| ington for many a day, carries with
/ those who knew him
! lie viii sit on the gallery Of his
| home in the sunny south and read his
| books; will have waited to him the
! bewitching odors OF the flowers he
loves so well; will hear the soft cries
| Of the cooling doves: will listen to the
| sweet notes of the birds Of early
| morn, and will sit In the company OF
those who love him 20 we'll; but
methinks there will be times when.
| like charger retired from active
service, he will sniff the smoke OF
| battle as Il is waited to him in his
sylvan retreat and will yearn for just
one more joust in the halls Of Con-