| Show ABOUT JOHN SWINTON A journalist WHO sacrificed HIMSELF FOR AN IDEA Ie denying nying himself tile tho necessaries of life that nis nil raper paper might go antly a strange medley of contradict eions personal anecdotes tho the much writing about john swinton has not got at the heart of what kind of a man he be LIL is A great deal of sympathy is felt in new york tor for the old man for he has long been the only real or apparent frenchman in tin an american skin over here ile he has represented enough earnestness on the one band and enough bounce on oil the other to make or decorate a striking personality while ho he has also satisfied a demand for comedy mi aa well as supplied an example of intensity The there revill v ill have to be a day of judgment to settle whether john tons communism Is a red hot conviction or a form of cultivated egotism which has become a freak or a fanaticism the ilio matter is however riot not so important as the fact that abat the old man was at any time ready to die for his fad if death could bo be inflicted in a properly dramatic manner and mores the pity has almost starved for it I 1 do not desire to figure as a trelawny who would lift the shroud of a dead genius to be able to tell tile the world was the club foot that the vanity of tho the son of the gods concealed in his life time the reason for indicating di the sacrifices to which john swinton has subjected himself for an idea is that an instance of endurance may bo be shown from which human nature may draw a lessor lesson your renders readers know that the mans paper is dead that it died for want of support that its death proves that labor will not la labor lor to help its champions all this is known FROM WEALTH TO POVERTY not known are these facts the old mail began publishing that paper when he ha lived in a mansion replete with iv ith treasures of art arid and literature and with uses which wealth has for all the wants and the taste A r trench rench chef ministered to the epicurean palates which the hosoi hospitable table master invited around him State statesmen reformers beauties moralists mora lists and nt at times the princes of states and of churches w were liis guests for long months past he be has lived in one room in a tenement among the slums his food riot not costing costine 1 a wo we k and not woi th halt half that little depleting himself in body that tho the paper might go on oil earning by a magazine at ai tide on something lie ho was india eiehl about that he be might issue thoughts w n lich he was tremendously moved about ill 1 will dine you tor for a sixpence but if you want me to write for you my terms will bo be 20 a column it vi ill bring out my next issue he would say an income of over a year and a fortune which at least five figures would be needed to ex express Dress house furniture horses wines clothes last of all the beloved boots books havo have gono gone to sustain iii an idea and tho the idea was wind john swinton had to stop ile he could starve lis his stomach and deny his mind as long as he cou could id got get together defy i nough cough to pay tho the printer but when that failed he be ceased no one suffered loss but himself the theories of the roan man were visionary and destructive but be was the safest conduit for them there was he would denounce property without being able to remove the conviction of everybody that he was the kindest old roan man in the world he would roar like etna but the birds would riot not fly on im ay when lie he walked by them he would emit fire and slaughter but his wallet would be turned inside out to the fix first st beggar ile he would advocate communism and practice it by loading up gamins with presents new york knew him as a stage quantity whose heart was as gentle as summer the amount of verbal vehemence that had to be got off sounded founded in ia him like tho the demons tenpins among the mountains or scintillated around and within hint him like the lightning of a july twilight but the noise was only noise and the lightning struck nothing but his bis pocketbook A FEW PERSONAL ANECDOTES the old man was a conservative force a discounted thunderbolt and did riot not seem to know it ho he came as lie thou thought gh t unto his own and they received him not they unto whom hom bo be east cast pearls turned and bended him he v will ill find harbor whence hence i ho he went forth to raise raise storm and encounter shipwreck what were you doing that afternoon on that corneal cor neri nerl asked mr fullerton of him when a v K atness on tho the beecher trial musing on the infinite was the answer that camo came quick as a flash cash ca sh straight as a rifle hall ball arid and hard as a rock that cross examination was not continued did you ever that kind of wine be before swinton asked A T stewart of him at a dinner once in the thirty fourth street palace as the host doled out the least bit of a rare vintage yes twice once with antoniolli An Au and once with bismarck and both bath times in larger glasses was the reply it was swinton who gravely proposed to discuss in madison square garden with william H vanderbilt tho the batters lat i ight to bit millions to tho the sheer consternation of that man dan and somewhat to his apprehension it was swinton against whom depew braced himself bim sell for the debate at the nineteenth century club and it was swinton who at that club spoke only such honeyed words of the allowances which ought to be made tor for rich men that prepared arguments were kicks against nothing ho he thought id show my teeth but my cay speech was a sustained kiss 11 explains tho the old man mail the ca was nowhere he be adds he has learned that natural conditions will not bend to aid poor or rich that ingratitude is a plant that can grow in the slums as well as on the avenue that the confederation ot of forces tho the conservation of powers tile the union of energy baill and interests that that go by the name of 0 corporations syndicates companies trusts and the like are a law of tile the civilization of the time he has learned his bis lesson but sweet strong and hopeful in him yet is the indomitable heart beart of armand richelieu 17 new york cor brooklyn eagle |
