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Show Old Masters I BENJAMIN HARRISON H Bo c. c. g. M TVV E VERY much doubt whether Benjamin liar- H W rison will over bo appreciated at his real worth by tho masses of the people of this coun- lie had none of the magnetism that draws the confidence and affections of meri; ho was absent- minded to a degree, which caused him to bo charged with coldness, when in truth he was most kind-hearted and lovable. fl When Introduced to strangers ho was llablo to turn his shy side to them and cause them to go away with the thought that he was "colder than n fish." A certain senator Judge L , who held fl this opinion of him, one day accompanied a judge M of national reputation to tho White House and M introduced him to the president. The three en- gaged in conversation for several minutes. When about to leave the senator said: "Mr. President, excuse me, but you are taking a long time to sign H my bill." It was a pet measure which the senator M had succeeded in pushing through both houses or congress. The president replied: "I have worried a good deal over that bill; I fear it would be thrown out H of the courts as unconstitutional." The senator, H who was also a learned lawyer and judge, de- M clared that he, too, had thoroughly studied the measure and that tho president must be mis- taken. "Well," said the president, we are fortun- jH ate. We have a great jurist with us, you are a M lawyer and judge, I am a lawyer in a modest way. M Let us elect judge . to the bench and try the case before him, you having the opening and clos. M ing argument." This was agreed to and the open- ing argument, with all court formalities, was de- M livered. M In the same stately way the president replied. M (There were no further arguments. The court M decided that the president's argument was abso- M lutely convincing and the counsel against him, M when he told the story, declared that the decision M was right. M Benjamin Harrison was born at North Bend, H Ohio, August 30, 1833. He went through the H schools, studied law and began the practice of his H profession in Indianapolis. M He was the great grandson of that Benjamin H Harrison who signed the Declaration of Indepen- M dence, and grandson of General William H. Harri- M son who fought the battle of Tippecanoe and who M was elected president of the United States in 1840 and died a month after his inauguration. M Benjamin Harrison's lineage was altogether M fine. H He gave up a lucrative practice in 18G2 to lead M a regiment to the war. In the army he made a M splendid record, the battle of Peach Orchard giv- ing him especial honor. The war over he re- M turned to the practice of his profession and soon M stood at the head of the bar of Indiana. In 188 L he was elected United States senator. In 188S jH he was elected president of the United States. M When nominated the opposition press cartooned jH him as wearing his grandfather's hat, which was M represented as much too large for him. wM But they outgrew that, for he soon made it H clear that he intellectually wore a much larger hat than his grandfather ever did. H When nominated he began to make daily M speeches to the crowds that came to listen to H him. The New York World sent a special, gifted M reporter to report and wire his speeches. The EM reporter had special instructions to try to get H some sentence that might be used against the can- H didate. H Tho reporter tried for five weeks and then H H gave it up, wiring to his paper: "It's no use, he I, makes no mistakes." H His administration was a brilliant one. The B -! public business was handled with great wisdom Hj and many millions of bonds, drawing heavy inter- Hi ! est, were called in and cancelled. H ' Cut the marked great achievement of his ad- H ministration was his handling of the difficulties , with Chile. M I A rebellion had broken out there against the m president of that republic. He was driven into H seclusion in his own capital and the victorious M rebels demanded the recognition of the United 1 States. The navy of Chile had one powerful iron- Hj clad and the feeling rap so high that there were H threats made that unless the United States com- H' plied with the demands of the rebel government it m would send their invulnerable ship up and bom- M bard San Francisco. Mr. Blaine was secretary H of state andopened a correspondence with those in m power in Chile. But he was soon disabled by illness so serious that it finally caused his death. 1 Then President Harrison took up the correspond- ence and in a brief time settled the difficulty. It M was as splendid an intellectual triumph as ever H was seen. M That President Harrison was defeated for a m second term was due, as we believe, to that power M in the east which wanted no more bonds canceled, m but, rather, wanted more issued. In public and H private life there was not one flaw in the charac- M ter of Benjamin Harrison, and he was one of the H ablest of all the presidents. He died in 1896. |