life ended. He certainly has no longing, desires, and ambitions in the
direction of public office. It is equally certain that any office which
he will consent to hold, and which the people who know him can give, he
can have without opposition.


MR. WALLACE AS A CITIZEN.

I come now to a part of my story which it is exceedingly pleasant to
relate and of which I am able to speak, to no little extent, from
personal knowledge. It is, after all, what one is as a man among men,
which speaks most for his honor, or his dishonor. What greater
significance generous deeds have, when you know that behind them is no
calculating, grasping spirit, which is figuring out how much it can get
in return, but a noble, generous, self-forgetful manhood. We have a
conviction that the conflict between labor and capital, which just now
has reached a threatening pitch of violence, might have been avoided if
employers had not in so many cases endeavored to reduce men to mere
money-making machines. As a rule strikes do not occur where laboring men
are treated with the consideration due them as free citizens. The
freedom of Fitchburg from strikes is due to the intelligence of the
workmen, and the fairness of the employers. Another says, "nothing does
more to destroy the spirit of socialism and communism and to disipate
envy than to see wealthy men devoting a part of their wealth to public
uses."

This introduces us to the most conspicuous act by which the subject of
our sketch has proved his public spirit and generosity of purpose as a
citizen. I refer to his gift to the city of Fitchburg of a beautiful
public library, which, by vote of the city government, is to be called