Eloquent Tribute To The Work Of An Able Man

Ex-Cc-vn ];r Luce in the course of hjs speech at Bad Ax said: "Ocoa Kiionally wc liear people ay tliat Jolin T. Kicii bas been au offieeseeker. This I neither deny or atffinm. It Ia possilïlo that has sought the offii-e of supervisor of Iris township, and of representative and senator in the legIfilature and a seat in eongress, all oí which positions he has occupied. Of thi I know not, but I do know that hO nieter sougiit by himselt', off through amother, the position of railroad comimisBiooer, and tliis is one of the miojít respousible offices he lias ever held. "TV.hen the pcople of this state had elected me to the liili office of goveaor of the coraxmonwealth I had but one single aiin bition, and that was to give to all of tlue people the best possible adiminLstrati'O.n oí affaire. This -;i; oiily to be secured by the selectiou ji the very best inen to discharge the various duties devolving upon thcm, and tive imos't important positkjn to !) lilled by appointmrnt trom tlie govemor was railroad commisSiomer. The la-w clothes lii.m wlth xtraordinary power, and I wanted fiiwt oí all fchiags in honest man, and a, mam who would alwaya possess iiic coarág oí his caavlctloas. I wantcil a, man wha womld iaithfully and bra.vely 'uard and pro'bect rignta ou snippers aun ot tik; peo pie everywhere within the limit O' authority eonterred upon liim by tlie laws oí the sta.te. I wanted a mai who, would be considérate of the teel ing and interests of the men who rui the trains; of the engineers who drive the iroin. hoTe out in the storm througli tunnel a,nl over bridge and info whose saïe keeping we trust our lives and property. And in rela tioo to his conduet in tliis regard : wanted a man who wwild be kind bilt lir.m. I wanted a man who would have a dne regard to the rífht of the men who own the roads Tliey ha" coratributed to the develop ment and pi-osperity oí this gi-eat fxnuntry, and I did not want a man to hold that high office that would nag, annoy and need'lessly interfere with their buslneBB a,nd rij?hts. "For the purpose of securing man Who po?e8sed all these varied qualificatioiis, any mind wnt racing ovei the state, the qualificatiion.s of many friends of whose acquaintance I was proaid, and every time that I would reach anything like a eomclusiifm, the choise feil upiom John T. Kich. I knew him from the sole of his feet to the erown of liis liead. and knew him toi be a brave lunic-;t on, in who dischare-ed duties feartessly and with a fidelity thaS was wotrthy of eniulation. "He did not ask for the position; I did not know that he thought of it, but I tefegrap-hed hlm to come to LanKinft-, told him what kind of a man I -wanted, and wiound up by Baying: 'My opinión is, thou art the man.' The p'Oisition was acc-t'ptetl. I watched bis ooniTBe wlth solicitud, and say witboiit hesitation that 110 man in this, or auy OJttoe-r .s-tate ever dis ■hargedthe comiplicated duties of railraad comimissioner wlth prreater wisdom and fidelity than he. He was a quick to respoud to the cali of the poor and unknown when complaint carne to him, ais lie wa to the e-all of the ricli and powerful. There was no point in the state bo remot-e that when complaint ca me f rom shippers, farmers, or others, he did not reach it on the first train and investígate carefully the situation. And I believe on all occasions he used all tlie jiuift'ment and discreticm he was maeter of ■n adjusting difflcultles. If amyooe Buispeeted that a raJlroed bridge was wcak, elther he or hls aselsta-nt gave t immediate attentton. "I sa.y thiis here to-nijrht beeause i. diwjx. -tion is maiiiiflested in some u.iartci--. tO' malte an effort to créate prejindiee. Bnt, rcspnnsible as I am, solels and alone, lor his appointment4 I challante the most careful scrutiny and seturching investifíation into evry official act performed by him hirinïf the tour yeara he held the imwrtant poeition of railroad commis sioner. He -roas talthful to the lm tereste of the people; h was kind to the men who run the train; he was honest with the railroad corapanies. Tliere was notiling more to be denanda oí hini. He served Faithfully and TC611 ae he wil', in the exwutive chair, a positioo whicl) he will ocupy af ter the first day of January, 1898,"