THE WEST SHORE.
185
PROMINENT MEN OF THE PACIFIC COAST.
The death of the United States minister to Japan removes another prom
inent figure from Pacific coast political life. John F. Swift was born in Mis
souri in 1829. While he was a mere lad his parents removed to Illinois,
where the family resided for eight years. When eighteen years of age young
Swift went to St. Louis and learned the trade of tinsmith. At twenty-two (in
1850) he crossed the plains to San Francisco, where he engaged in the pro
duce business. He was prudent, energetic and ambitious, and prospered,
From early youth he was a reader and student. When he had accumulated
some means through his bus
iness, he wisely invested it and
turned, his attention to the
study ol the law, being ad
mitted to the bar in 1857.
He soon built up a good prac
tice, was successful as an ad
vocate, and accumulated a
large amount of money which
he used liberally to gratify
his literary tastes. He mar
ried a daughter of Col. W.
G. Wood, who was for many
years clerk of the supreme
court of California. His
writings, his vigorous expres
sion, his bold position on pub
lic issues, drew attention to
him and led to his election to
the state legislature during
the twentieth and twenty-second
sessions. He was de
feated for congress in 1875
by Piper, the democratic can
didate in the First California
district. Shortly before Lin
coln's death he appointed Mr.
Swift register of the San Fran
cisco land office, which posi
tion he held two years. In
1866 he visited Europe and
the holy land, and his pub
lished letters while abroad at
tracted widespread attention.
In 1877 he was elected to
the assembly from San Fran
cisco, and in 1879 was a
prominent candidate for the
nomination for governor of
California, but the prize was
secured by George C. Per
kins. In 1880 he was ap
pointed by the president as
one of the commissioners
from the United States to
frame a treaty with China,
with a view to checking the
influx of Chinese into this
country. He then made an-
other trip around the world,
enlarging hi store of infor
mation. In the famous anti-
Chinese convention he wrote
the memorial to congress, which was adopted without dissent, and was received
in the United States senate with marks of high consideration. It was the
chief attainment of that convention, and about all that saved it from complete
failure. In 1886 Mr. Swift was nominated for governor by the republican
convention, but was defeated by Washington Harriett, the democratic nominee.
In the summer of 1890 he was appointed by President Harrison as minister
to Japan, and was discharging his duty as such it the time of his death.
Mr. Swift was a man of great force of character, vigor of thought, aggressive,
and with profound convictions of the right. As an author he attained an
enviable reputation, many of his works being regarded as standard examples
of literary excellence. His views were broad and statesmanlike, and his grasp
of public questions was tha of a man of courage, depth of thought, broad
intelligence and deep convictions,
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California has a bribery scandal that completely eclipses that little affair
at Olympia. It has been known for a long time that coin was plentiful in Sac
ramento when a United Stales senator was to be elected, but hitherto no di
rect evidence of bribery has been unearthed. Those patriots who biennially
went to the state capital to serve the dear people, and incidentally to do what
else profitable their hands
found to do, were always
astute enough never to put
themselves in a compromis
ing position. In Nevada so
much circumspection was un
necessary. The senatorship
was hung up like a priic, and
the man who rolled .in the
biggest barrel took it 1 but in
California such open methods
of auctioneering could not be
pursued. Nevertheless, that
" fine work " was being done
upon such occasions by gen
tlemen handling money pro
vided by others, was always
believed. Not until now, how
. ever, was any definite proof
of this discovered) but the
little memorandum of names
and prices found in the library
waste basket supplies the evi
dence. What will the Cali
fornia legislature do? There
is a precedent in the anion ot
the lawmakers of Washing
ton. They should immedi
ately appoint a committee of
investigation, whitewash the
bribe giver and then promptly
expel from their midst the
man who found the paper
and was so " inconsiderate "
as to make it known and thus
betray his fellow members.
Why, if this thing of inform
ing upon briliers is permitted
to go on, it will not be long
before there will be nothing
in senatorial elections at all.
Some F.nglith papers, in
making comments on recent
events, hive asserted that the
Americ ans are brutal. This
criticism comet with bad
grace from a country where
wife beating it countenanced
by law, and applied to a
country where chivalrous pro
tection of women and the
weak and defenseless is not only instinctive but is incoriorated everywhere in
the laws. Contrast the conduct of American soldieri during the civil war
with that of combatants of other nations in civil strife, and the turior
humanity and honor of the American shine out with effulgence. Murder,
rapine, roblwry and plundering of the dead have been inserably associated
with civil war everywhere excert in America, where we demonstrated tlial even
in the heat of fraternal strife the inborn instincts of humanity and nobleness
of character could not be subdued by passion. Whatever tliere may I in
the American character different from that of other nations, it certainly it not
brutality.
THE UTE JOHN F. SWIFT.