Norris Wright Cuney

NORRIS WRIGHT CUNEY R tribune of tbe JBlach p eople m s; DAU G H T E R MA UD C U N E Y H A R E W I T H AN I N T R O DU C T I O N B Y R J AME S S . C LA KSON For mer ly S u r veyor of C u s toms of the Por tof N ew T H E CRI SIS PU B LI SH I N G COMPAN Y 2 6 E SE Y ST R E E T N E W V , YO R K CI T Y 1 9 13 NORRIS WRIGHT CUNEY “ El (tribune of th e JBIach Ipeople H I S DAU G H T E R MA U D C U N E Y H A R E W I T H AN I N T R O DU C T I O N B Y LAR J AMES S . C KSON For mer ly S u r veyor of C u s toms of th e Por tof N ew Yor k T H E CRISIS PU B LISH IN G COMPAN Y 2 6 E SE Y ST R E E T N E V , W YO R K CI T Y 1 9 13 C o p yr ig h t, 1913, B Y M AU D C U N E Y H AR E E R W O O D R O B T N . , PR I N T E R , - 202 E a s t N in e ty n in th S tr e et, N e w Y o rk I N T R O DU C T I O N ’ MR Y . C u N E s f i h f ll life , as it is here so a t u y es portrayed by his devoted daughter, d erves to be told a s much for the inspiration O f the many other gallant and intrepid s ou l s in the future Who will have to achieve success against many f di ficulties and discouragements as he did, as in just and deserved honor and tribute to him fo r the good that he so nobly wo n ) to himself and the greater good he so constantly sought fo o and found r his fell w men . His work was always more for humanity than for himself . His kindly nature , his boundless heart , his desire always to be of service to the Weak , his S O f sense of justice and pirit sacrifice , his loy alty to friendship an d his high ide a l s as to every man’s duty to his fellow men impressed W everyone ho ever knew him , and impressed most deeply those wh o knew him best and therefore knew something of the full quality and measure O f hi s constant and generous service to man wh kind . Those o knew him from his childhood a say that in his younger days , his heart was shelter for the weak and needy O f any and every iii iv I NTRODUCT I ON wh o race ; and all ever came to know him at all, knew that this Spirit constantly increased with his years . 1 876 I knew him from , when I became acquainted with him at the Republican National Convention at Cincinnati— the Convention in which occurred the famous c ontest betwee n Blaine and Conkling, a rivalry which divided the party into factions for nearly the whole generation that followed . It was in the storms a n d contests of that noted Convention , and in those of the compaign preceding for the elec tion of delegates , that were formed the closest and most precious friendships of my political life , and indeed of my whole life . For I , now on reaching the year of grace allotted to man by the Bible have the one testimony to give s o - that the called world of politics , instead of - being all self seeking and selfishness, is the o n e field of human action where more true and gen e r o u s men are found, and wherein more true and lasting friendships are formed , and more willing and actual sacrifices made , than in any other field of rivalry and competition among men . s There are , indeed, many elfish and grasping S pirits to be found in that world . But there are in it far more men who are good and wh o generous and patriotic , form the life guard and decide the destiny of the Nation , and who , from th e beginning of the great effort to estab I NTROD U CTI ON lish human freedom on this Continent until 1n s 1r 1n the present day, have been both the p g ' and sustaining power that has guaranteed and con tinued its success . It wa s in that Convention at Cincinn ati that I came to know Mr . Fessenden of Con i n e c tcu t . , Mr Hobart of New Jersey, Col Goodloe of Kentucky, General Dudley and Mr . Michener 1. C 0 of Indiana, Col Foraker and Conger of E lkin o f e r Ohio , Senator s West Virginia , S nato Platt and Mr . Fassett of New York, Senator n $ uay of Pennsylva ia , Senator Spooner , Henry C . Payne and Senator Sawyer of Wisconsin, Mr . Governor Alger of Michigan, . Kerens , Mr M Va n . i Horn and Mr Filley of issour , Cyrus L s eland of Kansa , Senator Thurston and r Chu ch Howe of Nebraska , Mr . De Young and E Judge stee of California , and in the South General Clayton of Arkansas , Governor War . L s mouth and Lieut Gov . Pinchback of oui i ana , Mr . Parsons of Alabama, Mr . Brownlow of Tennessee and Mr . Cuney of Texas . These men and scores of others who ought to be men tio n e d in any roll call of the faithful and useful men of the Republican Party in those days , r epresented the Blaine and Conkling and all e other elem nts in the party . All these leaders and all others as well, quickly came to know Mr . Cuney both in the campaigns for the nomi nation o f the Presidentia l candidates and in the vi I NTROD U CT I ON campaign for their election afterwards , and to recognize the sterling and noble qualities of his manhood and his personality, as well as his a s rare and useful abilities a political leader . Through out all the years that followed he kept a good name and an unshaken influence in the higher and more controlling c ouncils of the Party . In the close friendships that were formed with ten or twelve of the leaders , all of whom served together at different times as members of the National Committee , from twelve to fifteen or Mr twenty years , . Cuney was always highly r egarded and highly prized by them all . Always trusted and never do ubted by this fellowship a consisting of Fessenden , Hobart , Goodloe , Cl rk S o n , Foraker, Conger, Fassett , Payne , Thurston , Manley, Dudley, Leland , De Young, Clayton , and Cuney and at different times five or ix S . others , Mr Cuney was always accepted as ‘ one of the most dependable allies and most r e liable councillors , and was always insisted upon as one of those wh o were to attend all the inside Party councils and all the important pub lic and private conferences of the National Com mitte e , both during the Presidential Campaigns and in the intervening years . All these gentle men a s well as the other leading members of the Committee early came to know the value of h is s ervice and the Party recognized his honest I NTRODUCTI ON vii s n r s an d idea s an d ai in er on al ta da d l , g n g p s lik ing for him as well, all came to have implicit faith in him . In the Party Councils at Wash in ton g , too , he would often be taken into private conferences between the President and other high public and Party officials an d was always one whose judgment was consulted and w wa s whose influence a s recognized . He always accepted and valued as an intimate friend by ll Mr . Blaine through a the years of that great l ’ eader s prominence and popularity . I parti i c p a te d in several interviews of Mr . Cuney with President Harrison and with various members of the cabinet , and he impressed them all by his personal bearing as he had p r evI ou Sly done l “ by his general va ue and fidelity to the Party . President Harrison rendered conspicuous r ecognition and tribute to him , his ability and a his personal worth and his party rank , by p o f pointing him collector the Port of Galveston, the federal office of first importan ce in Texas a n d scarcely second to the collectorship at N ew H Orleans in the whole South . is high standing at home— the best test of any man’s worth wa s shown by the fact that nea rly all the lead ing Democratic business men of Galveston and practically of the whole State , united in a peti tion to President Harrison endorsing h im above all other Republicans in the State for this office . His administration of th e office fully justified viii I NTROD U CT I ON ’ the Pr esiden t s high estimate o f his worth a n d ability .

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