tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509936580124509957.post6332265024950278489..comments2023-08-14T02:23:39.385-07:00Comments on Great Lives In History: June 30: “When there is no hope tell the man so.”Mike Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07272554710959757226noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-509936580124509957.post-90262891576103577782009-07-04T09:49:39.427-07:002009-07-04T09:49:39.427-07:00Wheeler deserves a place on the list of people who...Wheeler deserves a place on the list of people who have led a “Great Life in History.” Thanks for writing such a nice piece about him. I began to take an interest in the man when I lived in Malone, NY, his hometown, and was president of the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society. One of my duties was to give a speech about him at his graveside as part of the Society’s celebration of his birthday every June 30th. After moving to Long Island having given three birthday speeches, I began to do more extensive research on his life with the goal of writing his biography – my attempt to save him from the dustbin of history. <br /><br /> As you have pointed out, one of the most admirable things about Wheeler was his “exemplary honesty” at a time when graft and corruption at all levels of public life ran rampant. Another admirable aspect of Wheeler’s character was his moral courage. In his foreword to the inaugural edition of John F. Kennedy’s book, Profiles in Courage, the well-known American historian and biographer, Allan Nevins, used the following incident involving Wheeler to illustrate the meaning of courageous integrity. At the time of this exchange, Wheeler was a rising political figure on the New York and national political stage and Roscoe Conkling was a U. S. Senator and the formidable Republican party boss in New York. According to Nevins, Conkling said, “Wheeler, if you will act with us, there is nothing in the gift of the State of New York to which you may not reasonably aspire.” Wheeler replied, “Mr. Conkling, there is nothing in the gift of the State of New York which will compensate me for the forfeiture of my self-respect.”Herb Hnoreply@blogger.com