PRACTICAL ARBORICULTURE 453 



BENJAMIN HARRISON, 

 Twenty-third President of the United States. 



We are privileged to present our readers with an excellent portrait of 

 General Harrison, who was a firm advocate of arboriculture. It was through 

 the substantial aid, words of encouragement, and constant friendship of Sena- 

 tor Harrison, a quarter of a century ago, that the author was enabled to pur- 

 sue the study of American forests and lay the foundation of the work in which 

 he is now engaged. His death occurred March 13, 1901. 



As president of the United States, Mr. Harrison was foremost in advo- 

 cacy of forest perpetuation. Several large reservations of forest lands were 

 selected by him and withdrawn from public sale. Upon the organization of 

 the International Society of Arboriculture, the ex-president was first to join 

 it and give us encouragement in our work. 



Benjamin Harrison was a great and useful citizen. His career was a tri- 

 umph of intellectual industry, inspired by the best and highest ideals of rugged 

 honesty. He was a patriot rather than a partisan. For his country he periled 

 everything cheerfully, jeopardizing life in the defense of the union, the con- 

 stitution and the flag. But for his party he never gave up a single conviction 

 nor surrendered his manly right to think upon and conclusively determine for 

 himself those constitutional questions involving the welfare of the republic. 

 He was not popular with partisan politicians, who pursue public callings for 

 pay and prominence. Mr. Harrison was, however, esteemed as a safe lawyer 

 and an honest and patriotic public servant by the thinking citizens of all the 

 States of the Union. His influence was for good. His life made those who 

 knew him and were influenced by him better than they might have been with- 

 out his example. His robust integrity, his defiant courage in the discharge of 

 duty and his fidelity to what he believed the best interests of the country, 

 make him a model for all American youth who wish to be honest citizens and 

 serve their fellows with fidelity and efficiency. 



