“Greater is he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city,” said the wise man. Mr. Plant has told me himself that if he learned of any one made unhappy by anything he had ever done or said, or if any misunderstanding should arise, he could not rest until all was settled to mutual satisfaction, and that, too, just as speedily as possible. “Charity for all, malice toward none,” briefly expresses the spirit, tone, and temper of this great and good man. Hence he has been saved the consuming force of friction and hatred which grind and wear out so many before their time. The young men now entering public life will find most valuable suggestion even in this brief record of a life so large, useful, and honored, through a period of our country’s history the most intense as it has been the most important since the days of the Revolution and the formation of a free and independent republic. His busy life has made him neither a recluse, a pessimist, nor a slave of the world. He has been a good deal in society--both as guest and host he has mingled freely with his fellow-men and enjoyed to the full the pleasures of friendly reciprocity. Mr. Plant’s love of music, in a man of his years and busy life, is remarkable. He says: “Music rests me, and helps me to sleep when I retire for the night, while I find it a great enjoyment in my waking hours. It is medicine to me.” Hence he is often seen spending the last hours of the day in the music room of the Tampa Bay Hotel, enjoying with the guests the delightful music rendered with such exquisite taste by the skilled orchestra. Mr. Plant is familiar with the best of the modern operas as well as with the finest classical music of the past. Among his favorites are Haydn, Handel, and Mozart. He is also fond of popular ballads and songs, such as Moore’s melodies and national patriotic songs. He says he enjoys even the hurdy-gurdy.