Ransdell
JOSEPH EUGENE, United States Senator from Louisiana; born in Alexandria, La., in 1858. He received his education at Union College 1861); "English History" (1859-1867); and "German History from the Reformation to the Thirty Years' War" (1869). Later periods and special periods of German history are treated of in books on the "Origin of the Seven Years War" (2d ed. 1874); the "German Powers and the Confederation" (1871); the "History of Germany and France in the 19th Century" (1887), and monographs on Wallenstein (1869), Frederick the Great and Frederick William IV. (1878). To the above must be added a book on the revolutionary wars of 1791 and 1792 (1875), another on Venetian history (1878), and "The Universal History," of whose nine volumes (1881-1888) he lived to see only seven published. This last work, which is the copestone of Ranke's historical labors, was begun when he was an old man of 82; yet at that great age he kept two schooled historical assistants busy, studied critically the Greek and other sources, dictated and worked 8 to 10 hours a day, and published one volume a year regularly, till he died, May 23, 1886, having rested from his beloved work only a few short days. Even his long life he was over 90 when he died-would hardly have sufficed for the thorough works he accomplished had he not been a man of unwearied industry, with marvelous a a memory, and judgment as to the value of historical material. His style is not brilliant, yet swift and intuitive sufficiently clear and interesting. He always wrote from the standpoint of one who had the whole history of the world before his mind's eye. This and his skill in the portraiture of historical sonages often lend the deepest interest to his narratives. His point of view was, however, that of the statesman; and he fails to give due prominence to the social and popular sides of national development. Ranke married an Irish lady in 1843, and was ennobled in 1865. He continued to lecture till 1872. His lectures exercised a great influence upon those who sat at his feet to learn, as is in New York State. In 1883 he was admitted to the bar in Louisiana, and practiced law until his election as a Democrat to the National House of Representatives in 1899. He represented his district in Congress 13 years until he was elected to the Se Senate, to which body he was re-elected in 1918. Senator Ransdell vigorously opposed the Underwood- Simmons Tariff bill as he considered it unfair to the sugar interests of his State.
He was also active in furthering the interests of an American Merchant Marine and for improved waterways.