Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-18

1nHuenI1aI man III w dSHluS tOll |
who has ever represented Wiscon-
sin in the Senate. Mr.. Sawyer
will be 70 years old when his
present term expires. No man
has ever been elected to the
United Safes Senate after attaining
that age, and Mr.. Sawyer has said
that he should decline another
election, but considering that he is
still as vigorous and bright in
body and intellect as an ordinary
man of 50, and the further fact of
his undisputed leadership and
popularity with the masses of
Wisconsin, the people can do no
better than to insist upon his
standing again.
Senator Spooner is the chair
man of the committee on claims,
which is one of the most impor-
tant of the Senate. He is second
on District of Columbia, besides
which he occupies place on sew
eral other important committees,
and he is no idler on any of them.
Col. Spooner's strength lies in his
brilliant oratory and legal ability.
Even the big legal luminaries of
the Senate = Evarts, Hoar, Ed
munds and others-alread concede
him 20 he one Of the ablest lawyers
in the country. He early demon
strated his ability in mere routine
debate, and in deliberately finished
addresses he hardly has a superior
in the Senate. Both as lawyer
and speaker he stands on the
plane of Matt Carpenter. At his
age-one 46-he has a great start
in public life. With his polished
education, vigorous and active
habits, coupled with his impressive
style, wide range of information,
massive intellect and pure abstem-
ious life, Senator Spooner can
hardly fall short of leadership in
the Senate and in the country
within the next few years. Time,
with no unforeseen accidents, will
as naturally work this end as the
warmth of summer will produce
vegetation Of the foliage Of the
forest. He is not only able, but
patient and judicious. He has
already won the respect-even the
admiration-of the leading men
Of the Senate, as we'll as the read
ing and thinking men of the
country. Only four years in the
Senate, he is already an important
national figure and must, in the
nature of things, grow rapidly
His reelection to the Senate two
years hence, now practically as
sured, will give him fresh impe-
tus in official circles at Washing
ton and strengthen his hands for
effective work both in the legisla-
tive and political fields. Mr..
Spooner has in his character the
elements Of broad-gauged states
manship, and l think that undoubt-
edly he will eventually enroll his
name on the scroll Of fame among
those of great men who
have gone before but have
left their impress for good upon
the laws and institutions of our
country.
"He is ambitious, but fair and
generous in his abition-feeling
that he can succeed without
tramping upon the honorable
aspirations of others. The repub-
licans of Wisconsin never made a
better choice than when they sent
John c. Spooner to the Senate, nor
one that promises more brilliant
and satisfactory or gratifying out
come. There is but one thing
that can in any way interfere with
Senator Spooners political pros
perity, and that is the distribution
Of patronage. Patronage is like
two-edged sword-very likely to
cut both ways. Few men know
how to handle it, and wrongly
handled does one infinitely more
harm than good. Senator Howe
would have been elected a Senator
the fourth time had it not been for
few serious mistakes he made in
the distribution of patronage. Let
us hope that our young Senator,
of whom we are all SO proud, will
not make this mistake. "-Wausau