Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-21
TOO MUCHDEAD WOOD.
The Senate Is Loaded Down With
Men Too Old to Be of ANY Use.
SIXTY YEARS SEEMS THE LIMIT.
Treatment Senator Sherman Received at
the Ohio Convention
TAKEN TO MEAN HIS RETIREMENT
(FRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENCE

WASHINGTON, June 20.-The treatment
of Senator Sherman at the Ohio convention
of this week was Indifferent almost to
shabbiness. The little applause he received
was very gingerly given, and the small com
pliment thrown to him by Ex-Governor
Foraker and that other one in the platform
were plainly mere matters of form. These
and other facts connected with the candi-
dacy of Senator Sherman lead to the almost
general prediction here that the Ohio states
man will not be returned to the Senate.
He is growing too old for active work,
they say. He is not in touch with the
progress of public thought, especially on
questions of social economy. He lives in
the past, and that is the most Objectionable
kind of conservatism in a country that is
moving in economical matters with the
speed of ours. And, worse than all, he Is
believed to be in hearty accord with the am
bitions of Wall street, and opposed to any
policy that will make money plenty and
cheap for the use aud profit of the people.
Sherman Isn't a Bit Frightened.
Well, this may all be true The predic-
ton of the defeat of Mr.. Sherman may also
be made good. That Mr.. Sherman does not
think so is quite evident, however. He is
preparing for a continued stay in Washing
ton, even to the extent of building greater
house than he has ever had before, that he
may entertain as BELTS great
and wealthy Senator. He has al
ways given among the most elegant and
select banquets of any of the gentlemen in
public life. He has lived in fine old
-, II -, h.
able section, but he now must needs pull
down and build greater, to keep pace with
the growth of luxury in entertainments if
not with the growth of economical thought. |
Not forgetting for moment the great |
work done in Cabinet and in Senate in |
other years, and leaving out Of the question |
his alleged ultra conservatism and SYM |
pathy with the capitalist side of every |
question, there are many of the opinion |
that the Senate and the country would be !
greatly benefited, not only by the retire |
ment of Sherman, but of many other "moss- |
backs" as they are vulgularly called, Of |
the Upper House of the national legisla- |
ture. There is
A Cry for Younger Blood.
There is demand for men who are quick |
of thought and action, who have their name |
TO make, instead of the fossils who have |
made all the reputation they can, who live !
on and in their past, and who linger in the |
Senate because their vanity clings to the |
conviction that by long possession and ex- |
perienee they have a real ownership of the |
office they hold. Edmunds, of Vermont, re-
tired voluntarily when he felt that he could
no longer do his duty to himself or his State
But Morrill,, of the same State, who is up
wards of u years old, and incapable of even
ro nf rutth
vigor which is manifested in nothing else
that he does.
1t is the history Of the Senate that after a
Senator passes his Goth year he rapidly fails
as worker There are few exceptions. 1t
is also curious fact that as a Senator nears
the age of the lean and slippered pantaloon
be grows more and more anxious to talk if
be has been something of an orator in other
1ays, and though he is usually only garru-
Ious and verbose, he seems to imagine that
On account Of his very age his lips distill
wisdom as they never did before. His
hearers are not usually lacking in the re-
,pect that is always due to honorable old
age, but they cannot help exclaiming under
heir breath as they listen to long drawn
,ut and pointless speech, "These tedious old
'ools''
Some Who Are Over Sixty.
Morgan, of Alabama, Is bf, and his col
eague, Pugh, is II, and two more tiresome
peakers could hardly be found. Of useful
legislative work there is none in them
rhey exist apparently only to bore the
Senate with interminable speeches and fool
way the time that belongs to the people
Stanford, of California, is 67, and is of no
lse whatever to the Senate or to the coun-
ry, except as a "horrible example" of the
,ewer of money bags to say nothing of the
Methods by which the money bags were
llled. Teller, of Colorado, has grown so
rusty since he passed his Goth year that
here is no living with him, and his col
eague, Wolcott, who is only 4S, furnishes a
effeshing contrast with his genial manner,
lis practical views of things, his capacity
or hard work, his few speeches, and those
rief and to the point. Platt and Hawley,
f Connecticut, are "a and IS respectively,
ut they have maintained their youthful
igor wonderful and in usefulness are
mong the rare exceptions to the go years
ule.
Old Joe Brown was over 20, when he
ropped out from sheer inability to keep
ither his legs or his mouth going longer,
nd Colquitt, the other Georgian, is prac-
ically laid on the shelf at 81. Cullom, of ]
illinois, is only 62, and has lot of Western ,
irility in him yet, and his ambition to bel