The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-31

CRISP AND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
growth and can stand many n storm. while
the friendships of women are too often over
turned by n breeze that comes very far from
being n cyclone
There are but few men in public life who
do not follow out this common aspiration
OF their species. Here and there is one who
pursues his way alone, unblessed by the
confidence of his fellows, moody, solitary
peculiar, more or less unhappy. Such IA
one is Senator Hill. For some reason, which
no one has yet quite fathomed, the New
Yorker does not seem to be DESTROYS of
forming any warm friendships in the sen
ate chamber. Though the rule in that body
Is for every man to have one or more
chums, Mr.. Hill apparently feels quite
strong enough to get ON alone. This does
not mean that he is without friends, or that
he has no one to talk to on the floor or in
the cloakrooms. But, so far as can be dis
covered, his friends are more or less distant
friends. In all the lot there is not one close,
confidential companion of David Bennett
HILL
Senator PETERS, Chum.
Senator PETER is another who seems able
to get along without male coniidant Mr.
PETER is gloomy and peculiar so far as out
ward appearances CO. but he has an init
mate friend, one that sticketh closer than
brother 1t is Mrs. PETER She and the
long whiskered statesman from Kansas are
lnseparable She serves rs his private sec
retnry. When he is in his committee room,
she is with him. When he is on the floor,
she waits for him outside When the lunch
con hour comes, they lunch together They
are companions on their way to and from
the capitol and during many leisurcly, aim
less walks about the city No scene on.
the streets of Washington is more com
mon than that of Senator and Mrs. PETER
walking slowly along-he with big, dark
goggles over his dark eyes, and she nimble
and active, apparently serving in the Gu
pacity OF mentor, friend and guide.
Another senator whose wife is his chum
is the venerable Mr.. Palmer of Illinois.
Senator Palmer was about 20 years old
when he married Mrs. Hannah Kimball of
Springfield, Ills 1t has proved happy
MATCH despite the snecring of the busy
bodies. Mr.. Palmer is n giant almost in
size, while Mrs. Palmer is little bit of a
woman, but full of life and energy and IN
invaluable assistant to him in all his work.
She accompanies him nearly everywhere
he goes. Almost any day she may be seen
at the capitol lunching with her husband
or helping him with his work in his com
mlttee room. She says she has to 20 along
to take care of the old senator, but he
laughingly retorts that she has not rs vet
become accustomed to life in big city and
dare not trust herself out of his sight amid
SO many temptations in such Il wicked CITY
as Washington.
Old Time Friendships.
Even presidents feel the need of having
near and comfortable friends General
Hayes had for his intimatcs while in the
White House Secretary Sherman, William
Mckinley and General Henry c.. Corbn,
now the assistant adjutant general of the
army Hayes was always fond Of McI[in-
ley, ana not little of that Gentleman's
rapid rise in the political world has been at
tributed to the help which President Hayes
gave him. General Arthur's chuin was SEN
ator Jones of Nevada. 1t was to Jones'
house on Capitol hill that Arthur came
when he arrived in Washington to be pres
ldent lie and the genial Nevada man were
insepamble companions They dined drove
and sat up nights together.
President Garfield's nearest friend was
none other than James G.. Blaine an exam
pie which President Cleveland is following
in making his secretary of State his favor
lite cabinet officer Cleveland and Gresh
am are like boys together Their relations
are of the most easy going, informal sort.
1t Is currently reported that they are even
chummy enough to swear at one another ut
times, and certainly they have had enough
to swear about during the last few months.
Gresham and Carlisle are also cronies. and
the two OF them fit in pretty well together
with the president, but Gresham is obvi-
ously the favorte at the White House.
When the new cabinet came into office,
people generally expected Cleveland and
Bissell and Cleveland and Lamont would
be the crOnies. but for some reason or other
that expectation has been disappointed.
While it is still true that Dan Lamont is n
man on whose keen judgment the president
pretty heavily leans, and that Lamont can
come nearer handling the old man." MS we
often put it in Washington, with our local
irreverence for greatness born out of long
familiarity Dan and Grover are far from
being the chums they were in the old days
Gresham's Attractive Personality.
Secretary Gresham, just now generally
regarded throughout the country rs the
member Of the cabinet In the most unenvi-
able position on account of the Hawaii fias-
CO, has the rare quality of making friends
of nearly all the men with whom he comes
in contact. Even the men who most bit
terly oppose his International ideas or who
most bitterly denounced him for swapping
parties in the middle of the stream are
forced to confess that rs man they have
nothing but affection for him. He is one of
the men who appear to cast a sort of spell
about those who rub up against them.
Blaine had this quality to Il marked degree
though in a li1tlc different way
Blaine magnetized, hyppotized more men