The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-14
Two Theories For the Senator s
Peculiar Activity.
SENATOR HoAR's JEST
Sherman Doesn't Want to Give
Grover a Chance.
TO MAKE ELECTION THUNDER
Chairman Hit, of the Foreign Affairs
Committee, Was for Many Years
President Lincoln's Official
C4nrn0ranhnr
Stenographe'


cial-There are two theories at least
on which the peculiar activity of Sena-
tor Sherman ON the Cuban question
may be accounted for.
First, he has way, to those who
have studied the quality and the atmos-
phere of the man, of hiding small polit-
teal cunning under large sincerity OF
appearance and of utterance.
Senator Hoar sits side by side with
Senator Sherman, and the two are of
one mind and one temperament on most
things pertaining to this country.
Therefore the utteranee of Mr.. Hoar
in his speech on the Cuban resolution
on Wednesday must be taken as a pltla-
bly, true thing spoken in jest
Turning to Mr.. Sherman just at his
right, and, one might say, addressing
him, Mr.. Hoar, to the great amusement
of the whole Senate, a slight smile hay
ing swept across the cold face even of
the Senator of Ohio, Mr.. Hoar said:
II have sometimes say it with all
friendliness-been inclined to think
that when you saw uncommon activity
in our grave, reverend, and somewhat
sleepy committee on Foreign Relations,
and my honorable friend, the Senator
from Ohio. come into the Senate in a
state of extraordinary excitement, in
terrupting everybody else who tried
TO make a speech, it was circnmstantlal
evidence, not that there was any great
trouble as to our foreign relations,
but that presidential election was at
hand Qaughter).
Now, Mr.. President, do not think
this thing ought to be done, unless 1T
is to be done. This thing is not to be
done. Nobody proposes to do 1t. 1t Is
put into this form concurrent resolu-
tion) in order to avoid doing it and
not to do it, and that is all there is OF
it.
1T does not, as I said, bind any Con-
gress, present or future. 1t does not
bind the President, and it does not bind
the people < There is nothing in
the resolution but snare and delu-
sion, both to Cuban insurgents and to
that class of our citizens who sympa-
thize with them and wish to trade with
them. Is not that SO, my honorable
friend from Ohio? lis there any doubt
about that legal propositions"
Could the sincerity of Sherman be
laid bare to better purpose, than by
this thrust from old man Hoar, who is
as wicked as he, who knows him and
his methods through the years.
And yet Mr.. Hoar says Mr.. Sherman
has lent the force of his personality to
this resolution because a presidential
election is near.
This may as well be accepted as the
truth from now on. Else Mr.. Sherman
might have used his influence toward
a joint resolution in which the Presi-
dent would have been able to partici-
pate. And it is now generally believed
that the President would gladly em-
brace the opportunity TO sign joint
resolution. But Mr.. Sherman proposes
to give him no such vantage ground.
On the contrary, he proposes that the
Republican party, without risk to itself,
shall go to the country with the eclat,
false though it be, coming from &.
meaningless concurrent resolution. This
is evidently the game of the man from
Ohio. who seemingly never has any
great thing unmixed with the foxiness
Of his own methods.
As to his speech yesterday, it came to
the observant ones almost as a pathetic
shock. MIR. Sherman always stumbles
in speech, and is frequently at a loss
for the right word. Yesterday, how
ever, there were some pauses that sug
gested a pitiful change in the man.
His inconsequence OF thought, and
sloyeniiness of arrangement sometimes
silently startled those about him, VINO
felt the strange falling off of his power.
After he was through, he walked feebly
back and sat down by Senator Wilson.
His speech will do little else beyond at
tracing attention to the somewhat
sensational fact that mentally John
Sherman, the giant of other days, is
done for.
As to Cleveland, it is now the talk
that he is anxious 10 have a joint reso-
luton polxed at him for signature. On
the contrary, Mr.. Olney, it is said, en-
tertains about the same views as those
expressed by Senator Hoar against the
resolution, and, therefore, Mr.. Cleye-
land was quick to clear his skirts by a
public statement of his disagreement
with the Olney school of thought.
Out of this Cuban alla-podrida comes
a figure more or less interesting. 1T
is no less than that of r. r. Hit, chair
man of the committee on Foreign AT
fairs Mr.. Hit has been a member of
the House from Illinois for fourteen
years and he is now 62 years of age.
There is good deal to say about Mr..
HIT that does not appear in the regula-
ton biography. He is the chairman
of the Foreign Affairs committee, and
one naturally looks to the steps by
which he climbed to this eminence.
And in searching into the recesses OF
the mans life, it is astonishing to note
that his superstructure is built upon
q whim he took once TO learn steno-
graphy. lie belongs 10 that class Oh
men who advance rather parasitically
by the aid of big men with whom they
happen to be associated, than by reason
Of native force. Hit was dragged NJ
by Lincoln, Oliver r. Morton, Ministers
Hayes and Washburne and President
Garfield. So he gradually got TO tht
front.
He took notion when young mar
to learn stenography, and though borr
in Ohio, he afterwards went to Illinois
He met Lincoln, and reported hi