The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-17
GOVERNOR DINCLEY
His Ability as Legislator Receiving
Som, Recognition.
A LONG PUBLIC SERVICE
Best Posted Man i'm the House on
Finance and the Tariff. as Well
as a General Legislator
He Is Journalist.

krrnor of Maine 20 years ago, IS fecos-
nized here as the ablest man III the
house after Speaker Reed. and as hav-
sng more inflammation about pubic
questions and the facts behind them
especially those of finance, mciudlnS
THE tanlff, Than abe speaker hlInseli'
says Henry Mcfarland On bhe Philadel-
plia Inquirer.
If Governor Dsngley had had the
presence and the voice of Serano T.
Payne he would have been known even
TO the New York newspapers as great
man. for ~ he had ni-it been a preSidSn-
teal candidate III would only have been
because ne lived I'm the state of Maine,
and would have TO waft first for Blame
and dhen for Reed.
Perhaps / ought to have said ait the
beginning that Governor Dsng,ey Is one
of the most modest Of men ana thas
might have prevented him from becom-
ing a presidential possibility, unless
like some other mon. he had gotten
with presence and voice foithputt.ng
and giasping ways
ThSs ma1as,y of his is one of the rea-
sons why he Us not as well appreciated
by THE country generally as by MS COL
leagues in congress and mis- meighpors
Gan New England. He is the last man IN
khe house 20 do SNOWY Things. lie aeN-
er played TO the galleries or talked
for "buncombe," and on the contrary he
has sat quietly by while obher men dld
81 On intellectual capital which they
borrowed from him without interest
and w.hhOut nope Of repaym emit
He never speaks except for the puf-
pose Of Informing or persuad4ng the
hcuse and only at what Inc regards as
the command of duty. But as he SINS
dn his seat or i'm his study at mis- hotel
his colleagues viii come to NAM lot
ideas and for Information which they
need for use in debate or In speech
making, so that If all the speeches ne
has thus made by proxy were pficeu
ITO his account ii would be found thar
he was the most prolific man in con-
gress.
HIS REMARKABLE MEMORY.
The generosity with which he has
thus distributed to THE necessities OF his
colleagues is as dhanacteqist4c or nam
ais his modesity. OF course, ne gives
out of abundance, for remark aple
dnemory rs one of the distinguishing
features of his remarkable mind, ana
THE fruits of MS Wide reading ana OBJ
servadaon with all THE facts whIdh nave
been brought before him I'm commIutee
and in the house during the 10 years
he has been i'm congress Tile IN proper
order in his meneal pigeon holes af1d
are produced on demand.
You hear OF walking encyclopedias
every now and then, but l must say
that ] never met one. However, Gov
ermor Dingley comes as near TO being u
walkfng enclycloPedla of all political
and financial subjects as any man in
public life. and II he was bound IN cloth
and on the shelves of a free public IL
brary the information thait he carries
about with him could not be more ac-
cessJhae to the man who needs N. The
best Thing about 5t lis THAT III is accessl-
BILE to himself and so to everyone who
asks him.
He has not accumulated this wealth
without great industry. for no rapid
uransgt To real knowledge HAS yet been
discovered He is AN Gndefatigable. dill
igent and constant student OF books,
affairs and facts of all sorts, including
men. and as fresh and keen i'm such in
quiry as IL ne We're 80 INSTEAD or b3.
He knows how TO use his knowledge eff
fecttlvely too for ne Is shrewd. level
headed and far-seeing, quick 10 see his
opportunity and equally quick 10 I'M
prove 1t.
HIS SHORT RANGE DEBATE.
In committee. and especially in the
ways and means committee, though II
would be only less TRUE i'm The comlnf-
tee on appropriations and quite as true
in rhe committee on banking and cur
rency, he has had no equal i'm recent
years in the debate at short range.
which goes en- Tn conversational way
during the private consideration of a
hill And on the floor. in spite OF the
fact that he is not a great orator he has
held his own against all opponents with
whom he has crossed swords. OF
cDufSt, II lS not Only MS infihutA bNfi :
and requirements. his SagaC1ty and
deNtefNy in the use Of his arms and
ammunl;ion, but This fine and true per-
sCral character which gives him the
great weight he has with his colleagues
in committee and in the house. They
know THAT he rs absolutely honest, in
tellectually and morally. and they rec
ognize. too. "A confident comage which
stands upon settled convictions.
Governor Ding.ey IS one OF the mer
who are equally we'll known as Chris
rians and a S Statesmen, without suffer
ing the slightest touch OF that sugges-
gion Of reproach which the words and
deeds Of some hypocrites brought upor
the phrase Christian statesman a quar-
ter Of "a century ago. This is because
of course, that ne is consistent Chris
titan. and therefore am upright states
man. He was not one man when pre-
siding over the national convention q
the Congregattonalists last summer
and another man when he came L
Washington TO take his seat in con
gress last month; but the same true
man in both places.
COLLEAGUES RESPECT HIM
There are a good many men wis
leave their religion at home when the,
come TO congress. or shake II off afte'
they get here; butt Governor Dingley
mot that kind of a man. and he Is no
only as regular an his church dutie
here as In his home in Lewiston. bu
uiliat - far better. ne Is as faithful II
MS daily living. And in his case as y
every such case his colleagues. most o
chem men OF the world. and not eve
nominal Christians IN any strict sens
of the word. pay him that tribute u
respect which his honest aife exaots. |
Is easy 10 account for the modests
the fidelity and the generosity whic'
nave characterized Governor Dingley'
congressional career in all his dealing
with tine men about him when yo
know what rules his life.
Governor Dingley impresSes mos
Tss.ople as being very serious man an
ne is not a man OF quip and joke, no
dos ne spend much time i'm frivoaou
conversation. but ne has a sense Of hu
NOR and 3ikes funny STORY, II IL
clean and not as broad as IL is Ions