The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-01

| Dill. Ana on the NO0f,-ln spite Oh tne
fact that he is not a great orator. he
has held his own against all opponents
with whom he has crossed swords. OF
course. 1t is not only his sagacity and
| deXterity in the use of his arms and
ammunition. but his fine and true per-
sonal character, which gives him the
| great weight he has with ..,s colleagues
| in committee and in the house. They
| know that he is absolutely honest. in
| tellectually and morally, and they
| recognize, too, confident courage
which stands upon settled convictions.
Governor Dinsley is one of the men
| who are equally well known as Chris
| tians and as statesmen, without suifer-
| ing the slightest touch of that sugges-
! tion of reproach which the words and
deeds of some hypocrites brought upon
| the phrase Christian statesman a quar-
| ter of century ago. This Is because, of
| course. that he is n consistent Chris
| tian and therefore an upright states
| man. He was not one man when presid-
| ing over the National convention of the
| Congregationalists last summer. and
| another man when he came to Wash
| ington to take his seat in congress;
but the same true man in both places.
His Colleagues Respect Him.
There are good many men who leave
| their religion at home when they come
to congress, or shake it off after they
get here: but Governor Dingley is not
that kind of a man, and he is not only
as regular in his church duties here as
in his home in Lewiston but what is far
better, he is as faithful in his daily
living. And in his case as in every
such case his colleagues. most of them
men of the world, and not even nominal
Christians in any strict sense of the
word. pay him that tribute of respect
which his honest life eXacts. 1t Is easy
to account for the modesty, the fidelity
and the generosity which have charac-
terized Governor Dingley's congresslOn-
al career in all his dealings with the
men about him when you know what
rules his life.
Governor Dingley impresses most peo-
pie as being a very serious man and he
IL not a man of quiD and joke, nor
does he spend much time in frivolous
conversation. but he has II sense of
humor and likes funny story, If 1t Is
clean and not as broad as 1t Is long,
Just as much as anybody. But he has
grave manner as of a man who has
serious business in hand and who does
not look upon life as a jest. And doubt
less this Is another reason why men
have such confidence in him.
Governor Dingley is generally sup
posed to be a lawyer and so he Is by
education, for after he was graduated
at Dartmouth college in the class OF
1855 he studied law and was admitted
to the bar and ever since he has kent
up his legal studies while much of the
time he has been making law either In
his state legislature or In congress, or
as the governor of Maine.
lie IL n Journalist.
But his profession is journalism for
since 1856 he has been chief proprietor
and editor of the Lewiston Journal. the
Maine newspaper having the largest
circulation and perhaps the most in
nuence in the state. and through all his
political career. which began when he
was elected to the legislature in 1862, he
has kept his hand on the helm of the
journal with all the pride and interest
which. a journalist feels in his news
paper. Here in Washington he has
been a sort of editorial correspondent
for his paper, which has had the ad-
vantage of his wisdom and his infor-
nation in its discussion of public af-,
fairs. A thorough newspaper man. him.
self. he has the kindliest and most SYM
pathetic feeling for all reputable news
paper men and there is probably not one
in Washington who Is not under obliga-
tionS to him for some thoughtful and
helpful act in the line of their work. His
treasures of information are at their
command and so are his accurate and
therefore valuable views of whatever is
going on of which he has a right to
speak.
No man in the house can give a better
idea to a newspaper man of given pol
itical situation than Governor Dingley.
and naturally he is appealed to by
newspaper men on all occasions. None
of them. ! venture to say, ever ap-
pealed to him i'm vain. when it was pos
sibe for him to do what he was asked
to do. And I will also venture to say
that the respect and regard which are
felt for him by his colleagues in con-
gress are shared by his colleagues of the
press. The fact Is Governor Dingley Is
courteous and considerate in his deal
ings with everybody. and everybody, so
far as / know, has the same feeling of
regard and respect for him.
His Personal Appearance.
The governor is Of medium height,
with q scholars stoop and spare figure,
as vigorous physically as he is intel
lectually. He has well-rounded head
covered with black hair. He has
short black beard. beginning to turn
grey, and his complexion is dark, so
that strangers sometimes think he looks
like a Spanish Jew. His eye is keen and
bright and his skin as fresh as young
mans, and his fine living appears In his
countenance. His pictures, as a rule do
him gross injustice. but that is because
they fail to give his expression. which
is so pleasing. He dresses well.
Here in Washington he has lived for
years at the Hamilton house, a family
hotel on Franklin Square, where Sena-
tor and Mrs. Frye and Representative
Boutelle and his daughters and other
Maine people also live in the winter.
Mrs Dingley is here good deal Of the
time and usually some of the govern
ors children for he has several sons
and daughters.
The governor takes his recreatin in
walking briskly to and from the capitol
every day. Most of his time is spent in
hard work either at his committee
room or in the house or in his den at his
pleasant apartments. He is not So
ciety man in any sense and only goes
to dinners when he has to. But he
knows everybody of any real import
ance in Washington and is as popular
with the leaders of the Democratic
party as with the leaders Of his own
party.
President Cleveland or Secretary Car
Isle would consult him as freely and
as confidentially as they would any
other man in congress and would be as
confident of his patriotic desire to serve
his country regardless of partisan ad-
vantage as in the case of any other
public man whatever.
This is one of the many reasons which
marked him as better fitted to be chair
man of the ways and means committee
by far than any other man in the
house.
AALLSTEA