The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-01-02

Whether Congressman Dingley, OF
Maine, will be President McI<inley's
selection for secretary Of the treasury
or not is undetermined so far as the
public information goes, but it is cer-
tain in any event that he will be one
of the foremost leaders of Republican
thought and action during the new ad-
ministration. This furnishes ample eX-
cuse for reproducing Walter Wellman's
excellent sketch of his career, which
appeared originally in the Chicago
Times Herald. Mr.. Wellman, it will be
noticed assumes that Dingley will re-
ceiVe the treasury portfolio.
1t cannot be honestly claimed he
writes, that Mr.. Dngley has a sobri-
quet, but he deserves one. If ever
man merited the appellation of "old
thoroughness" it is Governor Dingley.
That is the secret of his success in life,
and it is a very plain rule which any
one may follow who cares to do so. He
is the incarnation of thorough-golng
work. AS the governor said to me to-
day, as we We're chatting about the
past and the future: 'T always want
to go to the bottom of things. The
man who does not go to the bottom has
no right to try to teach his fellow men.
Take it in the house of representatives,
for example. Some men wonder why
the house will not listen to them. 1t is
subject The house will not listen to
man who is simply skimming the sur
face of things. 1t will always listen, to
one who has gone to the bottom"
Mr.. Dngley always goes to the bot
tom. If he does a thing at all you may
depend upon it it is done right He
started out at the bottom, too. His
father was not rich man by any man
ller of means. He was trader in a
small way, and just able to send his
sons to college. The Dngleys are Eng
lish. All the Dingleys in this country
date back to q Dingley who came over
in 1888 and settled on the rocky shores
of Maine. They have been traders and
blacksmiths chiefly. There are not
many Dingleys in this country, but four
out of five of them have been behind
the counter or bending over the anvil.
AS a rule they have achieved moderate
successes in life. If they We're mer-
chants they dealt honestly and square
ly. If they We're blacksmiths they
made good jobs of their horseshoeing.
Nelson Dingley will be Go years old
when he leaves the house of represen-
tatives to become secretary of the
treasury next March. He is slight of
figure, thin of face, sharp of eye, quick
of speech He wastes little time in do
ing everything he has to do, and he
never has to go over 1t the second
time. l should say he weighs about
110 pounds. His health is not rugged.
But there is nothing serious the mat
ter with him-just little catarch, in
duced largely by his campaigning in
the open air last fall. That will wear
away in time. Some people have
thought Mr. Dingley not physically
able to stand the wear and tear of the
treasury, the office which KILLED Folgel
and Manning and Window. But my
guess is that this wiry little Yankee
will go through one administration al
least. Work that bore down hard upon
other men will be easy for him, because
he knows it all. No nights will he
have to sit up studying the various
phases of the government. All those
things he carries under his hat
There are two things Governor Ding.
ley has always had a liking for-politi-
cal economy and journalism, When he
was in Dartmouth-thatw was more than
forty years ago--he easily led his Clas:
IN economic studies. Mathematics pure
and simple he did not like. The nat
ural sciences he worked hard in anC
not to much end. But in politca
economy he was able to give the pro
fessors points. l remember hearing Mr.
Blaine tell story Of how young Ding
ley confounded a professor one day
right before the whole class on ques
tion in political economy. Dingley':
natural bent for these investigation!
was due to his logical mind, He ha'
one of the most logical minds in th'
world. 1t may not be quite as remark
able a mind as that of his predeces
sor in the treasury Mr.. Carlisle, O
whom it has heen said that ne is well
nigh infallible, but it comes very nea
1t. Mr. Dingley could not think in
circuitous, awkward, bundling way j
he We're to try. He is as natural
logician as ever lived.
"There is nothing in this world be
sides my wife and children that [ an
more fond of" said Governor Dingley
than journalism. When I was in col
lege | edited the college paper. I wa
city papers, and after a bit the editor
got in the habit Of writing to me 70
articles. Pen work came easy TO ms
Public speaking i acquired when / ha,
to, but / took to the pen as a duCl
takes to water. After | left college
studied law, and studied it thoroughly
not because / intended to practice, bu
because | knew the value OF that train
ing for the mind. i advise every youn
man who can do so to study law, n
matter whether he intends to practic
it or not. 1t is an EDUCATION in itseli
l was admitted to the bar but neve
hung out my shingle, About the frs
thing l did was to buy half interes
in the Lewiston journal, then a week
ly paper. ] was an editor tWenty-fiV
years before l came to congress. To
day when | go home during the re
cesses / find more pleasure in going In
to the editorial room ana getting on
the paper than in anything else"
During all that quarter of centur
OF newspaper making, first on week.