The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-08
WILL MIR. HOBART PREsIDEs

Four years ago Vice President
Stephenson, on assuming his Office add
ed to the more than sufficient vanity
and complacency of the senators by
assuring them of the deep sense he had
of the honor conferred upon him in
being selected as the presiding officer
of ''the most august legislative body in
the world" During his entire term Mr..
Stephenson was oYerawed by the au-
business of the senate and never rose
to the full measure of duty as a pre-
siding officer. During the long agony
of the Sherman repeal bill, while plug
less wordspouts" like Morgan, Jones
and Stewart were deluging the Record
with interminable talk, and industry
lay gasping, or, during the slaughter
ing of the house tariff BILL when Quay
was holding up the senate at the point
of his speech, covering every possible
topic, the vice president sat nerveless
and useless. 1t was within his grasp
then to have won for himself fame,
praise and possible promotion by sim
ply performing the elementary duty of
any presiding officer, by doing far less
than Speaker Reed does daily, refusing
to recognize speakers whose purpose
was dilatOry and calling to order speak
ers not addressing the subject of de-
bate.
There is note in the inaugural re-
marks Of Vice President Hobart that
was lost in the roar of the larger in
augUral, but which carries a very sig
nificant intimation that he deems the
office of vice president, with it's duties
of presiding officer Of the SEN
ate, something more than
presidential understudy and him
self more than gentleman
in waiting for an event that is very I'M
likely to happen. He said: ''It will be
my constant effort to aid you, so far
as I may, in all reasonable expedition
of the business of the senate and I
may be permitted to express the belief
that such expedition is the hope of the
country. All the interests of good gov
eminent and the advancement toward
a higher and better condition of things
call for prompt and positive legislation
at your hands. To obstruct the regular
course of wise and prudent legislation
after the fullest and freest discussion
is neither consistent with true SEN
atOrial courtesy, conducive to the well
fare of the country, nor in compliance
with it's just expectations.
True. Mr.. Hobart, in his opening, re-
tinguished of the legislative bodies of
the world" and he spoke of the "time-
honOred precedents and established ira
ditions" of that body as having con-
tributed to making it most distin-
guished;" but the precedents and tradi-
lions that are time honored are not
those of which the country has heard
so much in recent years and of which
it is so heartily sick and disguised
Coming directly from the people, with
out previous association with the men,
bers Of that august body, it is prob
able that the vice president had in
mind the presidents and traditions that
obtained before the personnel of the
senate justified that biting satire Of
Bryce that "sOme of the senators are
rich because they are senator's, and
others are senators because they are
rich" while senators felt that they
owed duties to the state and before
they had grown to regard themselves
as the state. But whatever construc-
ton may be given to the predatory re-
marks Of the wee president his further
one about the expedition of business
and the tactics Of obstruction admit Of
nc other Interpretation than that he
regards himself as commissioned by the
people to remove practices. that have
impeded and blocked legislation and
put it in the power of a few senators
to hold up the entire body in a fashion
differing not at all in spirit from the
hold-up of an Oklahoma town by a
gang of drunken cowboys. If he has
the nerve to be really and completely
the presiding officer of the senate. he
may be assured in advance of the
hearty support of all neOnle