The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-04-11
SHAPING DESHNBS.
SENATOR PROcToR's INFLUENCE.


but Whose Power IL Grest-Assistsnt
Secretary Roosevelt m Appetite Of Wsr.
Alger's Able Lieutenants.
WASHINGTON. April 1i.--[Speoiai. lin |
the opinion Of veteran residents OF WASH
iDgton and observers Of national affairs
the speech of Senator Proctor, delivered
In the senate chamber few weeks ago, |
exerted q greater influence upon the his
tory of the United States and the world |
than any speech spoken In the American |
congress since the early days of the civil |
war and the agitation which led to 1t. In |
commenting upon this speech member |
of the cabinet said to me:
"But for the speech of Senator Proctor |
IL Is impossible to believe that what has |
followed would have followed. / have |
been In public life or keen observer OF |
public affairs for nearly 30 years. and
have never known a speech to produce the
sensation among our people that this
speech of Mr.. Proctors produced. From
the moment he described his visit to Cuba
and gave his conclusions as to conditions
and prospects there not doubt has existed
in any ones mind that Cuba was to be
free. Senator Proctor Is not an orator.
He Is plain man of business. There was
no art In his story, save the art OF SIM
plicity. But he has the satisfaction or
knowing that 1t was he who stirred the
American congress and the American peo-
pie as they had never been stirred before
ON this Cuban question or on any other
since the early days Of the rebellion. AS
member of the cabinet / can testify that
we never thought the Cuban question was
going to get beyond the range of diplo-
"A
and then we quickly realized that nothing
could stop it."
Influential Men.
This tribute to Senator Proctor's infiu-
ence upon current affairs has reminded
me of the fact that in Washington 1t Is
not always the man who talks the most
who has the most actual influence. A
good example of this is found In the case
of Senator Mcmillan of Michigan. have
never known him to make speech on the
floor of the senate, yet there are few men
In that body possessed of moro genuine in
fluence. He is looked up to by all the SEN
ators as wise counselor, as a man OF al
most faultless Judgment and as one whose
advice may be safely followed In all things.
| His modesty and his disinterestedness are
equal to his practical sense, and in his
| quiet way he Yields great influence In the
| upper branch of congress.
Another man who rarely makes q
speech, but who is pretty sure to be con-
suited before anything is done of great i'm
portance, Is Senator Quay of Pennsylva-
MIA. Quay's ''long head" is proverbial In
\ Washington. He Is the man who knows
things, and there are plenty of more snowy
men, men who make brilliant speeches
| and all that sort of thing and who are
therefore able to occupy more Of the public
| attention, who are glad to slip around to
see Mat Quay and get some solid, sound
advice before taking an important step.
| Still another man whose influence In
| quiet way in the senate Is very great, with
out any speecbmaking or aggressiveness
! on his part, is Senator Wetmore OF Rhode
| Island. MIR. Wetmore has never been heard
from on the floor save when he responded
to his name on roll call or introduced a
bill or petition from his constituents. But
90 into the cloakrooms, where senatorial
policies are formulated, where senators sit
about and talk with one another and grad
ually reach conclusion as to what ought
to be done about any given matter, and II
will be discovered that Mr.. Wetmore's
Judgment is valued on account OF his bust
ness training and his cool, calm way Of
looking at public questions.
An Apostle of War.
Throughout all the Cuban excitement
there has been one official in Washington
who has never wavered in his desire for Q
chance to teach Spain wholesome lesson
In the decencies of government and neigh
borliness This man Is Theodore Roose
Welt, assistant secretary of the navy. Mr
Roosevelt has been an apostle of war no.
/ 1.rrt har N N
regarded 1t as we'll nigh inevitable, as TIT
only way to solve the Cuban problem, ant
because he wanted to get at the job ant
. have done with It before Spain could pre-
mare to offer a stubborn resistance. Mr.
!, Roosevelt has become somewhat noted II
, Washington as war man, and has beer
criticised on account Of his boldness ant
, intensity. But here Is something hear'
| a member of the cabinet say about Mr.
, Roosevelt the other day:
"When the historian Of our times come
! to write the story Of the last few month
> in the United States, he will be glad T.
= give big chapter to the services OF Theo
! dore Roosevelt. No other man In the Unit
ed States government has done more 10
his country than he. 1t was Mr.. Roosevelt
who insisted at an early date that on
: naval ships should be called home fror
! foreign stations, SO that they could
made ready for an emergency near on
3 own coast lines 1t was he who insiste
, that our whole navy should be overhauled
, that moro powder should be ordered, tina
: new men should be enlisted, that old oral
should be fitted out for active service. Bu
for him this country would not be In tn
: condition for war 1t Is today.
~ A Thorough Yankee.
2 "Mr. Roosevelt is thorough Amel
: ican," continued this member OF Pres
i dent Mckinley 9 cabinet. "He Is Yanke
d through and through, and he Is ne
{ ashamed of 1t. He has done wonders J
8 the navy department, and the countr
!. owes him debt Of gratitude. He ht
e worked early and late, has put into b
a task of organizing for war all the femarl
a able energy and administrative ability Il
4 which he is noted. He has been Oblivion
. to criticism and to sneers, but has kept
= at his task. 1t was blessing we had sue
: a man in the navy department durin
- these times, and I know that Presider
!, Mckinley feels that way about IL.