The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-03-09
LIVE ON THE LEAVINCS.
A Secret of High Life In Wash
ington City.
BANQUETS DO DOUBLE DUTY.
Senator White to Retire From Public Life
For Financial Reasons-Many Statesmen
Who Live Beyond Their Means-Ex-Pres-
ident Harrison Solves an Old Problem.

ident Harrison Solves an Old Problem.
WASHINGTON, March Especial. l-One
OF the ablest and most interesting men in
the senate, Mr.. White of California, has
announced his intention to retire from
congress and take up the practice of law.
Mr.. White frankly says he cannot afford to
remain in the senate. He has a little
property, but not enough to insure an easy
old age and provision for his family, and
he thinks it his duty to give up the honor
of senatorial career TO go at the task of
accommodating an independence. Senator
White is not the only man in public life
here who feels tempted to surrender the
delights of a career in congress or in high
Office on account of the income question.
L could name score of public men who
are living beyond their incomes who are
making sacrifices of no mean measure in
order To cater TO their ambition. 1t costs
money to live in the national capital, to
wear good clothes, live in a fine house,
koepa carriage, hire "a number of servants,
give dinners and keep up with the process
| sion. The salary men get as senator, rep
resentatiye or as executive officer of the
government does not compensate many of
them for their outlay.
servant of n well known public man, one
who has "a fame that extends to every part
of the country ana whose family lives in
such good style that no one would suspect
| the question of how to make both ends
meet ever bothered that household, talk
| ing about the affairs of her employers.
| The colored woman, in her quaint way
said:
BLESS you, they's fine folks, they Is,
but they's this kind o. folks: They give
| grand doins enc day, entertainin their
friends, an de mex day they live on de
leavin's o. de feast"
Senator White Will BE Missed.
Living on the leavings of the spread
given for styles sake Is not an uncommon
thing in many Washington houses. Sena-
tor White Is bold enough to make the break
away from such conditions. He says he is
now In his prime. If he is ever going to
earn q lot of money at his profession, he will
have to get at 1t before he gets old. He
will be missed from the senate, where he Is
very popular man. He has rollicking
humor, way of saying witty and sharp
things, an awkward habit of asking the
very question fellow doesn't want ask
ed, and then, after he has foOred his man,
he will go around and sit down beside him
! and tell him no harm was meant and that
it was all a mere bit of pleasantly. There
is no bitterness in his sallies, and the men
who have suffered most from his caustic
| wit like him best.
| Senator White is really one of the intel
lectual men of the upper branch. He is of
| an active temperament. 1t Is impossible
( for him to be still or idle. His busy brain
must have employment every waking mo-
mentg And how do you suppose he rests
I hmselfy After a hard day at the capitol,
\ in committee meeting or Oh the noor, he
goes home. gets his dinner, plays awhile
with his children, and then reads Greek
comedies till midnight or later. He has "a
| passion for the wit and humor and imagi-
| nation of the ancients. Aristophanes will
| keep him up till all hours. In his library
he keeps bookcase at hand in which
nothing but works in Greek are stored,
| and they are well thumbed. Speaker Reed
is another public man who Is exceedingly
| fond of the classics and of foreign Ian
guages. The speaker loves to read Italian
and French romances and now he is tax
ing up Spanish literature. Once in awhile
he slips over to the senate chamber and
has "a quiet little talk with Senator White.
Observers imagine politics or foreign ques-
tions are on tap but actually Reed wants
White to give him tips on Spanish litera-
ture and perhaps some information about
| Spanish idioms. Mr. White is well up in
Spanish language and literature On his
mothers side he is of Spanish descent.
Speaking about sitting up till all hours
of the night reminds me that there is IA
famous man in Washington who says he
has not been to bed before o'clock in the
morning for ID years. He is Professor
| Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of
the telephone Mr.. Bell is not compelled
TO sit up so late. No tasks demand his un-
| remitting attention. But he loves to have
| those four or five hours of perfect quiet,
after every one else is off to bed, for study
in his library and for experiments in his
laboratory That is what l call making
something of life.
What to Do With Ex-Presidents.
The old question of what to do with ex-
presidents seems TO be pretty well soN cd
| i'm the case of former President Harrison.
| General Harrison was in Washington not
long ago with his family, and his friends
/ saw they have never seen u more perfectly
contented man nor one who appeared to
enjoy life better. The famous Indianian
has seemingly renewed his youth. He Is
much more like boy than he was when
here as senator or later as president. That
austere manner which marked him in
those years has disappeared. He has mel
lowed and warmed into most delightful
friend and companion.
I met General Harrison at dinner one
night and the subject of bosses and boss
ism came up for discussion.
81 have never believed In one man rule
in a party, said the former president. II
may say with the utmost frankness that
during all the years in which 1t was gen.
orally supposed was the head of the Re-
publican party in my state never as
sumed to dictate what nominations were
TO be made in state or congressional con-
yentions. All such things / left to the
people themselves without the slightest at
tempt to dictate or advise on my part. Oh
course In every state political party
must have leader, but do not believe
in the sort of leadership which rules ev-
erybody and everything, which takes oom-
plete control of all the affairs OF the party,
sets up and knocks down men at Will and
leaves nothing whatever to the voters and