The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-01-14

copErrssIoNal career the country was
| disturbed on the question Of the cNtrn.
sion or charters Ot the nntIonul bnui
association. lie Immediately Identified
himself with u hill FOR the extension ns
inc charters NJ the banks mud In tho
race OF much opposition helped fght the
Dill throuSh. The opposition to the re.
sumption nt specie payments had not
ocen dlasiratcd and Mr.. pInGlry had uu
small part In hefriendlng The govern
ment In Its policy.
But II In difficult to name any import-
ant legislation IN Congress OF the last
iiiteen years with which he was not
Identified. His first speech In COnErrRS
wRs made April %. 1857, on Protection
to American shipping" While he had
been active In financial matters he was
thoroughly Informed on shipping, hav-
inE Come from state with large ship
ping interests. II was through his In
fuence that select committee Oh sbIp
owners AMI ship interests waa created
In tho house, He wan at tho head VI
the minority Of that commltirr. whose
successor had been the present useful
chairman n the committee on merchant
marine Hnl iishnrirs
In the Fnrly-cighIh, Forty-nInth and
FifllCth Congresses there wus great
] deal Of agitation In favor Of suhsilizlnE
American ships 10 carry the mails. Mr.
DtnEley WAS hearty champion VI this,
! and framed the hill which finally he.
| cnme II law, paying to American ships
OF certain register and gpCch u c0rlprn.
snuon FOR TRANSPORTING American malls
IN the Flfty-tirst Congress- he WAS
given membership by Speaker Reed,
whose right arm he has been In recent
ycnrs. on the ways and means COM
mlttCc. When the political wheel turn
cd In the Fifty-sccOnd Congress and the
Democrats succeeded to power, Speaker
Crisp felt that he must name Mr. Reed
10 tho committee on wnyR and means.
MIR. DiHglcy was accordingly transrcr-
rcd to the minority Of the committee oil
appropriations. lie made himself
very valuable man there. serving In the
position for four years and displaying n
knowledge Of appropriations hardly sur
passed by any OF the older members.
Mckinley His Strong Friend,
President Mckinley always had
strong friendship for Mr.. DInG,cy since
they served together In the house. Mr.
Dinglcy's father WAS Il trader. not par
tlcularly well to do. and the boy bent
himself to work at an early age. His
steadiness Of purpose came from his old
Puritan stock but his intellectual ability
came from his mother, woman rdu-
Gated fur beyond her station or the
average OF cultivation In those days.
When Willinm 7. Frye wus elevated
to the senate Mr.. DInSIcy was sent to
Congress. That was In 1851. lmmc-
dIatcly the young statesman found that
the seed which he had been sowing for
SO many years was In cOnScHlHl soil.
All that he had gathered Of tariff
knowledge. financial facts and theories
and OF systems Of government hnd pre-
pared him for forging at once Into con-
gressiOnal circles ut once.
Mr.. DinGley was not m orator. lie
lacked the physical presence, the devcl-
opment OF thrOnt and chest and quality
OF voice which make men orators None
the less all the members listened when
he arose 10 speak. He had wonder
fully lucid way Of asserting facts, go
ing at once TO the hcurt OF every con-
tested point. He also had Il remarkable
faculty OF presenting an argument, Ills
mind was logical TO the highest degree.
Had he followed the law and been pro- |
NOTED to the bench he would have made |
n famous judge, for his mental sight |
enabled him TO see through amy Iih- |
gated question with great cle0rncss and |
his decisions would have been eminent |
~ sound and fair.
His Private Life.
Although living In Washington for !
eighteen years Mr.. DIngley was never
caught in the whirlpool Of dissipation.
He loved society, but he did not allow |
It to become his master. He was gen
orally In bed every night ut 10 o'clock. J
and ut work by In the morning, an |
hour when nearly all Washington |
sleeps. lie knew. too, how 10 conserve !
his forces. He never let his work get |
behind hand. Everything he did was
done III order and his systematic way !
made his burden lighter.
Mr.. DinElcy was IL home body. He |
would rather read or sec his friends |
than 10 stir out Of the house. Although |
his reading was largely OF serious
character. he had sense Of humor and |
was fond Of Mark Twaln's books. Mr..
Dingley was always q prohiblitoniSt.
For many years he was president OF the /
congressional temperance society, an
organization OF cold water legislators. |
He was also n church goer, belonging |
to the Congregational church. His |
consists Of his widow. who was |
Miss Salomc McKinney.of Auburn, Me-; |
n daughter. Miss Edith. who has a fine |
soprano voice. and four sons. One of |
these, Harry. is in Mexico; two others, |
Edward and Arthur. are here, and u
fourth, Albert, Is In Colorado.