Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-09-01
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Great Interest Felt In the Work
of MIR. Root I'm Washington.
Should He. Succeed brilliantly ms
War Secretary New Workers Hope
For More state influence In Nation
al Politics.


War Secretary New Workers Hope
For More state Influence In Nation
al Politics.
New YORK, Aug. 81. - Especial -
There can be no manner of question that
New Workers interested in national poll
ties are watching the course of the Hon.
Elihu Root, secretary Of war, with an in
tcrest altogether out of proportion to
their anxiety for his personal success,
for say they. Mr.. Roots complete tri-
umph in the field recently vacated 10y Mr.
Alger would mean good deal to the
state to which Mr.. Root is credited.
1t might even mean that New York
would again stand some chance Of hav.
ing n say in national matters somewhat
commensurate with its relative impor-
lance among the states. This, they add,
| New York has not had for many years.
| There was some slight hope of change
| for the better when Representative Sher.
man was candidate for the speakershp
| to take the place of Thomas Bracket
| Reed, but ii was dashed to the ground
| when Mr.. Henderson of Iowa won out.
InHiEnIacant In Congress.
The most sanguine among New York
j ers who look for state prestige from
do not forget the fact, however, that
New York can never take its proportion.
ate place until II can secure greater pow.
er in the national legislature. In the sen.
| ate of course all the states have equal
| representation, no matter how pOpulous.
In the house of representatives New
York has more members than any other
state because of its prcponderance Of vot-
ers, and so, in n sense, it has greater
power than any other commonwealth But
it requires something besides mere num-
bers to give true power, and that is per-
sona superiority and ability to lead;
qualities that have been markedly dis
played by no New York senator or repre-
sentative for many years. For this reason
this state has long been of much less real
importance in national legislation than
Maine. for instance. whose representa-
tives in the house are far less numerous.
but have included such men as Reed.
Dingley, Boutelle. James G.. Blaine and
other giants
The last real leader sitting in the
Washington halls Of legislation from
New York was Roscoe Conkling He was
in the senate. but despite his prominence
and his reputation as a leader he failed
completely on the very first occasion that
any determined opposition was made Ia
him. Not one OF the Republican senators
who have succeeded him. not even Evarts
had ANYTHING like Conkling's influence
The same is true with regard to the Dem
ocratic senators, including David b. Hill
and as for representatives, of either party
it is not easy to recall anything Of prime
} Importance accomplished by any of then
! or any evidence of extraordinary intiu
: ence There was some hope that Bourkt
, | ~ Ia
J erased when he went to Washington rep
resenting a city district. but he didn't
, possibly because Croker called him bacl
: before he had been in congress loll
enough to get really warmed to his seat.
what VIII Depew Do.
Chauncey NJ. Dcpew, who will take hi
seat in the senate next December, is bet
ter known throughout the whole countr!
than any New Yorker who has been sen
to either house at Washington for man!
years and he personally hopes TO regaiI
some Of New Nork's prestige. Possibl!
this hope is shared in some degree b!
others, but not universally among New
York Republicans by any manner o
! means. Even the more sangune minded
| as a rule, look for little or no more iron
Depcw in the senate than was performe,
by Evarts or Lyman Tremaine or Fran
= els Herman or Abram S. Hewitt whel
e they were members of the national legis
lature, and the records made by thes
: men are almost pathetic because of tn
[ things they do not contain.
Thus, while he was the acknowledge
4 leader of the American bar when he wo
1 his place as a senator, Evarts became ia
I more famous in Washington because o
r his qualities as a bon vivant and hi
curiously heavy and involved sentence
than because of anything else. Franci
= Herman was one of the strongest men i
the state, but he was of such utter il
! consequence at Washington that only til
rarely retentive memory of the old time
a in national politics more than recalls tn
) fact that he served as senator for teri
or two. Lyman Tremaine's solid abilit!
>. his brlliance and his integrity were a
greatly admired here, but in Washingto
a he made hardly more than passing ril
= pie being outclassed by many men of al
parently inferior grade from other state
Abram S. Hewitt had shown remarkabl
powers both in business and politics b.
u fore going to Washington, but there h
le had to take a place below the secon
grade. Thomas Collier Plat, senior co
d league of Mr.. Depew, was brought I'M
u great prominence in 1891 by reason {
the row over patronage which he an
N Conkling had with the Garfield admin
", tration, but he did nothing notewortl
;. then save to resign, nor has he dor
II anything as senator since his second ele
E. ton that will make a special paragraT
about him necessary in the ultimate hi
o. tory of the United States.
~ What Ais New YOrks
- 1t would not be easy to answer offhar
the question, "What ails New York
with regard to the national legislator
:. 1t surely isn't that this state doesn't pr
- duce able men.
o. Grover Cleveland has his enemies, b
- there are few who would deny ability
~ him, and though born in New Jersey
ru was New York bred and lived in tn
CT state when elected president. William
., Whitney isn't high in the counsels of Il
"a national Democratic party just now, b
e his ability is unquestioned, and his re
ord as secretary of the navy will Ike,
OF his memory green in Washington f
Is many years to come. Cornelius N. Bills
II McKinley's secretary Of the interior
to some time, and many other New Yorke
lie who have been prominent in the nation
I'd government outside congress might
Id cited in this connection, but no mark
e. ct.gress really worth while has been ma