Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-04
ASTRONG CHARACTER
Life and Ideas of Senator Cushman
K, Davis.
how he Gas SECURED SUCCESS
He Has Always Sought for Reserve
knowledge.
A STUDENT OF PEOPL E

Written for Tie Evening Star by n EgGieston.
Cushrnan X Davis will be the great figure
In the Senate during the coming session
by virtue of his position as chairman
of the committee on foreign relations, just
as d. b Henderson of Iowa will be the
great figure in the House by virtue of his
succession 10 T. b. Reeds place as Speaker
The Craftsmanship of the Senate committee
on foreign relations has not heretofore been
a position of vast Importance, because We
have been q miid-mannered nation, neither
ernhroiling ourselves nor permitting our
selves to be ernbroilCd in quarre!s with for
eign powers. But the Spanish-AmerIca
war has changed all this. We have taken
our place among nations who are likely 20
have voice In great international complied
lions and We nave very serious matters OF
our own to handle-Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines-which viii come directly
under the supervision of he Senate COM
n1ittee on foreign relations. in which Sen
ator Davis Will. of course. be the most i'm
portant voice. His position, indeed, in
American affairs. is not unlike that held by
Joseph Chamberlain in England.
At first view Senator Davis seems to be a
singu'aTly Unimpressive man OF apparently
co.Criess character. This deceptive lGea Is
due il large measure to his ability to Veil
his own Individuality by merging II for the
time being into the personality Of his Wis
itor giving to strangers an apparent &C
feasibility that puts them Immediately on a
confidential footing. He is slightly above
the medium height. more gentle than
aggressive in his bearing, tactful, sympa-
thetic CcnciliatCry- His hair Is thin. hight
brown in color. His eyes. yelled by dropping
lids. are brown, deepening to black under
excitement. His face is one of unusual
mobility. scanned with many ines-eXpres-
siVe delicate lines that come and go with
changing moods. When the affairs of state
do not weigh heavily. his smile Is frequent
and his laugh boyish- II is progressive
laugh. beginning with an upward twist OF
the eyes, extending down 10 the lips ana
lower part of the face and finishing with
the shoulders. which seem 10 move up to-
ward the head ard throat He - con-
slant smoker. and to see Senator Davis
without his big black cigar would re almost
as unusual as TO see q war picture o. Grant
without his
lie is diplomat Of the first order in con-
yerSation and can talk charmingIy on any
subject saying much without limiting at
the things which should be kept secret.
While he talks one loses sight of his flesh
and blood humanity, feeling him merely as
a strong mental force. He is calm. logical.
convincing. He kindles slowly but once
kindled he blazes fiercely-
In spite Of his accessibility ard wide cir
Gle Of acqlIatntances the zore of his init
mates is small. He Is chary of real friend
ship. and his home life is almost entirely
free from the Intrusion of strangers. If
client or politician seeks him after office
hours he is summarily dismissed
His Love for Books.
Senator Davis home is large, old-fash-
toned frame house on the corner of Laurel
and Harrington avenues in St Paul. Its
furnishings suggest the old colonial days
end seem to be enveIoped in the aroma OF
lavender and rosemary. The walls are ired
with books-thousands Of them-running
the gam Of literature from the froth OF
modern poetry 20 the solid rock Of ancient
~ Il -
books His favorite book IS the book that
satisfies the mood of the moment, and his
fayorite author Dickens, Thackeray. Shake
speare, Kipling. Balzac or any one of hun
dreds of others, according to the need of
the hour
III l have any favorite authors" says
Senator Davis, they are the ones who
study the common people. who treat Of
them as individuals instead Of herding them.
These interest me more deeply than others.
I am unconscious student of types and
while in Paris found great pleasure in GO
ing to the cafes where the labOring classes
congregate to study individuality. The
walk the lines IN the face, the movement
Of the body In gesture. the tone of the
voice. are all expressive and full of mean
ing to him who understands | believe that
a mans power is in direct ratio to his sym
pathetic understanding OF the wants of
the common people. An affected under
standing vii avail nothing; 1t must be in
tuitive and sincere
sixty-One Years of Hard Work
Senator Davis was born in Henderson
Jefferson county, N Y, June 1G 1898 but
was early transplanted to Wisconsin
where he passed his boyhood His edu-
cation was begun in a log school house
in Wisconsin, his collegiate course finished
at the State University Of Michigan. Mr..
Davis claims he had little ambition except
for knowledge. He loved study for its own
take and worked for the mere pleasure of
working and without definite purpose
Mr.. Davis dates his public success back
to 1870, when he put himself into line for
prominence by a lecture called Modern
Feudalism," in which he attacked the ex-
traordinary abuses Of railroad companies
In what they called their rights. AT that
time this was burning question, and Mr..
Davis lecture struck the popular mood.
Although OF non-partisan character a
committee from the legislature. which was
then in session, requested him to repeat il
before that body: the young republicans
took It up and within three years Mr.. Davis
was made governor of Minnesota.
At this time the trend of his ambition
was toward a legal rather than political
career. Politics irked him. and at the close
of his term he refused denomination. re-
turning TO his professional duties until call
ed by the unanimous vote of his party tc
seat in the United States Senate. begin
ring with the term which CONNIE need
March 4, 1857 and by successive reelection: