The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-03-10

Mr.. German always exercised nice
discrimination and unfailing tact IN
the matter. In dealing with national
affairs, he seemed almost to forget
what party was in power, so broad
and patriotic was his course. 1t was
this characteristic breadth of states
manship and patriotism, joined to his
great store of practical information,
upon which both sides depended, and
his pleasing personality, that consti-
tuted the secret of his commanding
influence. The Republican Senators
easily distinguished between the mar
row partisan and obstructionist and
the broad statesman, whose PARTISAN
ship was so frequently merged in his
patriotism.
A NOTED MAN.
Mr.. German was one of the noted
men of the Senate. His unique ca
reer, starting from a page on the
floor and passing by the force of his
own energy and talents to the posi-
ton of acknowledged leadership of
one of the great political parties OF
the body, and a statesman whose
ability is recognized on both sides of
the chamber and throughout the
country, is regarded as a forcible il
lustration of the possibilities of
American citizenship. He was among
the first Senators asked to be pointed
out by strangers visiting the Capitol.
That his fame has not been confined
to his own country is evidenced by
the fact that foreign visitors equally
with those from the States were al
yyn 70 md I.Iy
every distinguished foreigner made it
point to seek his acquaintance
Among Englishmen there was COM
mon remark as to his strong resem-
blance to the Archbishop of Canter-
bury. He made a pleasant impress
sion upon all. In his manner to
strangers Mr.. German is the soul of
suavity and courtesy, and is regarded
as one of the Chesterfelds of the Sen
ate. To his friends he is cordial and
informal. There are few observing
public men who regard Mr.. Germans
career as ended with his retirement
from the Senate. He is still full of
mental and physical vigor, and it is
hardly likely that talents such as he
possesses will permit him to rest on
the laurels of his past achievements,
although that would probably be-
more agreeable to him.
THE VALUE OF HIS SERVICES TO MARY
LAND.
The value of Mr.. Germans services
to his own State during the eighteen
years of his service in the Senate
would be difficult to estimate in dol
lars and cents. 1t goes without say
ing that any State whose representa-
tive acquires in the national councils
the commanding influence of Senator
German necessarily reaps a large
benefit in the advancement of it's ma
terial interests. Besides his large in
fiuence, Mr.. German has been re-
markedly punctual in his attendance,
thereby always keeping fully advised
of the status of pending public and
private business. AS Benton said of
himself, he has been during his entire
term of service an "attending and
attentive member" 1t is questionable
if any other Senator during the same
period put in as many days of actual
attendance.
Some idea of the money value to
the State of his services may be
formed from the figures shown by
expended by the Government for pub
lie improvements in Maryland, for
rivers and harbors alone. from the
commencement of the Government
to the present time. Dividing the ag-
gregate expenditures into two peri
DDS, the following remarkable result
is shown:
IN mir vi
the United States Government expended
for the improvement of rivers and harbOrs
of Maryland $97S,269.
From 1881 to 1s99-eighteen years
Mr.. German and his colleagues have Sc
cured for the same purpose $3,S87 ,7O2.
The large number of private claims
of citizens of Maryland against the
Government, which through Mr.. Cor
mans influence have been paid, Will
add many thousands to the above
showing, while the amounts expended
for public buildings, lighthouses and
other public improvements would in
crease the aggregate by many more
millions, and probably show quite as
remarkable disparity during the
TWO periods above noted.
a further idea of some of the de-
tails of Mr.. Germans services to his
State may be obtained from the fol-
lowing summary:
At the time of his entrance into the
Senate in 1881, the width of the chan
mel of Baltimore harbor was only $50
feet, and the depth "a feet. At the
first Congress of which he was a
member he secured an appropriation
of $45O,000 for the harbor, and a pro-
vision to increase its depth to ~ feet;
in 1892 he secured a provision to in
crease the width of the channel to
400 feet; in the following year pro-
vision to increase the width to 600
feet, and the work was placed under
contract, so that the improvement
should proceed without interruption;
III 1894 he obtained authority to
widen the channel to 1000 feet. and
in 1896 secured an additional appro-
priation of 100000 to deepen the
channel to 80 feet. These extensive
Improvements thus mapped out will,
according to the estimate of the Chief
of Engineers, involve an ultimate eX-
penditure of So, 500, 900.
At the last session of the Fifty-fifth
Congress just closed a further appro-
priation of 100000 for the Baltimore
harbor was added to the River and
Harbor bill by Mr.. German in the
Senate, and contracts entered into
involving the expenditure of an addi-
tional $1,0OO,00O to complete the inn
provement of the harbor.
In 1881 the large vessels of foreign
commerce could not with safety en-
ter the harbor of Baltimore; to-day
it is the equal in its capacity for the
trade of the heaviest ships with any
port on the Atlantic.
+ There is scarcely a harbor on the
Chesapeake or its tributaries or a
point where lighthouse is required
that has not been provided or i'm
proved during Senator Germans
term in the Senate.
In the Fifty-third Congress, he Sc
cured a complete survey of the Ches-
apeake and Delaware Canal. both for