The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-30

A Hobart resolved, when little more
than a boy, to do whatever he had to
do as well as he could and as rapidly
as possible and to make every move
count to the fullest extent. He there
fore took UD his duties in the senate
chamber in his own virile, efficient way.
First of all, some time before March
/. 1897, he addressed himself seriously
to the study of the history, the tradi-
tons and the rules of the senate. He
already possessed an intimate knowl-
edge of parliamentary law, gained
when he was in the New Jersey legis-
lature, first as member of the lower
house, then as speaker and later as
senator. When he took up the gavel
as presiding officer of the senate he
knew just what TO do and exactly how
to do it. He had both himself and
the senate well in hand on the first
day of the extra session that marked
| the beginning of the present admins
tration and was early seen to be a
chairman of strength and decision.
Since that first session his reputation
along these lines has GROWN steadily,
and more than once his sincerest ad-
mirers even, have been surprised and
delighted by his clear perception of
the philosophy of parliamentary law
and his minute knowledge of senate
procedure.
Strangely enough, too, some o. tie
Oldest and best known of the senators
are least posted in the technicalities OF
legislative business. They know how
to present their ideas succinctly, often
eloqueltly, and they are masters of
the art of pleasing the commemorative
they represent, else they could not
serve term after term, but they do not
understand the ms and outs of the
senate rules and are often bothered
with the how and the wherefore. These
senators find the vice presidents IN
failing technical knowledge, which is
frequently at their disposal, of great
value.
Mr.. Hobart usually reaches the capt.
toll at 1850, when the congressional
wheels are grinding, just half an hour
before the senate begins work fol the
day. OF course. he is surrounded with
a group of men eager to get word
with the vice president as soon as he
reaches the senate chamber floor, and
he gives every one as free an audience
as circumstances will permit. But, no
matter what the pressure. there is one
duty which he invariably attends to
before the session begins. This is the
careful perusal of the previous days
journal. He has an unusually retentive
mind. and might reasonably be sure
of keeping track of everything were
he not to look at the journal at ALL
but he prefers to refresh his memory
every morning and to take nothing for
granted.
After the session has begun he has
eyes and ears only for the current pro-
ceedings. He keeps close watch of all
that is going on and of everything that
is said; he has never been known to
lose the thread and be obliged to ask
about the previous question, and he
enforces the rules. In other words, he
looks upon the work of the senate
Craftsmanship precisely as he regarded
keeping a country school years ago.
1t is rare indeed that he calls any one
newspaper correspondent, out of SYM
patty with the vice presidents self
imposed task of listening to many
speeches delivered, otherwise chiefly 10
empty benches, recently described MI
Hobart as the Chronic audience"
Mr.. Hobart's Busy Days.
When congress is in session Mr.. IIo-
bart is one of the busiest men IN the
national capitol. He rises early, and
before o'clock has broken his fast.
Sharp on the hour he seats himself at
his desk on the ground-hoor room set
apart as an Office in the Hobart resi-
dence. His letters are always roughly
divided into classes by his personal
secretary before Mr.. Hobart is ready
for their consideration. Into one class
are put the letters relating to his large
business interests. Mr.. Hobart got out
of most of his directorates when made
vice president, so as to be free to give
virtually undivided attention to his Off