The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-02-03
|'"'4qlE SENATOR ELB[,E
Ehf1olal WASHINGTON
Addison G. Fosters Victory
and How 1t Occurred.
A Political Career to Begin in the
United States Senate.
Mr.. Wilson Defeated; in His Fight for
Recollection by IA Bitter Combina-
ton of circumstances.

1t falls to the lot of but few men to
begin a political career in the United
States Senate, which fact explains why
less than one hundred public men in the
Capital knew who Addison G. Foster was,
| when the news came that he had Been
elected by the Legislature of Washington
| to succeed Senator Wilson, of Spokane.
During the bitter senatorial fight which
has just ended in that State, Mr.. Foster
was likened by his admirers TO Hon. James
X. Polk, of whom Henry Clay is re-
| ported to have said, when told that Polk
had been nominated by the Democrats for
| the Presidency: Beaten again; a man
without a political record
| Addison G. Foster has no political
| record. He is a strong party man and an
| uncompromising Republican, but had never
taken an active part in the affairs of his
| party until presented as q candidate for
the United States Senate, rival of Senator
| Wilson. He is, or always has been, a busi-
ness man, and remarkably successful one,
having gathered together a fortune counted
| in seven figures. He was born in Massa-
| chusetts siXtytwo years ago, and first be-
| came prominently identified with the COM
| mercial affairs OF the West in the State
of Minnesota, where he resided for twenty
years. Ten years ago he went still far
| Their West, and settled at Tacoma,
| Washington, as the base of future opera
| lions. He is now accounted one of the
| most representative business men, and
ranks among the first citizens of the State.
Lumber made him the bulk of his fortune,
but he is also connected with vast ship
ping and corporation interests, and is The
largest street railway man in the State.
Great things are expected of Mr.. Foster
| in the Senate not alone as ii representative
of the commercial and industrial interests
| of his State, but also as a figure in Wash
| ington life In his native Commonwealth
he is widely known as a lavish entertainer
and man very fond of society. 1t is pre-
| dicted that his social functions in the
Capital will reflect much credit upon his
| constituency. His wife and daughters are
spoken of b.. those who know them as
highly accomplished, and also great lovers
of society. Their advent into the social
world of this city is awaited with no small
degree of interest, and they are expected
to grace the winter seasons here after Il
fashion highly satisfactory to- Washing
ton s social circles. Jf--:
From description of his personality
and appearance it is gathered that Sem
reject Foster closely resembles POST
master General Smith. The courtly man
ners, pleasing address, and other personal
traits of the two men are said to be strik-
| ingly similar, and in appearance they are
| said to look much alike. IL a
| Representative James Hamilton Lewis is
| a close personal friend of Mr.. Foster, and,
in paying his compliments TO, the newly
elected Senator last night, he said:
Speaking as one who has kn0wn him for
many years as prominent business man
of my State | will say of Mr.Foster that
he is TO Washington what Vice President
| Hobart is to New Jersey, and he will be
in the Senate, in social, and public life
much the same sort of a man as Mr.. Ho-
bart Tenacious in personal opinion. I'M
yielding in political convictions, Mr.. Fos-
ter is always the unoffending gentleman.
There are many reasons why Mr.. Foster
| accomplished the defeat OF Senator VIII
son, who was a candidate for reelection.
His campaign was managed by those who
| know him intimately. by men OF influence
| in the business affairs of the State, and
their efforts coupled with his own force
full character, laid good foundation for
the bitter fight that ended in his success.
Mr.. Foster was, as has been said, man
without political record. He could not
be held accountable for embarrassing
promises broken, neither could sins OF po-
u litcal commission or omission be laid at
his door. That was an advantage to begin
with.
Senator Wilson, on the contrary, to use
an expression of one Of his admirers here
presented thc spetldcie Vi HAL apdii
c doned by the friends he had served, and
relentlessly pursued by his enemies In
= making political friends he had also made
n numerous enemies. and these latter
/ proved truer to their purpose than the
: friends. Senator Wilson had also been
:. unfortunate in his distribution of patron
+ age, and many We're the politicians in the
. State who felt themselves aggrieved at
e him and bent their energies to even up old
n scores.
One other thing counted against Senator
+. Wilson, and this was the fact that he is a
I | Spokane man. which city is the residence
. of Senator Turner. the Democratic Senator
{ from Washington. These adverse condi-
tions proved too much for Senator Wilson
= and when he realized that defeat was in
| evitable he yielded gracefully and threw
his strength to the choice of his party
r | Addison G.. Foster.