The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-11-28
SENATOR {. K. DAVIS ASLEEP IN DEATH
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.

elected for the term of six years, com
mencing March 4, 1887.
Senator Davis fame had preceded h m
! lie received a hearty welcome from hi
| illustriOus compeers in the United States
! senate, and was soon assigned to posi-
! lions Of commanding influence seldom
| conceded to new men there. An early
and conclusive evidenee~of his prompt
| recognition was his appointment to the
! workmanship of the committee on pen
Slons. No such important trust was ever
| first months of his career. Thencefor-
| ward he had charge of all pension leg.
lslauon, general and private and the
| zeal, intelligence and patriotism of his
| acts earned for him the special gratitude
and devotion Of the veterans of the war
MIR. Davis held that position for six
he author of the pension act of 1880, whicf
terminated the demands for excessive pen
sion legislation, and which satisfied the
soldier element. u
FATHER OF PENSION BILL.
The wisdom of this measure, originated
by Senator Davis, has been amply jus
uhed. by results. 1t has remained the
law for more than niner years, and its
operation has been so Just, in spite of
obstruction, that it may be said TO have
settled the character. if not the detail, OF
pension Legislation. The ferment among
the Soldier element which, before the act
OF 1880 increased with every approach
ing session of congress, has since its pass
age died away, under the genera! con-
vlctiOn that it affords the fairest mo st
feasible and judici0us adjus tment of
penSi0nary rights and obHga tons for the
present, a least, 0btainable. This uni
Nersal acquleScence in it's provisions is
the highest compliment that can be paid
to the practical common sense OF Sena-
tor Davis, and to his devotion to thS true
interests of the brave men who, having
been his comrades in war, remained the
objects Of his fraternal soiicltuQe and
care.
FOUGHT FOR TWO DAKOTAs..
Senator Davis was also member of
the committee on military affairs. His
most important service, however, was as
a member of the committee on territories,
where he led the fight for the admission
of the Dakotas, making his first speech
III the senate on that subject, d spec oh
which attracted a great deal Of atten-
ton. Many Of the speeches of this mem
orable debate dealt with signal ability or
one or another of the various topics en-
braced in the great question.
That of Senator Davis alone covered
all with fullness and dignity that made
it at once a model, encyclopedia, historic
and judicial statement, ranking among
the best examples Of parliamentary elo-
Quence. 1t was his maiden speech, and
it established u reputation so high that
it afterwards REQUIRED the 9xertion OF
his best powers to maintain 1t. 1t prac.
tically closed debate on the subject In
the senate and compelled a reluctant op-
position to perform an act of justice
in the house. Upon his appointments. to
relations Senator Davis came rapidly to
the front as an authority on diplomacy
and international law. His previous stud
les in that line his general grasp OF large
questions, and his special faculty of
analysis and research enabled him TO
render services seldom expected from
new" men on that committee. During
the controversies attendant on the Chi
liam dispute and the Behring sea matter.
Senator Davis was the trusted contidant
and legal adviser of President Harrison
SpPrptQrN no iChi q their
request, briefs on some of the most in
tricate questions involved, which Were
gratefully acknowledged as very import
ant contributions toward strengthening
the case of the government.
He opposed, in al speech, passage
Of bill to subsidize, a private constluc-
ton company to build the Nicaragua
canal with bonds of the United States
for 100000, 600. His speech was never
answered and the measure never brought
to vote thereafter r. ssaE
His most important service to the sta e
was, perhaps, his connection with the
construction Of the new lock a the Sauit
Ste. Marie, with the Improvement of Hay
lake channel below, whereby vessels cf
nineteen feet draUght go through now,
where before vessels Of only fourteen
feet could go. This is the basis of the
vast amount of increased freight and
tonnage capacity, with lessened charges.
and the great vessels now navigating
that waterway.
He proposed an amendment to the river
and halbor bill that that great work
should be expedited by contract instead
OF being drawn along by Inadequate APP
preparations through many drearry years,
as is the general custom; in fact, the
unbroken custom prior to that time, eX-
cept as to the Eads jettieS at The mouth
of the Mississippi river. He spoke. elab-
orately IN favor of this, and the disclos-
ureS In that address as to the amount
OF commerce and the latent possibilities
of the mineral resources of Minnesota
were surprise Everything he predict
ed has since been more than verified.
The lock and improvements Were finished
years sooner than would have been
possible under the old system.
During the tariff legislation which re-
suited in the Mckinley bill, Senator Davis
attacked the binding Irvine trust, insist
ing that it was not entitled to protection
He made an elaborate speech on that
subject, attacking the trust, and in con-
sequence the duty was reduced from "a
cents 10 !-1O OF cent pound; the trust
went 70 pieces and binding tWlne fell from
10 cents a pound to 10 and IL cents imme-
dlately throughout Minnesota and every
where. F'z
Senator Davis Illustrated his Ameri-
Ganlsm by his speech in. the senate de-
hVered IN the MONTH of'-April, 1892 1t
was called out by the proposition of
Herr Cahensly, a member of the Ger
man parliament, appealing to the foreign
nations to denationadize american insti-
tuuons by planting colonies on her soil
Foreign customs, languages and allegiance
through generations yet unborn This
scheme was denounced by Senator Davis
IN speech which attracted profound
attention at home and abroad, for it was
given, great circulation in Europe, by
TRANSACTION into many foreign languages.
AS {he !lrst term Of Senator Davis ap-
proached its conclusion itebecame evident
mat he was practically the unanimous
G f5n;es OF his party for reelection. the
IlePuolican state convention which as
sembled in St. Paul in May, 1892 TO elect
qt!elegates at large tosthet Minneapolis ma
able speech from 6 iie on the issues Of Of
the day; adopted, by az rising vote.
motion by r. G. Evans, indorsing him
Tor his own successor When the state
convention met in July to nominate a
state ticket, the unprecedented action
was taken of formally announcing him
as the senatorial candidate of tlae party
In neither convention was a dissenting
voice raised Knute Nelson was nomi-
mated governor, and together they made
the notab bic canvass which resulted in
holding the state ticket and the legisla-
lure firmly Republican when so many