The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-22
ARTHUR PUE GORMANs RISE DIE
TO PERSISTENT HARD
WORK
ROBSON TELLS GOOD STORY
Maryland Statesman Once ThrasheA
an Associate Who Refused
to Contribute for
Charity.
FROM THE GLOBE BUREAU.

| his service in the senate. He is now
SiXty-three.
one Of Germans fellow pages was the
WelI-khoWn actor, Stuart Robson. The
circumstance was pleasantly recalled
one evening last week when Mr. Rob
| son appeared here in his favorite role
| Of Bertie the Lamb, in Henrietta" All
the pages OF the senate and house Of
! representatives We're present as Mr.
Roosons guests, occupying boxes on
potn sloes OF the stage and at the close
1 OF one of the acts Mr.. Robson in re-
| sponse to their applause, made a curtain
1 speech, In which he related the cir
cumstance. He also related an incident
about Gorman which had served to i'm
| press him particularly on his mind.
There was an old apple woman" said
| Mr.. Robson, who had been in the habit
OF coming around to us with her wares
and of whom we We're all quite fond It
seems she had had slipped on the ice
and suffered some injury by which she
was laid up. The boys all assessed
themselves small sum-as much as
they could afford-to help pay the doc
tors bills. Well, all paid cheerfulIy ex-
cept one boy, who was quite able but
who declined to ante his assessment. All
sorts of persuasion was tried in vain,
until finally German said he would take
the responsibility of collecting the as
sessment. He accordingly paid it out
| of his own pocket and then proceeded
| TO thrash the delinquent. The story
might have ended there, but am bound
to relate that our lives dritted apart and
1t was many years before had occa-
sion to think of either Of those boys
again. Then I chanced to be in Mis-
souri, and came on the boy who had
been thrashed; he was in the penitent,
iary. The boy who had done the thrash
| ing was IN the United States senate"
CTOfm2n served IN in tha
senate for fourteen years. He had been
| to school a little before he was thirteen,
but here his education, as far as school
Ing went, came to an end. But German
Is only another Illustration of the fact
that education is not entirely a matter
of books or schools. He is now not only
a shrewd man with business and politi-
cal ability, but he has a fair knowledge
of books and talks and appears like a
person of culture. His language is
straightforward, grammatical and Wig
orous.
German left the employment of the
senate in 1866 to accept an appointment
as collector of internal revenue of the
Fifth Maryland district When Grant
became president he was removed and
began his political career in the state
He was elected to the house of delegates
of the Maryland legislature and after
serving two terms became speaker OF
the Maryland state senate, where he
served two terms, and from which he
was chosen to the United States senate
in 1880. After serving three terms in
the United States senate, German was
defeated in the general elections Of four
years ago. He relinquished his seat in
March, 1899, and returned to Maryland
to make the campaign for reelection.
He will resume his seat next March.
Mr.. German has always been regarded
as power in the senate his influence
is Of the quiet kind and his role is
never spectacular. He prefers to keep in
the background. He is known as an
organizer. Which means that he knows
men and has the confidence Of other
men. They respect his judgment and are
inclined to follow his advice. He seldom
takes any part in debate and his talents
are not oratorical. When he does speak
his words are few and directly to the
point.
Although defeated for the senate, Cor
man has never been out Of Democratic
politics. He took an important, though
not conspicuous part in the last presi-
Dental campaign, and it was on his adj
vice that anti-imperialism was chosen IS
the paramount ISSUE" Had he been per-
mitted his way, the Chicago platform
would have been left out of the Kansas
City one; but he and Chairman James
K. Jones were overruled by William j.
Bryan. Although himself a believer in
the gold standard German has always
held that party regularity is a superior
claim to personal beliefs, and after he
had done what he could to stave off the
silver declarations, German fell into line
and supported the nominee of the regular
Democratic organizations
There has scarcely been a time for
twenty years when German was not
himself a possibility for the presidential
on na Dppo to =
number Of conventions he has had sub
stantial followings and once or twice
has just escaped being chosen His re-
turn to the United States senate has
again brought him into the public eye,
and there are not a few Democrats
who hail him as the Moses who is to
lead the disorganized party out of the
wilderness and into the land of Canaan.
However this may be, 1t is certain his
councils will be welcomed by the mi
nority in the senate, where organization
and leadership have become reminiscent
ces.
Senator German is a man Of consider
able wealth. Some place the figure at
$4,OOO,OOO Ut may be less and it may be
more Twenty years ago he became a
director in the Chesapeake ana Ohio
Canal company and he is known % have
very large railroad And real estate in
terests in Maryland What money he
self. incidentally he believes in other
people-his own children not excepted
doing likewise. The gessips tell about
the marriage of one of his daughters to
young man of artisl-c tastes and a
salary Of a thousand a year in the navy
department. 1t is related that Mr.. Cor
man gave his consent with readiness, but
also gave warning that the young couple
need expect no assistance from him.
The allowance of the daughter had been
more than 81 900 before marriage but this
was cut off and the two started sup
porting themselves on that amount. 1t
meant no servant and much deprivation,
but the senator does the unrel lenting
parent as perfectly as that individual in
the melodrama
In manner German is calm, dignified
and courteous. He is always the same
He is not temperamentai. In success he
betrays no elation; in defeat he shows no
discouragement. He is never seen to
hurry. His face is a perfect mask and
all that can be discovered of his t--oughts
are the few measured words which he
speaks-and speaks always looking the
listener directly in the eye. He is
constant, but unconscious student OF
human nature. He is always taking the
other mans measure, drawing him out,
letting him do the talking. Like all poll
ticians who have made any success he
tells the truth. He may not tell all he
knows or thinks but what ne says can
be relied on. If he makes promise it
is as good as a government bond. This
is not necessarily conscience or morality
with him. it is habit. 1t is part Of his
business training, a lesson waich he
probably learned before he was appoint
ed a page in the senate.
During the next three years more will
be heard of Arthur Pue German What
ever the Democratic party does whoever
it nominates for president-Schley or Hill
or.