The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-14
Washington Day by Day

national calamity in the proposed with drawal from public life of Congressman Theodore Burton of Ohio.
 Like unto serious quarrels which so often begin, the onlooker cannot well sec why Judge Burton and Senator Hanna should quarrel over two or three government offce-holders in Cleveland where the two eminent statesmen dwell. It were better that they bld the office seekers to go to the oevil than that two such men of power for good should have any misunderst anding. The spect- acle of such a quarrel threatens grave public misfortune, for the retirement or Judge Burton from the House of Rep rescntatives would be a less to the Amer ican people.
 Ana, back of 1t all and the worst of 1t all. is that splendid graveyard of so many noble ambitions. the Senate. There seems to be a magical charm In the Sen ate. 1t seemed to sing to all men in public life as a sort of Lorlei; It seems. too, to forever sing of a stor.cd Rhinc of silver and gold and glory. It has never been my privilege 10 congratulate tho king of g. free people, though as one of a multitude I have hare hailed every such king in the world. Our own king, greater in power than in any other constitutional ruler of mankind sec al- most every day, yet he falls to impress me because his glory Is ephemeral by tho supreme law. But in gazing upon one after another of tho Old World kings and the Old Worlds one autocrat. it has been my speech to all, save only the autccrat. Thou art rupremely great"
 The greatest two human beings l ever looked upon With my republican eyes, thorough paced democrat as l am, were tho old Emperor William and the old Queen of England They seem to me to typify and synbllze more of virile na- tionhood than any other two individuals in the world, and nationhood with me Is superlative greatness and power and driv- ing force, all-inpelling and all-compelling force. Ln the day when surrendered all dreams to eternal facts, l should rather nave had the splendid glory of the lim- ited monarchy of King Edward so soon to he crowned than all other glories of the world, because he Is King by con sent of the freest and most enlightened people of tho world.
 Yet there is something about this Senate of CUTS that appeals very profoundly to our peope-especially profoundly to those of US who observe day by day the work ing, the power, the glory of the Senate. One who is greater and wiser than him who tries to tell you the truth as best his poor wits suffer has said:
 "The greatest man in the world Is a United States Senator
 There is much in that. Emblazoncd upon the mightiest of all flags save one in history was the proud and boastful legend, "The Senate and the Republic of Rome." No greater rower had the old Roman Senate than that legislative body of cur own which is named for the Senate Of Rome. We go farther and call our splendid white palace on the high hill overlooking our national city, the Capi- tCl, even as the Romans called their house of legislation. But even as the
 
 the capital for the downfall of Roman greatness, our own Senate. two thousand yeers after Caesar ard after the Christ, seems to be standing between our re- public and destruction.
 No enlightened man may, close at hand or far away, under the blazing light of country love, thoughtfully study condi- hat ayIc let the senate Is the power standing be- tween us and the fading of the republic And one misreads the signs of the times | unless he sees that this great mass of | four score millions of people are looking to the senate for salvation. The senate, We all of us know, is our last resort as freemen. The senate alone remains our | only deiiberative body; in the senate alone is anchored a free peoples freedom, Yet | the idleminded call the senate the mil | lionaires club" What difference does 1t make If nearly fourth of the senators | are milliC nares and that a dozen of the | eight and eighty bought their seats, the | absurd ambition of one man keeping two | seats vacant? We still have the senate | the bulwark of free speech against which
 the mob law of public clamor and the | house of representatives beat vainly. | It was not meant to follow this course | of argument so far. It is the sacred duty of all who write for the people to in- form the people. The simple gossip of the hour that a senatorial rivarly exists between Congressman Burton of Cleve- | land and Senator Hanna of that famous | lake port Is of lnomcntous national inn | portance, bccarse beth men are giant fig
 ures in the national life.
 | While in all probability, every human
 being over ten years old in this country | is familiar with the name of Senator
 Mark Hanna, there are possibly millions | beyond that age who do not know of Con- | gressman Burton. The difference is due
 to their environment, their personal | wealth, their purely partisan importance, | Senator Hanna Is transcendantly great | in political work; he Is and has been for
 many years the official head of the Repub | lican party; In person he has been the
 most charming man who ever led a poli- | tical party, and in genius the most gifted | of all men in our generation. No other
 man has ever equalled him in personal | charm; none other has ever approached | him In political. In these respects he Is