The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-20

state Is aILef the pace. Oily is d SOOu
strong swimmer, and one that catches
every eddy in politics. In the last
swimming match in Illinois he won by
a head. The wind and the tide unex-
pectedly served him, and the situation
may be repeated. His canvass is be-
ing conducted by one of the shrewest
politicians in the state, Mason is well
oiled, and will slip through the water
like a whale. His strongest opponent
thus far is Albert ]. Hopkins of Auro-
ra. Hopkins has been in Illinois for
some time studying the course, and
getting the hang of the currents. 1t is
the third time he has made a dive for
the senatorship. With every defeat he
apparently grows more confident, and
puts in extra spurts. His friends are
watching this contest with manifold
interest. Mason's career in the Senate
has been peculiarly. picturesque.
Brusque, breezy, and at times bolster
Gus, he sat aside rare old presidents,
and blazed a senatorial pathway of his
own. This shocked some of the vet
Grams in the service, but as time pass
ed and Mason continued to jump the
hurdles, they ascertained the real
worth of the man from Chicago, and
warmed up to him. An entente cordiale
between Senator Hoar and Mason was
established. 1t was a. friendship which
recalled the old tie between George F.
Edmunds and Allen G.. Thurman. Ma
son has frequently been called to the
chair in the Senate, and has invariably
borne himself ,magnificently. He sue
ceeded Ed Wolcott as chairman of the
Committee on Postoffices and POST
roads, and is a member of the Com
mittees on Claims on Commerce, on
Fisheries, on Immigration, and on
Manufacturers. As for tramping the
departments in search of places for his
constituents, he is simply unexcelled.
OF all the men who will disappear
from the Senate next March the one
who will be missed the most is George
G. Vest, of Missouri Broken down in
health, he has refused to be candid
ate for reelection. Vest succeeded Gen.
James Shields in 1879, and has been a
conspicuous member in the Senate from
that day to the present. He is one of
the giants of old. He stands in line
with Clay, Benton and Douglas. AS
an off-hand speaker he is unexcelled.
An interchangeable worker in committee,
there is no Senator more thoroughly
versed in the art of legislation. Broad
minded and comprehensive in his views,
he would go to the stake rather than
abandon a jot in his convictions. This
was shown in his vote against the
seating of Senat tor Quay after his APP
pointment by Gov. Stone of Pennsyl-
vania. The ties of friendship were I'M
usually strong, but the tie of public
duty much stronger. Vest had just been
spending a month with the Senator
from Pennsylvania at his place in Flor
ida. He was on record against seating
a Senator under similar circumstances
and he would not reverse his action UNI
der any pressure whatever. While
fishing with Senator Quay in Indian
River inlet three months before the
vote was taken, an incident occurred
which has reached the newspapers in
a garbled form. Vest was out after
channel bass, to use in a fish chowder
of which he is passionately fond. On
arriving at the inlet, one of the party
Jumped ashore, fancying that he saw
school of bass feeding against the tide
They turned out to be cavallo. The
fisherman suddenly hooked a string
ray, and left him on the beach beneath
a dead mangrove carried down with
the tide. On his return to the boat,
Vest called his attention to the aban
doned FISH. A buzzard was perched in
the dead mangrove, balancing himself
with his wings and watching the
string-ray EIe at last dropped down
at it's side, and numbered around, as If
awaiting it's death. The fish whipped
the sand with it's tail, and the buzzard
again resumed his post IN the DEAD
mangrove. Vest was in feeble health.
He watched the scene for long time,
and in a melancholy tone Of voice nm
ally said: II know buzzard in Mis-
souri, perched in a dead tree watching
me in the same wayl"
Such are some of the swimmers in
the Congressional natatorium. There
are scores Of Representatives breasting
the tide, among them such strong
swimmers as David B. Henderson,
CHARLES II. Grosvenor. and John A. T.
Hull. All three gentlemen are said TO