Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-17

Washington Correspondent Chicago Inter
Ocean.
There has been a lot of talk about Re-
publican bosses in the senate this sea-
son, and the visitors to the galleries are
ever eager to have the bosses pointed
out to them. These visitors have heard
about Aldrich, Plat. Hanna and Lodge
as the bosses who crack the whip and
make the other Republican senators obey.
But they have been disappointed in see
ing such performances this session. They
have heard Aldrich speak only on the
revenue reduction bill, which he reported
from the finance committee, and then
the conference report, when he surren-
dered to the conferees of the house.
There was no boasting about Senator
Aldrich's performance If he got what
he wanted or expected. he did not let
anybody know it. He kept his own coun-
sci. So far as appearances went he was
beaten in the only fight where he took
the lead on the floor of the senate.
Tom Plat, of New York, has not given
any exhibition of bossing at this session,
or since he entered the senate. He is
the quietest and most unobtrustve MEM
Der of the senate so far as the open pro-
ceedings go. He rarely speaks and is
never seen moving about the chamber
telling others how to vote. He seems
an onfooker In the senate almost as much
as those in the galleries who are looking
for the bosses.
Senator Hanna is more obtrusive than
either of these two Republican bosses.
He is aggressive and cannot help APP
pearing so in the senate, where the other
leaders are as a rule quiet and appar-
emily Indifferent. Hanna has given sew
eral exhibitions of strenuous endeavor
that would meet the expectations of the
visitors who are looking for boss, but
these were not so momentous as they
forts of Mr.. Hanna in behalf of bill In
which he had a personal interest, or,
more properly speaking, personal con-
viction and desire to win. He had no
whip and did not tell anybody how he
must vote. He made his points as any
other senator might, by argument and
earnest effort to convince others that he
was right. In his conduct of the fight
he made for the Panama canal he ar
gued and pleaded his cause like a man
who believed that he was right, and not
as a boss.
How Lodge Works.
Senator Lodge had charge Of the Phil
ippine BILL and he watched the debate on
that bill week after week, rarely oppos-
ing any one, but always appearing to sur
render points for the sake OF harmony.
He was the mildest-mannered fighter who
ever conducted a great fight for legisla-
ton. He allowed Spooner, Beveridge, Dol
liver, Foraker, Fairbanks, McComas,
Depew, Plat of Connecticut, Proctor and
the newer Republican senators like Bur-
ton, Dietrich and Kittridge to make most
of the radical speeches on the Republican
side while he watched for opportunities
to get the bill forward by compromises.
And that was the way he won. 1t is the
way all contests are won in the senate.
The leaders do not show the power they
exert They do not boss. They persuade.
and the greatest persuader is that mild
est-mannered man from Iowa, Allison.
who has been accused of studying the
movement of the pussy cat when seeking
her prey, or of wearing gum shoes In the
senate and walking backward to disguise
his movements.
Who are the bosses in the senate? Just
now to the uninitiated Elkins of West
Virginia, Burrows of Michigan, Nelson Of
Minnesota, Perkins of California Diet
rich of Nebraska, Burton of Kansas and
several other senators who are called
Boxers" by the older men would appear
like the. bosses, as. they fly about the
chamber, hold conferences and talk loud
and long to the correspondents and 9TH
ers who are about the marble room.
EIkins' PecuIiarlties.
Stephen Benton Elkins, of West Vir-
ginia, is the chief of the Boxers" and
the most perfect type of a boss ever seen
in the United States senate. He Is round
and rudy of face, rotund of body, quick
and aggressive in his movements, and
voluble and positive in his talk. EIkins
never has opinions. He thinks only pos
tive facts that require no proofs. He
always speaks as one having full author
ity, and what he says is gospel to him,
and in his view should be to all others.
This is not a newly acquired character
istic of Elkins. 1t is a part of his nat
ural self, and has been so for many years.
1t was so when he lived in New Mexico
and was a member of the territorial leg
islature nearly forty years ago. 1t was
SO when he came as a delegate TO con-
gress from that territory back in the los.
He was then just as certain that he was
running the government as he now Is
that he is managing the senate.
Elkins has made money, and he has
run politics in New Mexico and West Vir-
ginia until he naturally thinks that all
politics is run by bluff and scheming. He
was one of the men in Washington IN
1898 who was determined that there should
be no war with Spain. Cuba was not
worth a war. He was for peace at any
price 1t was not an opinion. 1t was an
edict. Elkins said so, and he said 1t to
everybody who could hear. All were reck-
less Jingoes who did not accept his dictum.
There should be no war and there would
be no war.
Policy of Hoar and Hanna.
Hoar and Hanna and Aldrich and 9TH
ers were also for peace, but they only
thought there should be no war. They
did not lay down the law and say that
there should be no war. They advised
against lingo talk, and used their infu-
ence against war preparations. When
war came they helped get ready for war
in Cuba, but Ell1ins was then deter
mined to send a fleet to Spain and take
the whole peninsula from the Dons. He
was as determined on this point as he
had been that there should be no resent
ment against Spain for blowing up the
Maine. He was determined to take the
lead. He was not satisfied with second
place, even behind the president.
That is just the way with Elkins now.
He is the leader of the Boxers who are
against Cuban reciprocity. He has Of
fered himself as a vicarious sacrifice on
the altar of the sugar beet. There is not
a single sugar beet grown in West Vir-
ginia, nor will there ever be. 1t is i'm
possible to grow them in that state, so
says the beet sugar expert, Professor
Wiley. But that does not prevent Eli
kins from taking the lead In this fight for
the beet Local interests are not al
lowed to stand in the way. The beet
needed a strong leader, and ii found one
in Elkins. He again entered the lists
against Cuba, and then he was willing to
annex the island. The visitor to the SEN
ate gallery will have no difficulty in pick
inc ont Flkins as a boss He is the Boxer