Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-12

be implied in the message. Great
laughter followed as the significance
of the message in this regard was re-
yealed.
Washington, d. c., March 5.-The
feature about the convening of the
senate in extra session today that is
most interesting to Iowa is the fact that
1T is the occasion of Senator Allison
entering on his sixth consecutive term
in that body. 1t was thirty years ago
that Senator Allison first entered the
senate, and there is not man in that
body today who was there when he
took the oath. In fact there are now
living only three men who served in
that body prior to 1873. Senator Jones
of Nevada and Senator Allison took
the oath on the same day and are
therefore contemporaneous, but Mr..
Allison, having served eight years in
the house previously, is the senior in
service at the capitol.
To look at Senator Allison today as
he modestly accepted congratulations
from his friends, one would hardly
think that he has so many years be-
hind him. Years and work have left
hrIle mark on this grand old man
from Iowa. There is no STOPPING of
the shoulders, no tottering gait, no
blear of the eye or wrinkling on the
skin. His step is elastic, his carriage
erect and his eye as clear as a boys.
He works without apparent effort and
without WEAKNESS. In the closing hours
of congress, during the fore part of
this week, when the lines of legislation
converge into a few hands and the
members keep all night vigils it was
marvel to see this calm, steady.
wakeful man, as unflustered and fresh
at three in the morning as he was
when the session began hours before.
Senator Allison has been member
of the committee on appropriations
since he entered the senate and chair
man since 1881 except for two years
when the democrats were in control of
the senate and Senator Cockrell was
made chairman. 1t is hard to estimate
the amount of legislation for which
he is personally accountable in his
service of more than a quarter of a
century during which he has served
on committees of conference, which
sit behind closed doors in the hours
when the country sleeps and decide
questions of national moment and in
volving millions of public and private
wealth. At this memorable event in
the life of Mr.. Allison there is remain
ing scarcely any of the presidential
talk that has followed him through the
latter part of his career. Several
times the country has heard from Viii.
liam B. Allison as a presidential can
didate. In the convention of 1888 and
then again in 1896 he had big fol-
lowing. 1t is we'll known fact, how
ever, that he never had consuming
ambition for the place, and so no dis.
appointment ever lurked in his mind
over the selection of other men. Sen
ator Allison was strongly urged by
President Garfield to accept the sec
retaryship of the treasury under his
administration. The same tender was
made by BENJAMIN Harrison in 1896
when he was President, and it was well
known that he could nave had the po-
sition of secretary of state in Presi-
dent McKinley's administration. But
he declined all these tempting offers
Of administrative positions. preferring
to represent the state of Iowa in the
United States senate, that Position be-
ing more congenial to his tastes and
more in line with his life work and
studies.
AS a presidential candidate or in
any other connection Senator Allison
enemies found him difficult of attack.
His private and public life have been
SO even in tenor and his craftsmanship
so close reefed and well ballasted that
he ran few risks of being blown over.
His opponents have therefore been
driven to make a failing of what would
ordinarily be eXtolled as virtue, and
it has sometimes been charged that
he was overcautious and conservative
to the degree of timidity. Nothing
could be further from the truth than
to suppose Senator Allison not a
strong man. He is quiet man, and
no one in the senate is less contentious
or domineering; but when it is all said
there is no man in either branch of
congress who rules men with such a
pOWcllul ldlu DIS ILLS llllu 6yGu
Iowan. He speaks and looks in his
quiet, judicial way and others obey.
He is ofttimes like dignified and re-
spected old school master over room
full of boys. His discipline is SO good
that he does not have to resort to ex-
IRENE corrective measures. There
is no bitterness in the obedience rem
dered.
One example, which occurred some
time ago, will serve to illustrate this
point. During the investigation of the
postal commission into the railroad
mail carrying contracts several es-
teemed statesmen lost their tempers
and acted in most undignified man.
ner Loud of California, Chandler of
New Hampshire and Money of Mis-
sSssdppi-a group boding trouble at
any time-got mixed up: Loud, surley
obstinate and quarrelsome; Chand-
Ter, raspy and nagging: Money. full
lof southern chivalry and scrappiness.
| A witness was being examined and
Il