New-York tribune., 1904-10-01
MR. HOAR IN CONGRESS.
His Long and Eminent Public
Service.
[FaoM THE TRIBUNE BUHEAu.l

washington. Sept. 30.-George Frisbie Hoar
was the father of Congress. Not only his years
of service, but his many kindly admonitions
and the almost flial love and respect in which
he was held entitled him to be so called AL
though his term OF service in the upper cham
Der was exceeded by those of two of his col
leagues, the senior Senator from Iowa, Mr.. AL
lison, and the senior Senator from Missouri,
Mr.. Cocl1rell. and equalled by the senior Senator
from Alabama, Mr.. Morgan. Mr.. Hoar's continu-
Gus service in both houses exceeded that of any
other man in the national legislature 1t began
with the XLIst Congress. which convened on
March f. 1869, and ended only with his death,
covering an unbroken period Of thirty-hve years
Three great characteristics were indelibly
stamped on Senator Hoar's public life unblem-
ished integrity, fearless independence and party
loyalty In the estimation of the public and In
his own town Mr. Hoar was to the end typa
of that school of statesmen represented by
Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and others eminent
in an earlier generation, differing widely from
the alert, aggressive American statesman of to-
day Almost from his entry in the House, rep
resenting the worcester district" his ability
and high character attracted attention. Before
he closed his comparatively brief career in the
lower chamber, his natural tastes and feeling
caused him TO be assigned to membership on
the Committee of the Judiciary. He was. more
over chosen one of the managers for the House
of the Belknap impeachment trial, and
pecialIy honored by being made member of
the Electoral Commission in 1876
AS soon as Mr. Hoar entered the Senate,
where he succeeded to the seat of George S.
Boutwell,. he was elected member 81 the Com
miUtee on the Judiciary, an assignment which his
taste for the law made pecuHarly appropriate.
His name was at the foot of the list, however.
and in the XLVIIth Congress he elected to
the craftsmanship of the Committee on PrY-
leges and Elections, where his innate love of
literary precision proved the 'bete nor'
of many Southern Senators whose credentials
were prone to exhibit less admirable qualities.
Mr.. Hoar also served for a brief period on the
Committee Claims, among numerous other
committee assignments and il is somewhat
morkable, in view of the generally high appre-
citation OF his services on other committees, that
ne has said of his work that committee:
If l have been able 10 render any public service
I look upon that which I rendered upon the
Committee Claims. although IL has attracted
but little attention, and is not OF a nature to
make great public impression, as perhaps more
valuable than any other" At the beginning or
the LID Congress Mr.. Hoar succeeded to the
chairmanship of the Committee on the judiciary,
which important post he occupied until the day
Of his death. he yielded the chairmanship Of
Privileges and Elections TO Senator Teller. but
he was always an industrious and valued mem
ber OF the last named committee.
WON LOVE OF CATHOLICS
Although Unitarian by inheritance Puri-
tan by birth and fond Of describing himself as
hereto OF heretics." Mr. Hoar won the love and
admiration OF the Catholic population OF his
country by his firm stand against what was
known "a. p A.-isIn' and by his frequent
reference to the fact that true liberty OF con-
science was first esta bhshed on the continent
by the Roman Catholics, Who under Lord Baiu-
more founded the colony of Maryland. In this
respect the venerable Senator from Massachu-
setts, ne has been often called, did much
to break UP that clannlsh inclination among the
49,,
cratic ticket. In fact, his eminent justice to all
parties and to al Creeds endeared him 10
vast multitude opposed 10 him in party and diff
fering from him in religious convictions. When
the Spanish war concluded Senator Hoars
convictions led him 10 sympathi2e with the
"anti-imperialists," and his independence COM
PEELED him 10 express his opinion this subject
with great earnestness This initiated some
what against his influence after that date. but
he was to the last commanding figure in the
Senate, beloved apd respected by his colleagues
Of both parties
Those who, in more recent years. have seen
Senator Hoar formally addressing the Senate
are little likely TO forget the scene. Senators
Of both parties would gather about his seat and
pay the strictest attention to his every sentence,
centre Of the group. with his classic features.
Impressive bearing and perfectly white hair,
suggested a philosopher Of old teaching and ex-
pounding the principles OF government and OF
patriotism. The rather high treble voice which
Mr. Hoar acquired in recent years carried well,
and even the sometimes restless audience in the
galleries always paid strict attention when Sen
ator Hoar took the floor.
RARELY VOTED AGAINST PARTY
The senior Senator from Massachusetts was
no less partisan because he yielded TO the die
tates Of his conscience and followed with the
utmost exactness the promptings of his convic-
tons Throughout his career he fully appre-
ciated that could accomplish general
good other than with the aid of and through
his party and despite the serious objections to
certain policies proposed by his party colleagues
sometimes
found casting his vote against the Judgment
Of majority of his party associates.
When the propriety of President Roosevelts
course in recognizing the Republic OF Panama
was que STONED in the Senate Senator Hoar de-
hVered speech which compelled attention and
proved source of temporary rejoicing TO Sen
ator German and some of his Democratic breth-
rem, who had subjected the course of the ad-
Inlnlstration to the severest strictures but just
before the vote on the Panama treaty
reached Mr.. Hoar delivered an Grafton which
turned the Democratic rejoicing to chagrn. He
explained that from the first he believed the
administration entirely capable OF answering
satisfactorily the questions he had addressed to
it on former occasion, but without which
swers he felt that Senators should not be asked
TO vote for the treaty. The information sent to
the Senate in response to his inquiries, however,
he declared, so thoroughly justified the position
OF the administration as TO leave no ground,
aside from the unworthy motive of paTtisanship,
for the casting Of a negative ballot. Thus the
Senator's Independent attitude eventually re-
dounded 70 the advantage OF his party, ana
doubtless materially contributed TO the small
ness Of the vote cast against ratification
1t was, of course, a jurist that Senator
tIoar won his highest bonors i'm Congress Aside
from his able service in several important judi
cial capacities. few general laws were placed on
the tatutes in his long service which had not
been closely scrutinized by him. Most of them
bore the impress of his work and judgment in
the form Of some amendment or alteration
emanating from his committee. His grasp of
American and English Jurisprudence
where excelled, and a law known to have
ceived his personal attention was accepted in
ire SO diCtiOQ