Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-10-07
DEATH OF SENATOR
GEORGE +. HOAR
Grand Old Man of Massachu-
sets Reaches End Of Dis
tinguished Career.
PASSED AWAY IN PEACE
He Was a Notable Figure Amons
American Statesmen and Every
where Respected for His
Candor and Honesty.

Worcester, Mass, Oct. 1.-George
Frisbie Hoar, senior United States SEN
ator from Massachusetts,, died at his
home in this city at 1875 o'clock Friday
morning.
The end followed a period of uncon-
seriousness that had continued since
early Tuesday, and came so gently that
only the attending physicians were
aware of the exact moment of disso-
luton.
The attending physicians despaired
of the senator's life six weeks ago, but
such was the vitality exhibited by the
distinguished patient that even they
were surprised and the public was at
times led to cherish a faith in an ulti-
mate recovery. On Sunday last, how
ever, all hope was abandoned after a
last unsuccessful attempt to admin
lister medicine and nourishment. Brief
lucid intervals were followed by longer
du%rations of Inconsistencies until
Tuesday morning. when the venerable
senator sank into a state of coma from
which all efforts to rouse him proved
futile.
Sketch of His Career.
George Frisbie Hoar, senior senator
from Massachusetts,, had long occu-
pied a peculiar place In public estima-
ton for his unique personality, his
mental strength, ripe culture, wit and
incisiveness of speech; for his subtlety
and wisdom and at times childish dis
righteousness; for his sighting esti-
nation of the r,ethods of politicians;
and for his supreme courage in attack
ing wrongs m his stalwart pertinac-
ity in his defense Of what to him APP
peared to be the right.
Few members of the United States
senate have sat so firmly in the seat
of personal convictions of the right,
even when overwhelmed by the ma
jority, for it never troubled him to
stand against the entire body, in him
self a minority of one, in following out
the line of set principle. For nearly
thirty years he played conspicuous
parts in great events, chiefly as a mas
terly debater, an erudite scholar and a
learned jurist, and through them all he
kept himself unsoiled by partisan poll
tics, and rounded out his activities as
innocent of certain debasing influences
which too often govern party leaders
as though his entire years had been
spent CioSeted with his beloved books,
to which he has devoted much of his
time.
Simple, sincere, honest, scholarly and
classical, Senator Hoar came to his
mental inheritance through a line of
rugged ancestors linked with the heroic
events OF early colonial days or later
conspicuous for their earnest adher-
ence to the patriotic causes which pre-
cipitated the conflicts which developed
the nation. 1t was in Concord that
George Frisbie Hoa4 was born, and
there he began life with a comfortable
practice at the bar. His public career
seemed settled from early life, for at
Ok hn yrync 6 a xoA~1Aa, "a A.
sets legislature n at 30 a state sem
ator. Repeatedly he was urged to ac-
cept a nomination for congressman,
but he declined, and it was not until
1853, while absent In Europe, that his
friends named him for that office and
ne reluctantly assented to their wishes.
From Legislature to Senate.
Mr.. Hoar remained in ngr
through two terms, until 1877, when he
refused to be returned. 1t was then
that he was elected United States SEN
ator, an honored office which he has
continually filled up to the present. The
name of Senator Hoar has been asso-
ciated with every important measure,
every matter of human interest, which
came during his tWenty-eight years of
service. and always has his conduct
been pure, dignified, fearless, earnest
and patriotic.
Politically. men differed from Senator
Hoar, but personally they admired him
and respected not only his ability. his
brilliant and fine mind, but, above all.
his honesty, which stood unquestioned
and nls..litea-I re ssr,=c his country ne
relinquished a law practice which
would undoubtedly have been worth
$4,000 a year 10 him his only compen-
sation being the knowledge of duty well
and truly done-for he had but little
hNGf4nc hts nln~A &C. a,aA- - n
was nearly all spent in living in Wash
ington.
For many years Senator Hoar made
his home in Worcester. Mass, where on
Oak venue, he had a modest home. Ia
which is located what is to him the
strongest loadstoAe of life, a magnih-
cent library.
Senator Hoar entered politics as a
free soiler, when that was little more
than O party name, and when it took
courage TO stand up for its principles.
I'm the evening of his career. with his
party in power, he had spoken out in
opposition TO his party's most popular
policy. When the A. p. A.. was a
dreaded force in politics. inc others
held their tongues, he went out of his
way 70 publish a letter denouncing the
order. When his state was defeating
republican, candidates for in
Arthur's administration because they
a voted for an obnoxious river and
harbcr bill, he again went out Of his
way to publish a letter defending river
and harbor appropriations on principle
and this bill in particular.
Senator Hoar's views have long been
minority views, and in this there had
been a peculiar loneliness attaching TO
him that has been pathetic. Still he had
never faitered. whether early or late i'm
his career. and persisted Ia his preroga-
tive 10 defend What he deemed the right.
even thoigh 1t left him without a single
republican ally. Throughout Ii all he
never destrted to the democracy, but
fought many battles unaided by party
friends and opposed by the Others.
Notable Service in Congress.
In the Forty-fourth congress Mr.. Hoar,
then a congressman, raj appointed one
OF the managers Of the impeachment pro-
ceedings against Secretary OF War Belk-
nap The house was overwhelmingly dem
ocratic. but Congressman Hoar's ~oratori-
cal owe made hiIp the choice of the
opposition. The most vivid memory or
that trial, the one beautiful classic In the
abundance of speech. Is the closing portion
OF George #. Hoar's summary for the ac-
cusers. It has survived all else OF that
trial.
During the life OF that congress Mr..
Hoar was one Of the commission that de-
cided the disputed presidential election OF
1916. He voted with the majority.
AT ffa rpu11hIfcon national oopvor<fcr