The Columbus journal., 1904-09-21
He HAS DIGNITY AND FORCE
And His Training and Expsriesce win
Enable Him TO Preside Over Tie
Senate with Credit to the M.
tien- n-McKialey's Frieud.

OwH. IHu MS NSugc uAeAciy AtVAA VAS ~
cal poiIt OF view is SO striking he ha
been q marked man in Washington eve
since he came here. Straight as an ar
row, thin. unusually tall, with brish
red cheeks. with becoming amount o
senatorial dignity. and yet with a genu
inc democracy which is seldom elualet
by public men. the Republican candi
| date for the vice presidency is more thai
usually popular as public men so.
Aside from this, however. the peopl'
who are on the inside Of public affair
in Washington know, AZ people Of tn
rest Of the country may not know. tha
Senator Fairbanks Is one Of the cOmpar
atively few men In public life who hav'
actually made their impress upOn thu
affairs OF the government. In ever!
church. every club, every village debat
ing society. in every Congress and ever!
Parliament. there are always q selec
few who do the great bulk Of the work
who are men Of action. who are selected
by their associates to perform the things
which have TO be done, who have tn,
executive gift which makes them wise il
council. and whose advice and assistance
are sought when great things are to b
done.
Courteous and Modest.
Constantly courteous, invariab bly, kind
lS. always reserved. consistently modest
never seeking to put himself in the front
rank. Senator Fairbanks is not usually
credited by the world at large with the
extraordinary influence he really pos
sesses here in Washington. His assO'
ciates in the Senate. the members Of the
cabinet. and those whose duty it il to
execute the law have learned. however,
the quiet force Of the Senator from In
diana. and ever since he came here with
Mckinley in 1897 Senator Fairbanks has
been one Of the inner circle. He has
grown stronger day by day until his
nomination for the vice presidency was
absolutely forced upon him because. in
the opilAiOn Of his associates in the Sen
ate and the party leaders generally. he
was the best equipped man for the posi-
ton. and was by his training and by his
political association Of presidential size,
So that he might be ready at any time
to exercise the duties Of chief executive
If il should become necessary.
Few people are aware OF the unusual
his confidence to Senator Fairbanks. The
two men were old friends, they repre-
sented much the same element in the
party. and in the early months Of 1897
following the bitter political battle of
the previous autumn Mckinley and Fair
hanks were in constant touch and the
Presidents elect began to lean upon the
Senator-elect. This trust in the wisdom
OF the statesman from Indiana was never
lesSened. but as month after month went
ty the Indiana Senator was more and
more drawn into the deepest condolences
Of the President.
ton during the latter part Of 1897 and in
the early part Of 1895. The United States
and Spain were drifting inevitably to-
ward war. The sentiment in this coun-
try was Overwhelmingly in favor Of in
terference in behalf oe the suffering peo-
pie Of Cuba. The pressure for action
grew daily stronger. In the public press.
In Congress. in the churchsa, on the
streets. everywhere from <hs Atlantic
to the Pacific there was q constantly
growing sentiment that the United States
must put an end 60 the shocking condi-
tons in Cuba.
Mckinley Kasw Public Rossi0snt.
When he was elected William Mckin-
ley we'll knew what this public sentiment
was and where it vas likely to lead. No
man ever lived who was more skilled in
feeling the pulse Of the public than the
President who laid down his life at
Buffalo. When he came 60 the White
House. nevertheless. he was determined
to exhaust every device known to diplo-
macy, short OF actual warfare, to brink
Spain to terms and TO bring peace to
Cuba. Trained in the arts Of war him
self. William Mckinley well knew that
war was not to be entered upon lightly.
He was for peace from the beginning.
During the first six months Of the Nc
kinley administration the tension here
in Washington was extraordinary. Pub
lie sentiment Of itself might have forced
war because Of the outrages cOntin-
ually committed by the SpaMards upon
the poor people Of Cuba. Then came
the explosion Of the Maine. which
touched the spark in the magazine, and
within few weeks the people Of the
United States were raging with ths lust
OF blood.
Still William Mckinley stood stead
fast. He knew war was nearly IN
evitable, but he was in a position to
know also that this country. rich though
it was in men and resources, was not
ready for war. He was in a position
to know that there were no rifles. no
cannon. no clothes, no tents, no pro-
visions Of war for even the most mod
crate army. He had not exhausted di-
piomacy. and even then he knew that
time was necessary to prepare the coun-
try FOR war. The great public which
was ignorant Of the real situation and
which did not realize that 4 mistaken
pubic policy had allowed our army to
run down to point where We were not
fittt to fight even a little nation like
Sp, n. still thunderel for war and be-
gan TO suspect the good faith and the
Ira cry of q man like William McK;n-
10y.
Mckinley Consulted Hairbauka.
All this is history. which the world
knows and which need not be reca apiruiat-
ed n detail. What the world does not
generally know is that in the small cir
Gle Of men Who were daily and nightly