Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-03-23
THE UNITED STATES SENATE
As Viewed From the Gallery by
The Editor.

from private to major-general in
the Confederate service, was in pub
lie service most of his life and a mem
Der of the senate the past eighteen
years. He was in his 10Th year. He
was one of group of ex-confederates
who are fast disappearing from the
senate. cold Cockrell" is now out
and only twelve are left, viz: Morgan
and Pettus, of Ala; Berry, of Ark. !;
Mallory, of Fla; Bacon, of Ca. :;
Blackburn and McCreary, of KY;
McEnery, of La; Money and Nc
Laurin, of Miss; and Daniel and
Martin, of Va. Some of these men
have great ability. Some are past
the vigorous period of their lives,
but those southern states have a habit
of clinging to their old war heroes.
These old soldiers are no more
radical, we believe, than some
of the young men who have come
from the south in recent years. For
instance, Bailey, of Texas, or Car
mack, of Tennessee, is either as radi-
cally sectional as any ex-Confederate.
We watched the senate from the
gallery several days. We were fire.
quently accompanied by Frank j.
Stillman, of Jefferson, this state, who
is chief door-keoper of the senate, and
II. b. Herbert, of Audubon, of the
House document room, either Of whom
is close observer and knows by
sight each member.
1t is often said, sometimes derisive-
ly, that the senate is the most distin-
guished and the wisest legislative
body in the world Whoever first
gave utterance to this sentiment doubt
less meant it literally. We believe it
is true today. Where is there an
other body containing as many real
statesmen, orators, masters of poll
tics and of government affairs? We do
not believe it is in the House of Lords
or Commons, in the Brendesrath or
Reichstag, in the French senate or in
the Chamber of Deputies. For wis
dom, craftsmanship, breadth of knowl-
edge and comprehension of great
subjects the world has no better men,
we presume, than a dozen men who
can be picked from the senate, among
whom are Allison, Spooner, Morgan
and Frye. III it is men of ripe culture
or if it is orators or philosophers, no
assembly has the equals of a dozen
among whom is our own Dolliver,
and Beveridge, Daniel and Depew.
There is no doubt but the senate has
a just appreciation of it's own dignity
and Importance. This feeling OF the
senate is often subject for ridicule
and jest.
There is much criticism these days
against the senate, the charges being
frequently made that the body is aris-
tocratic, that it is so far removed from
the people that it doesn't represent
them, that it is composed of old fogies
and Anticipated men, and that its work
is hindered by its over sense of sena-
torial courtesy so that it is useless
and obstructive body. We believe
some of these views to be nearly cor
rect and others to be very wrong.
We believe there are men sitting
. NH so nj NJ
qualified to be good legislators. When
a man has many millions in big cor
porations he surely cannot justly
Judge as to the rights between corpo-
rations and the public. If he is presi-
dent of a great railway company he
surely cannot be unprecedented and
just in the consideration of the most
live question of the day, the rate
problem. There are such men there,
amiable and gentlemanly men, bu,
not our kind of men. Some of then
are from the east, some from the fan
west, Clark, of Montana, for example
with more money than he knows what
to do with, who isn't able to invent
enough ways to spend his income. HI
has bushy, red hair, and dresses fas.
tidiously. Elkins, another very ricf
man, big, burly, good natured look
ing, hair white, smooth shaved, suave
face. Chauncy Depew is another
capitalist, with q face mingling owl
like wisdom and humor of the laugh
| ing moon as it looks on passing
scene. We could never understand
haw Depew came to be so great III
orator and so able financier. He il
an enigma, but very interesting one.
cold Cockrell," of Missouri, wa'
serving his last few days when we saw
him. He sat in the front row of seat:
on the democratic side, and fourtl
from the center aisle, the seat JET
Davis occupied when he was mem
Der of the Senate. Seats of other mel
OF the past are pointed out, for eX
ample that of Conkling, Blaine, ant
! others.
Pettus. of Alabama, is the oldes
man in the body. He will be "a mex
July. He is pretty well preserve
man for that age, but surely ism
capable of much work. Teller, wit
his gray pompadour and slender
nervous form, looks old and is nearl
70. There is bunch of them, perhap
dozen or more, who appear to b
! too old to be of use in an active body