Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-26
.SELF-MADE SENATORS
Many Successful Ones Never
Went to College.
EDUCATED THEMSELVES
POLISHED SPEAKERS AND LIN
GUSTS FROM THE RANKS.
Perkins Was a Sailor, German Page,
Alger Farmers Boy, Tillman
Soldier, Nelson an Immigrant.

A statement was recently made by the
president of Columbia College of New York
in relation to the large proportion of uni
| versty graduates who are successful in life
| that has caused some people about the
| United states Senate to recall facts bear
ing on the Senators in the present Congress
VINO nave had rather slight early advan-
| tages In the way of school attendance.
"A search of the facts in the biographies of
| the Congressional Directory shows that
many of the men who are occupying emil
| nent positions in the Senate and have
played a prominent part in the affairs of
| their states and in the country at large. had
| TO work hard for education and did not
get 1t in the college or university. Many of
! them had but few years in any school and
after that meager beginning were forced to
| knock out of hard conditions all the educa-
| tlon they acquired, as they were forced to
| secure living under similar conditions.
These are not uneducated men. In many
| instances they are men of high attainments
| IN literature, in the sciences and in every
| respect that contributes to the makeup of
| a cultivated gentleman. But they secured
| those accomplishments outside of the col
lege and the university They acquired
! them by the aid of the proverbial midnight
| OIL, studying after days of hard work, while
| many others were bent on an evening of
pleasure.
| One thing is certain In the contests of
| reason and oratory that take place in the
| Senate chamber the early educational ad-
| vantages of the Senators could never be de-
! tected. Men whose struggle to climb the
| ladder of knowledge and fame was in many
instances the hardest, bear evidences of
| the scars of that struggle. In language, in
| clever argument, in shrewdness and in ease
of manner they show themselves to be mas
| tiers of the situation.
Expert on Ships.
Senator Patterson, a brilliant writer and
speaker, went to school in New York city
until he was fourteen years of age. and
then struck out in the manly art of knock
ing living out of the world. He became
printers devil and during three years went
through that same educating experience
which laid the fou: 1ation to the career of
the wise and good Benjamin Franklin.
There was work in the day and study at
night The young man at seventeen thought
to improve his condition and learned the
trade of jeweler and matchmaker. On
and on he went with his studies. There
were no college professors to assist, but
there determination. Finally, when
twenty-five years of age he graSped an OPP
portunty to go to De PAW University and
later Wabash College, Ind, but he was
able to attend only until the end of his
junior year Later he studied law, took an
active part in politics and as editor be-
came an influence in his state.
The career of Senator Perkins of Cali
fornia is another example of what real grit
and native abi44ly can accomplish for boy.
He was reared on farm in Maine, and
had only limited educational advantages
AT the age of twelve years he went to sea
as cabin boy. 1t was in 1856, when grown
to be a man, he shipped before the mast
and sailed from the Golden Gate. In those
days there was plenty of hardship for the
sailor and success was gained by hard
knocks and determination. Young Perkins
then engaged IN mercantile pursuits and
developed fine business capacity. He be-
a banker and engaged in mining, MILL
ing and the steamship business being espe-
cially fitted by his experience for the lat
ter. He has ever since been interested in
shipping matters and whenever any bill
comes before Congress in relation to the
shipping interests Senator Perkins is heard
with especial attention. He also has keen
interest in all legislation for the improve
ment of the condition of sailors whether on
land or sea. When they talk about the
seafaring men Senator Perkins understands
just how it is. He is a man of wide eX-
perience, and has vast fund of informa-
ton on a great variety of subjects. Any
one who meets him is impressed with the
idea that he has had the best educational
advantages and is a man polished by travel.
Varied Starts in Life.
!. Senator Barry of Arkansas, who achieved
a record as a brilliant soldier in the con-
federacy and who has occupied all sorts
of eminent places in his state, was a man
of limited early education. That educa-
ton was largely in private schools. Mr..
Berry became lawyer of great distinction,
and in the Senate has had long and nom
orable career.
Senator Knute Nelson came to this coun-
try from Norway when six years of age,
and at nineteen went into the Union army.
There were hard knocks and plenty of
them. He first lived in Chicago, then went
to Wisconsin and to Minnesota. He is
linguist of unusually fine attachments. He
is one of the most widely read men in the
Senate, and as a converse tionallst he is
charming to a high degree.
Senator German, whose keenness of in
telIect and polished bearing causes him
to be admired everywhere, had no rosy road
to an education. He was an example of
the boy who gathers in an education from
his surroundings AS a boy for time he
went to the public schools of Howard coun
ty, Md, and then became a page in the
United States Senate in which he was Ill
timately to play so prominent a part. He
was in the employ of the senate for four
teen years. The senate was his university
and university graduate ever made bet
ter of his opportunities.
Senator Tillman with his rugged whirl- |
wind oratory and native brilliancy of mind
is another case of a successful man with
poor educational advantages and that in
a state in which a polite education counted !
for much. South Carolina had been in the |
control of the aristocracy ever since the |
war. The sons of the Well-todo had politi- |
cal honors reserved for them. Tillman |
reared on a farm only knew the little |
school house that was open to the sons of
the poor people At seventeen he left that |
school and went into the war. He lost an eye |
during the war period so that he was still |
further handicapped in the race for sue
cess. But he was a terror when he talked |
to the people and he won support that in |
spite of the long rule of the aristocracy
placed him in absolute control of the state.
He is today and has always been a deliver
into books. He knows men and he has the
art of reaching the sympathies of the plain
people to a degree that no university edu-
cation could give him.
Educated by Experience.
Senator Alger of Michigan lost his parents
at the age of eleven years and for seven
years he 1abored on farm, and whatever
education he could acquire was under great
difficulty. Later he had an opportunity to
attend an academy for time and he taught
school and made up for his lost educational
opportunities by burning the midnight oil.
Senator McCumber and Senator Hans
brough both had small educational OPP
portunities, but they are both men of wide |
information and of fine education.
These names could be added to extensive |