Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-01-17
SENATOR HALE.
THE SENATE LEADER-So RE-
aARDED BY BOTH PARTIES.
appREcIATIvE SKETCH OF NAMES
SENIOR SENATOR BY A NEW
YORK NEWSPAPER MAN.

This session OF Congress has produced
q realignment of leadership in the Senate,
saws the Washington correspondent OF the
Nav York Times Mr.. Germans virtual
aisappearance has left Mr.. Bailey the fore
most figure on the democratic side, despite
his refusal to take the nominal chieftain-
shin. and whoever may be elected to that
position, Bailey will continue to be the
man who really directs democratic
policies.
On the republican side MIR. Hale has
eo,ne to the front as the floor leader.
This is no sudden revolution. For years
Mr.. Hale has been forging quietly to the
front, and he has now stepped into the
posttion to which great ability entities
him. and long experience has been prepar-
ing him. He has for years been one Of the
most poten. forces in that little clique
generally known as the senatorial oligar-
civ. Now he is its foremost figure.
This IL not to intimate that Senator Al
drich has been endorsed or driven from
power. He is great manager, and is not
in conflict with Mr.. Hale on any inn
DOTINni
tested less and less disposition to take on
himself the responsibilities OF active
leadership He is the chess player of the
Senate. the wire puilcr, the manager OF
votes But Hale has come to be the great
force in arranging party policies.
By democrats and republicans alike Mr..
Hale is day recognized as ''the leader OF
the Senate. The words are put in quo
tation marks because, question anybody
you will, they are the ones in which he is
described.
Ii is a distinct gain for public life that
Mr.. Hale has come to take that position.
There are men OF as ripe experience as his,
such as Mr.. Allison; there are men OF as
great Independence as his, there are men as
sagacious and broad OF view, and there are
men OF his iron determination and tre-
mendous force; but the combination is
his alone, so far as the Senate is concerned.
He Is not a poser. He is not fond OF
speechmaking. He is simply a great
worker, and man who stands absolutely
immovable amid pnblic clamor and pri-
vste pressure. There is no more erect man
in public life.
WHERE THE WORK Is DONE.
Congress is not debating society. Its
work is not done by speeches. 1t is done
in private eonfabs. Thess eoniabs are
often participated in By not more than
half dozen men. OF late years they have
been held mostly in Halls little commit
tee room.
1t is worth while to know something
about Hale, for at the present moment he
and Speaker Cannon and President
Roosevelt are the men who are making
the history of the United States, IL any
three men can be said to do so.
Hale is grim visaged man, red OF face,
with sort of war-m map all over 1t, and IL
terminates in pugnacious iron-gray
beard, with an aggressive point at the end
OF il. He is square Of body, and his head,
well-shaped, as 1t Is, carries out the war
like appearance OF the rest Of him. He
never delivers orstions.
When he is compelled to drop few tons
of common sense into debate, he does ii
in the hriefest possible compass Of sem
fences. While he is doing it he holds on
to the corners of his desk tightly with
both hands. He speaks with an irritating
elaboration and without emphasis. A
sort of sandy grain runs through bis voice
which Is extra dry.
He opposed the Spanish war, which WAS
about the most unpopular thing q man
could do. Any blatherskite could win
the halo of a patriot by whooping it up.
Hale doubtless was wrong, but his mind
was made up in his usual deliberative,
careful fashion, and when once made up
1t was Interchangeable.
In Maine, where they were sending men
to the front, Hale's action was resented.
But they stick in Maine to a good old
principle OF giving their representatives
Tree rein in matters Of principle. They
look on those things as Edmund Burke
did, and Hale was reelected. He knew,
however, when he took that unpopular
ground that he was in danger OF making
Maine do an almost unprecedented thing
IN hat State-turn down one of their
senators for reelection.
Then he opposed the Philippine war.
de did not get SO much fame out Of it as
Senator Hoar, because he did not deliver
orations Of that senator's kind. But he
opposed 1t none the less, though he was
one OF the senatorial oligarchy.
FIGHTS IN THE OPEN. TIT.
lie is as independent OF President
Roosevelt as Of everybody else. He has
opposed and tkwarted the President on
MS naval extension programme and other
matters. But he is not one Of the senators
who secretly oppose Roosevelt while pre-
tending to support him. On the contrary