Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-07-10
The per.onaIlty Of Senator Frye.

public career and in his exalted station |
In Washington he has always been can |
did, manly, plain.mannered and unpre,
tentious. The false coin OF so.cailed
affability in others has rung holloway
beside his own sincere cordiality.
Maine folks who have come to bis at |
tention in Washington have always
found his courtesy and kindliness just
as warm there as they are at home.
And at home! Well, it will never be
possible to convince Lewiston folks that
"William P" ever enjoys Senate coat
room stories one half as much as he does
the fish yarns in Wallace Maxfeld's
barber shop.
Somehow-with all the respectful
admiration his home-folks feel for him
he isn't Senator Frye any longer when
be gets over the Maine border among US
once more. He isn't the president pro
tenn of the United States Senate. he
isn't the Spanish war peace-commis.
sioner. He isn't the great orator and
leader of statesmen. He's plain "Bill"
Frye-and happy is the big man for
whom his own people have loving
nickname!
Over in Auburn there is still living
Aunt Salina Reed who taught our
seventy-five years old senator his letters
when she was school ma'am and he
little shaver at her knee. The fact that
Aunt Salina is still alive to chat about
her most distinguished pupil makes the
human element in William P. Frye pleas
antly real.
civilian was very mischievous boy
in SCHOOL,, she says, "as the brightest
boys are apt to be-. But he was always
so cute that couldn't catch him at his
didoes. He would snap paper balls at
the girls and when looked up he would
always be demurely studying his lesson.
But under all his mischief were the same
kindliness and honest courtesy that have
marked his character all through life. l
never knew him to fail to take of his
hat and say Good morning, when we
first met for the day. He was the only
bow in school who observed this custom
in punctilious manner. A few years ago
I met him up at lawn party at Frank
Briggs and he asked me, why do you
cali me Senator or Mister nowadays?
WHY don't you call me William or Bill
as YOU used to do?' l have never had the
heart to call him Senator since".
The biographer of Mr.. Frye will not
find a wealth of material among bis
private papers. Many men in public life
treasure letters and memorials from dis
tinguished persons, no doubt feeling
that these will shed lustre on them, the
possessors. Mr.. Frye has received
thousands of letters, the ownership OF
which would have flattered most men
He has not saved them.
But he guards few priceless me.
MORALS. Chief among them is the
magnificently wrought silver and gold
loving cup presented to him by the
limited States Senate and inscribed az
follows: presented to Hon. William p
FRYE at the close Of the Fifty-sixth Con
gress by all the Senators, in token Of
their high appreciation OF the ability
and impartiality with which he has dis,
charged the duties of president pre-
tempore of the Senate, and of their e.
TEEN and personal regard for him."
Senator Hoar in making the presenta.
ton speech in the presence of all the
Senators said that the suggestion of the
presentation had come from the Demo
cratic side of the chamber, from a politi
can opponent of Senator Frye. He added
that MIR. Frye's administration Of the
rules of the Senate had been rather an
administration of the laws of courtesy
than of statutory enactments.
It would be work of supererogatior
to 90 into the details of the high and
codial esteem in which our Maine "grand
old man" is held by his fellows in Wash
ington. The people at home in Maine
have had repeated evidence OF the high
honor in which he is held. For more
than a third of century he has been in
the fiercest limelight, in the forefront Of
the battle for the right things, brilliant
orator and far-seeing statesman, ant
stands to-day, even in these troublOus
!, times when regulations are assailed, al
!, a true gentleman and honest patriot
without spot or smirch. Henry McFar
land has voiced the sentiment of Wash
inpton in the following writing:
HSenator Frye has certainly been ar
honest, faithful, Industrious and success
full legislator and we'll deserves thu
steadfast confidence of the people of hi
state. He is not like many men of hi
temperament, who, having the Oratorca
. gift, content themselves with exercising
it occasionally and spend the rest of thu
time in idleness or worse, but he is al
] Woodworking and rs business-like as any
, silent and methodical man of affairs
He has served on some of the most i'm
portant committees in both houses an(
always most acceptably and with grea
influence on legislation, although NJ
particular piece of it is called by hi,
, name. But that signifies nothing, for
!, like many other forms of fame it Is APP
to be largely an accident If a man be
comes known as the author of one par
ticular measure, and 1t indicates nothing
as to the mans real character or value a!
a legislator. Certainly Senator Frye hal
looked out for all interests of his state
and of his section vita the creates
fidelity, which is more than some of thu
men whose names have been linked will
particular bills have done. He is per
sonally popular on both sides of thu
Senate because of the respect for his
ability and his attachments and the re-
gard for his character and because, too
of his agreeable manners and the kindli
ness of warm heart"
It is we'll known that Senator Frye
though In comfortable circumstance.
financially, is yet poor man judged b!
the ordinary standards now extant. HI
gave up law practice that was netting
him $4,000 to $4,000 a year when h'
entered public life, and of course thu
same assiduity and abilities that hav'
made him pre-eminent at Washington
would have made him very rich maj
years ago.
Some one little while ago asked hin
if he did not regret this financial sacri
flee.
He said, and Maine will heartily amer
the sanity of his utterance:
81 would not exchange my life for any
monetary consideration. II could e
back and know that fortune awaits mi
at the law should do just as have
done. could have made money, where
as am poor, but have lived my life IL
pleasant surroundings and have foun(
infinite satisfaction in the honors anG
confidence which my state has giveI
me-"
This same sanity Of view has ordered
all his useful and well-regulated life
After all his wearing public servic,
Senator Frye is to-day of unimpairet
vigor, vitality and intellect-at thu
acme of his public usefulness to hil
, country and his state, because deep ex
I-.-t.-so ~. hoan oddad IN hfs vo iaf