Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-06-08

A close acquaintance of the late Sena-
tor German writing in the Springfield
Republican says:
of Senator Arthur Pue German of
Maryland, who has died in Washington,
a critical student of his character once
said that he was a combination of the
qualities of Cardinal Wolsey and Rev.
Cream Cheese. with a dash of Machia-
velli. The raciness of the description
emphasizes, almost to the point of ex-
aggeration the qualities which really
made Mr.. German one of the most i'm
portant leaders of the democratic party
during the past 25 years. He had the
sickness of manner, the softness of ap-
preach, the tact, patience and diplomatic
address of an Italian prelate, and as well
the wariness, persistence and cool sense
of the main chance which Machiavelli
thought so essential to the ideal prince.
Mr.. German was rather clerical in aspect
with a touch of the ascetic in his pale
COullttIldIlCty dnu DCIllk MltllOub wei tilC
minor vices of "good living" he met the
severest tests that could be applied to
private character. Add to all these
qualities those of diligence, ~tireless atten-
ton to the details of management, and
no end of personal ambition, without
moral scruple in the practice of the polit-
ical arts, and we had in Mr.. German, by
no means, a very rare type of human
leadership, yet one of the most interest
ing and striking that our later politics
had developed. His political career vas
essentially a failure, because it was
utterly lacking in idealism. In this
supreme test of success in public life,
Mr.. German presents a remarkable IN
trast to the late Carl Schurz, who has
also recently died. He was never cap
able of sacrificing office and political
power for a principle; never from his
lips sprang such words as Mr.. Schurz
once uttered Ideals are like stars; you
will not succeed in touching them with
your hands. But like the ~seafaring
man on the deserts of water, you choose
them as your guides, and following them
you reach your destiny"
There were but four years in Mr.
Germans life, after he was 10 years old,
in which he did not hold an office, either
state or federal; he attained national
fame as a political manager both on the
floor of the Senate and as the director of
presidential campaigns; yet his last years
witnessed his rapid decline in influence,
in the Senate chamber, where he had al
ready virtually lost the democratic lead
ership, and outside of the South he had
left few admirers or political friends.
He died deeply distrusted by both the
Cleveland and Bryan wings of his party,
because of his shifty bearing in the party
crises of the past Is years over the tariff
and silver issues, and even in his own
state last year he was severely defeated
in an effort to manipulate the suffrage
laws for partisan advantage.
While all this is true, Mr.. German per-
formed with great crdit certain func-
tions which devolved upon him in the
course Of party management in the
United States Senate. AS the minority
leader, he generally stood for economical
expenditures. He is credited with the
chief share in the defeat of the Lodge
federal elections bill of 1890, which be-
came known as the 'force bill" because
it was designed to place elections in the
southern states under federal control.
The southern white people have felt
deeply grateful to Mr.. German for his
mastery parliamentary management of
the opposition to that measure, which
was the occasion of one of the most
memorable battles the Senate has known.
The defeat of the ''force bill" must,
indeed, be regarded as the browning sue
cess of Mr.. Germans public life, for no
effort has been made to introduce again
such a measure, and the tendency of
the intervening years has been for north
ern public opinion to approve MIR. Cor
mans course. He should be credited,
also, with skill, judgment and sincerity