Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-06-08
DEATH OF sENA TOR gORMAN.


The death, on Monday last, of Senator
Arthur p. German removes a conspicuous
figure from the political arena Of the State
and the nation. Senator German spent
life Of office holding. just past his sixty
seventh birthday, he held Office for fifty
years, and during the four years, from 1899
TO 1908, when he was ont OF the Senate, he
was as actively engaged in politics as at any
period of his life. Politics was the pursuit
which he followed from his boyhood 10 bis
he was ever engaged, as far as men knew.
For the role he was to play no man ever
had better training or finer opportunities
TO learn, and the evolution Of politics
brought about exactly the conditions which
would carry man of his shrewdness and
training to the front. At an earlier date Ia
our history-the period dominated by Web
ster, Clay, Calhoun, Benton, and the schools
of which they were the leaders-Mr. Cor
man would lave taken a secondary place.
In the period which now seems to be dawn.
ing-a period Of reaction against post
bellum frenzy and the material development
which aided party methods far from ideal
he would probably have soon dropped from
his position of leadership, for neither by
training nor taste was he fitted 10 deal with
the questions now pressing for solution. or
rather, with the methods and conditions IN.
der which they must be solved. And, there
fore, for his fame perhaps the end came at
the best time for him.
In what has been said, II Is not intended
to detract from what we consider the real
merit OF the man. II is fair 10 assume that
he had just appreciation of his own limI-
tations and had made q shFewd estimate Of
his environment, and 30 knew that the po-
litical elements were such as he could mold,
and set himself TO the task with energy and
industry and patience. His success was
phenomenal both in the strength Of his
grasp and In the duration Of bis ascendency.
The period 10 which he figured 30 pfomi-
nently was not one Of constructive states
manship, and IL cannot be said that Mr..
Germans name IL connected with any pub
lie measure which will have permanent
effect upon the policy Of the country or
upon the trend Of public sentiment. His
strength lay in rare faculty for bringing
men 10 his way of thinking In matters of
party policy affecting the result Of q polit-
zeal campaign; and it would be unjust to
deny that for many years his sagacity In this
respect was unerring. and his exclusive de-
votion TO politics, added to native ability.
gave him resourcefulness in emergencies he
d. yond any man Of his time.
AS q parliamentary tactician he had no
superiofs and few equals, and 1t Is known
that some of his notable triumphs In this
line were accomplished in conference or In
committee, when the public could not see
and applaud II is In this particular, per
haps, that he will be most missed In the
Senate, for he had the personsl friendship
of his colleagues and his Influence with them
wac strong.
Tho antagonisms he created will now pass
away. This journal has at times felt COM
PEELED to express disapproval OF his position
upon questions and Of his methods In the
pursuit Of an end. But we spoke without
personal hostility TO the man. and 1t Ia q
pleasure now to record our deliberate judg
ment that he possessed some OF the elements
of real greatness and many of the charms
which attract the affections of men, He miss.
ed some opportunities OF usefulness which
would have added to the permanency of
his influence; but he worked with industry
and intelligence. and perhaps he cared more
for the rewards which came In his lifetime
than for niche In the temple Of fame.