Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-04


body. He began to learn the methods OF
the Senate when q page there. When he
became young man hs was made private
secretary to Stephen A Douglas OF Illinois.
In way he was acquainted with All the
great men of the period of his boylDcd. and,
while he was without scholastic education.
he had learned of practical sfatssaAanship
and received an education In politics TINT
few have acquired.
Besides being the private secretary OF Mr..
Douglas he served for q time al postmaster
Of the Senate. In 1865 he was appointed
collector OF internal revenue for the fifth
district OF Maryland and held that Office for
three years. He took an active interest IN
politics at all times and was elected menl-
Der of tho house of delegates from Howard
county and served In the state legislature
until 1875. During two years Of that time
he was speaker of the house. In 1873 he
was elected member OF the state senate.
where he remained until his election to the
United States Senate.
An Active Political Worker.
Mr. German had always been an active
worker in politics, and In 1876 he showed
such marked ability as an organizer In
managing the campaign of John Lee Car
roll candidate for governor. that he was
ever afterward a power In Maryland poll
tics. A very hot campaign preceded the
nomination OF Mr.. Carroll by the conven-
ton, his opponent being William T. Hamil-
ton of Hagerstown. but the adroit hand of
German was felt throughout the fight and
Carroll carried of the prize.
Mr. Germans entrance into the United
States Senate Is said to have been the re-
suit of his disappointment in getting the
Endorsement of William Pinkney Whyte,
then United States senator. for the position
of secretary OF the United States Senate.
Senator Whyte Is said to have declined
to indorse German for that place because
he had promised his support to another
candidate. German quietly declared that
If he would not indorse him for the secre-
taryship he would go after Senator Whyte's
seat in the Senate, and he began q we'll
planned campaign. This was the beginning
OF the break between Senator Whyte and
Mr. German. and the two were never again
friends Whyte had pushed the young man
to the front Mr.. Whytes wife being in
poor health, he expected to decline the nom
nation for reelection to the Senate. When
Mr.. Whyte changed his mind and deter
mined to again run for that honor he found
German formidable candidate, and he
could not regain his strength. From. that
time Mr.. German had strong influences ar
rayed against him in seeking political con-
troll OF the democracy OF the state.
Mentioned for the Presidency.
On two occasions Senator German was
before the country as strong candidate
FOR the presidential nomination of the DEM
ocratic party, or at least his name was
foremost in that connection. He was very
widely admitted to be the clearest headed
and shrewdest political manager of his
party, and while as a presidential possi-
pihty he had many powerful enemies espe-
cially IN the radical element of the organ
ization, he had the confidence of practically
every one so far as his managerial ability
was concerned.
He was chairman of the national demo-
cratic committee when the democrats elect
ed Mr. Cleveland in 1884, and he received a
great deal of credit for some of the results
that were accomplished In that campairn
While he was named prominently as q can
didate for the presidency great many of
his friends doubt whether his political sense
approved of his own candidacy At least
he was receptive rather than active as a
candidate. waiting to see what force q
boom for him would receive before having
anything to say about 1t. He was never
a candidate in any outspoken way but 1t
was believed that his friends had his adj
vice In much that they did in order to
promote his interests in that respect. He
was always an organization man, and one
strong argument in his favor was that he
had never bolted. but had done all he could
for the party candidates, even If they had
not been chosen with his approval
Senator German had always taken an ac-
tive interest in the affairs OF the District
OF Columbia, and had a very thorough
knowledge OF conditions here For many
years ne was q member of the Senate
committee on the District of Columbia, and
until his recent illness confined him to his
home he was a regular attendant upon the
meetings of that committee. *
In Committee Work.
From the beginning of his term as a sena-
tor he had showed his chief strength in the
counsels of his party, and In committee
work he was especially powerful. There
was never time when his opinions upon
any subject relating to the good of his party
were regarded lightly. Soon after he began
his service in the Forty-seventh Congress -
was made member of the committee on
rules IN which place he performed "a great
zeal OF work or service to his party. He
was always member of the steering com. !
mittee and rapidly advanced to the most
important minority committee places in
the senate. AS member of the commit
tee on appropriations, on commerce and on
interstate commerce he made himself a
power in the Senate. His membership on
the committee on finance was important in
all discussions of the tariff as he alway VS.
took leading part in the framing of all
the tariff bills while he was In Congress
In fact, the so-called Wilson tariff bill at
the time 1t was passed was almost as thor
oughly identified with his name as 1T was
with that of Mr.. Wilson, as IT was German
who took the leading part in its reconstruct
tion, and 1t was believed by many that
had his hand not been in 1t the shortage
or revenue would have been disastrous
Mr.. Germans connection with the up
building OF the new navy that was begun
under Secretary Whitney during the first
cleveland administration Is generally ac-
knowledged- He was at that time a MEM
Der of the committee on appropriations and
he was friendly to the efforts for the up
building of the navy. When the Cleve-
land administration passed out and the
government again went into the hands of
the republicans, Mr.. German continued to
take the same interest that he had pre-
viousiy shown in the navy, and assisted
by his vote and influence In appropriating
funds for that purpose. On the occasion
OF a banquet given in the honor of Mr..
German in Baltimore. Secretary Tracy ac-
knowledged In strong speech that the
Maryland senator had contributed much to
the advancement of the new navy.
Senator German was especially active
In getting appropriations for his state.
He was to a large extent influential In adj
vaneing the Improvement of the Naval
Academy at ANNAPOLIS In securing q new