Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-10-11
A SPLENDID Gentleman Dead.

A Splendid Gentleman Dead.
The other day at his seaside summer
home Hon. Robert Roberts Hit de
parted this life, full of years and hon
ors. One might travel across the con
tinent and not meet with a finer man.
He was really a gentleman in the very
best sense of that much abused word.
1t was my luck to serve on the foreign
affairs committee six years while he
was chairman, and it was a pleasure
to associate with him. OF course he
was a Republican-othe he would
not have been chairman Of that great
committee in late years-but partisan
politics rarely enters into the delibera-
tons of that committee. Mr. Hit was
an ideal chairman, kind, courteous,
graceful, tactful and Industrious. He
was learned man, being a graduate
of a fine institution Of learning, and a
close student all his days. His public
career really began in 1853, when he
reported the Lincoln-Douglas debates
in shorthand He could not have had
a better start. To listen to those po-
Hfical giants day after day through a
most exciting campaign was liberal
political education, and Mr.. Hitt-or
Bob, as Lincoln called him-was an
apt scholar and learned rapidly. While
still a young man he was secretary Of
legation and charge d'affaires at Paris
while Elihu B. Washburn represented
us there. This period embraced the.
Franco-Prussian war. Mr.. Washburn
was himself an extraordinary man, be-
ing a member of that remarkable
Washburn family of which three broth
ers once sat side by side in the house
of representatives at Washington. A
fourth brother was subsequently gov
ernor Of Minnesota and senator of the
United States. Two Of the representa-
tives in congress were also governors.
So that Mr.. Hits experience at Paris
with e. B. Washburn was most ex-.
cellent schooling for nina second
course. Then he was assistant secre-
tary Of state under James Gillespie
Blaine. another splendid experience for
him.
Thus it was that he was fitted for his
place In congress, where he served a
fifth of century Naturally by rea-
son of that training be was placed on
the important committee on foreign
affairs, and when the Republicans cap
tured the house in 1894 he became
chairman, in which capacity he served
TIL the day of his death an event sin
cerely mourned by all who knew him.
10 my dying day shall treasure the
recollection of how graciously he wei
coined me to bis committee when MI.
Speaker Reed gave me that assign
ment. Mr.. Hit came to my desk, his
face wreathed in smiles, gave me
warm handshake and conveyed to me
the first intelligence had OF my pro
motion, even before the committees
were announced, saying that he was
glad to have me and entertained no
doubt that we could get along pleas
antly together
He was one of the finest converse
tionalists in the land, rich in aneedofe
and interesting Renaissance. BY rea-
son Of his large wealth he entertained
much, and, what is not always true OF
wealthy men, he knew how to en-
tertain. He always gave his commit
tee state dinner once a year, which
was the social event of the season SO
far as we were concerned Nothing but
failing health prevented bis nomination
for the vice presidency in 1904, and he
would have presided over the senate
with grace and fact equal to Aaron
Burrss