Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-06-19

or cold either. for that matter. what.|
ever may be the temperatures, phys,
ical or mental, OF those about him, tho,
senior senator from iowa II always
normal.
When It began to be notsed aboutl
town that Senator Allison was prepar-
Ing an amendment to the rate bill. de-
signed to bring together the two OPP
posing republican factions, everybody
know that the end was In sight. All
the word tinkers in the senate had
tried their hands at fitting together
the group of words that would satisfy
both sides. Allison was the only man
Of them who could contrive to make
a success Of the task, and he was sick
at the time, too.
The late Senator Hoar, OF Massachu-
sets, who served with him for many
years, once said OF Mr.. Allison: II
have never seen any indication that
he Is interested in anything, or has
any special knowledge or accomplish
ment. except what is necessary to the
line of his duty. / do not know that
he has any interest in history or litera-
ture or science or music What he does
in his time OF recreation--if he ever
has any time for recreation--I cannot
tive interest In any of the questions
which determine the action Of the par
ty or the destiny of the state, except
| those that relate to its finance. use
the word finance in the largest sense.
including means for raising revenue
and maintaining sound currency. as
we'll as public expenditures. He 10
like naval engineer regulating the
head of steam, but seldom showing
himself on deck / think he has had.
a good deal of influence in some peril
Gus times in deciding whether the ship
would keep safely on or should run
upon rock and go to the bottom"
| Mr.. Allison was picked as a coming
leader soon after he came to, congress-. L
Soon after Thaddeus Stevens died
Mr.. Blaine was talking one day in tho
capitol rotunda with a friend and said:
THE death Of Stevens is an emancipa-
ton for the republican party. He kept
| the party under his heel" Ills friend
replied: Whom have you got for
leaders left?" Blaine said: There arc
three young men coming forward
| There Is a young man to be heard
FROM" He pointed to Allison who
happened to be approaching. James
A. Garfield is another" A pause fol-i
lowed, and Blaine's friend asked:y
We'll. who is the third?' Blaine gazed!
straight UP into the dome and said;
II don't see the third Mr.. Hoar tells
this story in his autobiography.
The Iowan was a man of great ms
fiuence during his service in the house,
| but his fame has been gained in his
thirty three years. continuous services
in the senate. He served in the Thir-I
| ty-eighth, Thirty ninth. Fortieth and
Forty first congresses. but was out OF
i public life two years before his cleo
ton to the senate. He has been a
II member of the senate appropriations
committee for over thirty years, most
time as chairman, and for nearly thir-
j ty years member of the committees
of finance. Mr.. Hoar. who admired
him greatly, said:
He has controlled more than any
other man. indeed more than any 9TH
er ten men, the fast end constantly
increasing public expedi,ures, amount
ing now to thousand millions annu-
ally. He has been compelled in the
discharge of his duty to understand
the complications and mechanism OF
public administration and public ex-
penditure. This is knowledge in
J, which nobody else in the senate except
Senator Hale Of Maine, and Senator
, Cockrell, Of Missouri, can compare
with him. He hcs..tssyy , I'll. tuttse md
} moderate counsel drawn The fire from
many a wild and dangerous scheme
which menaced the public peace and
!, safety
. Familiarity and commonly known as
Uncle Billy" no one would any more
dare to use that term in speaking TO
him than Edmund Burke's contempor-
aries would have thought of calling
the great orator Eddy" He is al
ways in his seat and he never avoids
voting. Ever since he has been a
senator his name has been first or
second on the roll Of the senate and
on every important question he Is on
record. His seat Is second from the
; aisle In the third row on the-republi-
can side. He Is usually in 1t unless
= engaged in his committee room. The
dreariest Of debates cannot drive him
from his station when he has nothing
else to do. He sits all day with his
head dropped forward on his chest,
sometimes not moving for hours at a
time. He might be thought asleep. but
for the twinkiing eyes under his bushy
brows
Hundreds Of stories are told illus
trating his caution. He will never
vote, for example, for an appropria-
ton to remove the snow from the
, streets of Washington. How do we
know" he argues that it will snow
, next winter 2" That 1t has showed
, practically every winter for the past
thirtv years Is no argument to Mr.. AL
lison's mind that it will snow the COM
ing winter. His attitude has prevail
ed, and when the snow falls in Wash
Z ington, 1t stays until melted by the
sun. He has been three times voted
for, for president, In republican ma
tional conventions.
Old Senator Gear, of Iowa. Is re-
ported to have said once Allison, II
you had ever kicked anybody down.
stairs or had a great quarrel with any
man, or made lot of enemies, you
would have been president"
EDDYvILLE.