The Irish standard., 1906-06-23
At Eghty-Two Years He is AS Mentally
Alert and Capable as Any Man in
the United States Senate
His Father Was an Irish Patriot Who o.
posed the Union With England and
Came to This Country.

plomacy, and served eminently in the
administrations of Washington, JEFF
ferson. Madison and Monroe.
Senator Whytes education was con-
Quoted by R. M. McNally, a man Of
great ability, learning and experience
of affairs, who had been private secre-
tary to the great Napoleon and who
came to this country after the fall of
the Empire. A picture of this tutor
to this day adorns the walls of Mr..
Whyte's private office, and his remi-
niscences of this gentleman in con-
nection with his own boyhood are full
of charm and interest.
Financial reyerses drove Mr.. Whyte
into a counting house when he was
eighteen, and during the two years he
remained at that place he acquired an
intimate knowledge of business and
financial matters and an equipment of
information that have been of great
value to him at the bar and in public
life. When he appears in court in some
litigation involving books and accounts
he is qualified to sit there as an ex-
pert accountant as we'll as an attorney.
OF all the lawyers in Maryland he is
the best boollkeeper 1t is matter of
common occurrence for him in court
to go with the utmost ease and rapid
ity through a complicated set of books
suddenly produced and containing the
most intricate and elaborate entries.
When Mr.. Whyte first entered the
senate he had already been a member
Of the house of delegates and controller
of the state and had run for congress
and been defeated by 100 votes. He
was appointed to the senate to fill
the uneXpred term of Reverdy john
son, who had been appointed minister
to England by President Johnson.
Mr.. Whyte entered the Senate when
the conflict between the President ana
the Senate was at it's fiercest extreme.
The republicans were in overwhelming
majority and the failure of the I'M
parchment proceedings had filled them
with passionate hostility and defiance
When the Presidents annual messag ge
| was received Senator Conness, of CAL
fornia, moved to dispense with the
further reading Of the message. saying
it was an offensive document in all
| respects and that time could be bet
ter employed than hearing it read"
He called for the yeas and nays on
the question.
1t was then that Mr.. Whyte took a
| stand which made a powerful impress
| sion on the Senate and the country.
| It was a time when the democratic
| membership of the Senate was almost
| intinitesimal. To defend the President
was regarded as almost treason and
| practically certain to cast suspicion
on the Senator defending him aid
weaken his influence through his term
of service.
Mr.. Whyte, however, did not hesi-
tate. He proved himself every inch
the grandson of William Pinkney. He
resisted the slight intended to be cast
on the President, checking the rising
| sea of passion and bringing the Sen.
ate at last to its senses. He took
| the ground that the President, in
transmitting his message to the Sen
ate. was discharging public duty in
obedience to the constitution. He was
entitled to respect in submitting his
! message to a coordinate branch o:
the government.
Il trust" he said. that for the sake
of maintaining that respectful atten-
ton which the country demands or
the part of the legislative branch OF
this government the message of the
President may be read in the hearing
of the Senate. He is called upon tc
discharge a great public duty, anG
in pursuance of the demands made UP.
oIl MN DS llle Oi liz
United States he seeks to give i1for.
nation to the Senate and the House
of Representatives of the state of the
country. He may use language strong
in its character, as Senators often ir
the discussion of subjects before tht
Senate may use; he may use language
that may be irritating, but, nevertheY