The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-10

Much has been said and written about
the United States Senate as "a million
aires club, and it has also been called
''the American House Of Lords" There
are more poor men than rich ones in the
Senate. its procedure is in no sense copied
after that Of the upper House of the Brit
ish Parliament. and those who improperly
make money by reason of occupying seats
in the distinguished body are very few,
II any do. Within TIE past few years.
since public opinion has been so strongly
brought to bear upon public men in this
country, the dishonest ones in the Senate
as elsewhere, have been smoked out
some have been sent TO the penitentiary
and some are dead. The Senate is better
than it was, and it was never as bad
as it has been painted
In all the comment. much Of it hysteri-
cal and incoherent, about the personalities
of the men who make up the Senate of
the United States. little has beeen said
about the fact that its membership until
very recently included and may soon
include again. at least one true aristo-
crat-not of royal blood or noble birth.
but true aristocrat. none the less
There is IN the United States. as else
where, an aristocracy Of brains, as well
as Of wealth. and perhaps a man can
be some kind of an aristOcrat, possessing
only one. and. possibly. with none of
these attributes. However that may be.
the Senate OF the United States lost
temporarily It's one true aristocrat last
March when the assembly of Rhode ISL
and failed 10 elect a successor 10 Hon.
George Peabody WetmOre. of Newport.
the habitat Of the American aristocracy
OF wealth and assumption, If not of blood
and brains When the general assembly
of the state of Rhode Island and Provi-
dence plantations meets again in January
the struggle TO elect a Senator will be
renewed and judging by the Republican
complexion Of the general assembly just
elected. Mr. WeunOre Will come back to
sit in the seat which he has kept warm
for dozen years or more.
AristOcrats at LOEgerheads.
Rhode Island is an aristocratic State.
IN spots. and so when the Senatorial bat
tie opened a three-cornered contest fol
lowed between Aristocrat Wetmore. he
OF the type peculiar 10 himself; Aristo-
crat Goddard. whose ancestry and bust
ness association go back TO the days Of
old John Brown. who bought and sold
slaves and rum. and whose descendants
have been and are men of wealth and
brains and breeding, from whom have
flowed the blessings Of Brown University
and others too numerous to mention. and
Aristocrat Colt. a captain of industry,
who lost his health in the bitter struggle
that followed. and who has now put DO
Htcal ambitions behind him in an effort
10 regain his customary strength and
vigor
The field is thus left open to Aristocrst
Goddard, the nominee of the Lincoln
party OF Rhode Island. made up OF the
'unwashed and uuterrihed" Democracy
and the kid glove Republicans Of the
smallest State in the Union. and Aristo-
crat WetmOre. who has since the retire
ment Of Col Coli the backing Of the
Republican party organization Aristo-
crat Goddard was nominated at the
primaries, and the fight is now on to
see whether the Democrats. with their
ant-RepubliCan allies. are strong enough
70 wrest the State from tie control of
those who have maintained H. 10, these
many years. The recent election demon
strates That they are not-that is, not
yet
1
Senate is great leveler. Seniority of
service alone controls preferment in that
august body. and should the general as
sembly OF Rhode Island and Providence
plantations next January re-elect Aristo-
crat Wetmore, his name will go TO the
bottom OF the list So far as the Senate
rules and customs control, ne is as much
d private citizen to-day as If he had
never been a Senator, and should he re-
turn next spring he will find his good
committee places attained by twelve
years Of honorable and faithful. If not
conspicuous. service. in the possession of
those who came after him. The Rhode
Island aristocrat Is chairman OF the Com
mittee on Library. a member Of the vast
~ important Committee on Appropria-
tons. and q member OF others. including
Public Buildings and Grounds. Pacific
Islands and Porto Rico, and Woman Suf-
frage
Goes to Foot OF Class.
But when he reJurns-if return he does
he must begin again at the foot of the
ladder It IS this rule of seniority Of serv-
ice that accounts for the fact that Sen
ator Cullom, who knows as little about
international law or diplomatic usage as
did that great man whom the Senator
loves 10 think he resembles. Abraham
Lincoln. is chairman OF the Committee
on Foreign Relations. in whose member
ship there are such men as Lodge Of Mas
sachusetts, Foraker of Ohio. Frye OF
Maine. Beveridge of Indiana. and until
lately the peer of them all. Spooner of
Wisconsin; and that an unknown lawyer,
Mr. Clark, Of Wyoming. is chairman OF
the Committee on judiciary, place once
held by the most distinguished lawyers
and the most profound statesmen that
the United States has ever known. In
the House OF Representatives the com
mittees are appointed by the Speaker. He
can depose and elevate men as he
chooses. though few Speakers have had
the nerve 10 put little men of long ex-
perience out Of important chairmanships
TO make way for big men OF short terms.
If George Peabody Wetmore comes
back to the Senate, that body will be
able again to boast of "A true aristOcrat
II its membership. He lives and acts as
one who cares not for the concerns of his
feIlow-men. He scars beyond and above
them. and lacks the faculty Of remember
ing the names and faces of those with
whom he is brought in daily contact. on
the streets in the business places. the
public halls in the homes of Providence.
Pawtucket Woonsocket. Chepachet. and
the other big and little cities Of Little
Rhody." with the exception OF Newport.
the face of the Senatorial aristocrat is
unknown. This is so TO less degree in
Newport. where he dwells in a stone
castle. Sur-le- Mer. concealed In the fol-
lage Of broad acres running from Bellevue
avenue 10 the sea. out of sight and out
of sound and where the latch-string
hangs outside only for those who can get
near enough TO pull IT, The aristocrat is