Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
Written for the Star.

written Tor Inc star.
Copyright 1907, by Frederick Boyd Stevenson.)
There Is a long tunnel-like passageway
leading down to Senator Forakers com
mttee room-the Senate committee on Pa
clfic islands and Porto Rico. Strung along
this passage and blocking the way to the
door of the committee room, the other day
We're a half score of Ohio politicians. They
We're waiting to see Senator Foraker They
had just heard him deliver-perhaps fire"
would be the better word-hs philippe
against the President of the United States
in the Brownsville affair. They had seen
him in the Senate chamber, with the law
books and the army records and letters
and data stacked upon his desk and about
his desk. They had heard each canstic
word accentuated oratorically with a cool,
deliberate, distinct, singing voice and they
had seen each word punctuated gesticu-
latorily with hands and arms welded with
pugilistic precision. In another minute
Foraker himself bobbed into the tunnel.
He hurried through the gauntlet of Ohloans
and half burst, half fell into his room.
His face was white, his gray hair in
strings and his collar was wilted.
Give me a drink of water he whis-
pered.
The Ohioans crowded around him.
THAT was a great speech said one.
Foraker drained the water from the glass.
Then he SpranB 10 his rect anu began
shaking hands right and left.
Glad to see you! Glad to see you he
cried first to this one and then to that
one, calling each by name.
One man drew him aside and whispered
earnestly into his ear.
Yes yes" said Foraker aloud.
Another man drew him gently to another
corner. And the other man whispered into
the other senatorial ear.
Yes yeS,'' said Foraker again, and he
nodded vigorously.
Then three athletic sons of Ohio cap
tured him. Foraker smiled the smile of
pleasure, but the deep lines on his face
told the tale of the jaded man.
Tomorrow, tomorrow he said family
to all. Then to his secretary: Did you
call a cab?" And again to the Ohioans:
Gentlemen, III see you tomorrow l
must go home
One of the Men Who Works.
And on the morrow there was Foraker
as brisk and as vigorous as If sixty-one
years had not been crowded into his busy
life. Foraker Is one of the men in the
Senate who works. His enemies may say
he is bitter; they may say he is revengeful;
they may even say he is vindictive, but
they cannot deny that he is everlastingly,
necessarily busy. He is up every morning
before daylight, and 1t is after midnight
nearly every night before he retires Dur
no matter what fight he may have on
hand-he never neglects TO keep up his ex-
tensive line of reading. Without excep-
ton, he is undoubtedly one of the best
Latin and Greek scholars in public life
But busy as he is in Washington with the
affairs of the nation and the affairs of
his state-which state, by the way, keeps
it's senators fully occupied-he remains in
close touch with the law, and does more
legal practice when in Cincinnati than any
other man in the United States Senate.
That he is one of the hardest workers In
Congress is an established fact; but, de-
spite his hard work, he maintains his
health. Once a friend asked him how he
did it.
BY riding, driving and walking" said
Foraker
AS to the political side of Foraker-well.
some say there are several political sides;
at any rate. there are many views by the
outsiders-no man can give an accurate
diagnosis
Il believe that Foraker has been honest
in this Brownsville fight" said one close
to the administration to me the other even
ing in Washington. II believe he is sin
cere in the stand he has taken and is doing
what he believes is right"
Foraker and Brownsville" reiterated
another His position Is anti-administra-
tion-that's all Watch Foraker from now
on Foraker is playing politics. Nobody
knows the game better than Foraker
Watch him."
Was Always a Fighter.
Here, then, is the old story of Foraker
the fighter. He began that fighting career
of his way back in the eighteen fifties. in
Hillsboro, when, although SO slender that
his playmates dubbed him Skinny" he
could lick any boy in school. Following up
this line of physical aggress!veness. he en-
listed with the seth Ohio Volunteers when
only sixteen years old, and was the young
est soldier from that state to fight in the
Tn a
captain went all through the Atlanta cam
paign, and when he was mustered out
was an aid-de-camp on Gen. Slocums
staff The late w. T. Sherman once said
to him. in referring to the battle of Ben
tonville:
well, l remember you, my young friend,
as you came through the pine woods that
day on your horse, covered with lather.
You came up like soldier and reported to
me the message from your general. Slocum.
A knight errant with steel cuirass, his
lance in hand. was a beautiful thing. and
you are his legitimate successor. wish
yo,I all honor. ALL glory all fame 4 wish