The Washington herald., 1907-12-02

Is Senator Davis in2'
"TIl see" The desk clerk at the Metro
politan Hotel repeated the query TO the
telephone operator, and the reply came
Immediately. The visitor would hnd the
Senator in his room 1t was a large
room on the second floor. and the door
was opened by the Senator himself his
other hand-and it is a large, firm hand.
that clasps another's with a good. hearty
grip-held out 20 greet the caller
Hearty, too. with a quiet, sincere hos
pitalty of the South i'm it. was the
greeting. And Senator JEFF Davis. of
Arkansas, who viii to-day be sworn in
as a member of the most august de-
Lucrative body in the United States.
waved his guest to "A chair. the most
comfortable in the room. The Senator
had never seen the visitor until ne opened
his door TO him; he didn't know the
callers business. nor anything about him
save his name. and he had never heard
that until it had come TO him over the
hotel telephone. But the Senator is
Southener. and in the South a guest
is = friend
Big Man of Quiet Mien.
That's Jeff Davis. He's "A big man-taI
and stout, but not obese. His face. clean
shaven and well rounded. has the ruddi-
ness Of health in il. and his calm blue
eyes look out from it with quiet dignity
lie speaks in quiet. but resonant. tones
and his voice i'm conversation gives one
when allowed to flow AT full tide The
first impression Of the man us whole
is that of an American gentleman Of
to-day. quietly cordial with immense
reserves of forcefuincss behind his calm
dcmeauor.
This is new field 90 me. you know %
be said. "and I'm taking stock. I'm not
discussing The big issues that face us.
I want 90 know more about them first
The trust question and gambling in fu-
lures interest me greatly, however.
II got here Thursday. and the principal
thing that's botherng me now is that 1
have not heard from the people AT home
my own people. II takes three days to
get letter here from my home. You
know. / was just writing letter TO the
home folks when you came in"
That is the man again-a United States
Senator. on the eve of his first service in
his countTy's greatest assembly. but first
just "a plain American. sitting I'm his shirt
sleeves in his room in a far city, writing
10 his loved ones, and longing for word
from them 10 assure him that all We're
well.
Roosevelt and Bryan.
Il called on the President yesterday. 20
he continued. We are good friends al
though / am not of his political faith.
Mr. Roosevelt VIII undoubtedly be the
nominee of his party for the next term
and ne is the strongest man they could
put up"
And the Democrats
Mr. Bryan can have the Democratic
nomination if he wants IL. He has said,
believe that he viii accept the nominal
tion If his party desires him TO bear its
standard again. but he has not said that
he wants IT, I think however. that Bryan
and Roosevelt VIII head their respective
tickets i'm 1905. Mr.. Bryan"-and his face
showed that he was vOiCing a strong
cOnviction-"is one Of this country S
greatest statesmen. And whether he
should ever become President or not, he
will always be held up 20 the youth Of
the United States as a splendid example
OF jill lildL IS best IN American n1dllh0NHl
lie can poll more votes in the South than
any other man in the country could
know how the people I'm the South feel
toward him, but I do not know the sen
timent in other sections
Replying to question as 10 his per-
sonal career, Senator Davis said:
Named for South's Chief.
Il was born in Russellville, a little town
i'm ~ Of ALL. 81, rlea
No ] am in no way related to the late
President of the Confederacy, but I was
born in 1862, during the war. and my
father named me Jefferson after Presi-
dent Davis However, sign my nam,
jeff Davis. and like to be called so.
have been in public life fourteen years.
served two terms as district attorney fol
my district; I believe you have county
attorneys up here but down in ArkanSa.
they combine the counties into districts
and each district has its prosecuting at
toTney. Then I served two terms as at
torney general of the State. aQd from
that Office 1 was elected governor in 1900
became governor in January. 1901, auC
served until January, 1907, three success
siye terms. being elected Senator while
in office. I think that breaks the recor,
in tine South. 1 do not know Of any Othe
instance Gov. Taylor. Of Tennessee. nov
also "A new Senator. served three terms
as chief executive Of his State, but ther
was an interim.
''Beckham. of Kentucky, also was three
times governor. but his first term wa!
not an elective one, as he succeeded {,
the gOvernOrship when Goebel was killed
being then president Of the legislature
or lieutenant governor. Senator Bob
Taylor, of Tennessee. is a good frien,
of mine. and a tiTst-class good fellow"
speaks Well of All Men.
Not "a word of disparagement left tn
Senator's lips against any Of the mel
whom he discussed during the interview
on the contrary. he had a good w0r,
for every one of them. And as the Gale
took his leave he bade him farewell Wit
the same courtesy with which he had re
ceived him. and then went back to tina
important letter-the thing that was in
teresting him most on the eve of his frs
day as q member of the United State
Senate-that letter to the home folks.
And that's JEFF Davis.