Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-08-02
WASHINGTON LETTER
Continued from page one)

J
African Jungles used to speak Of rs
the malefactors OF great wealth."
in short for the Interests" which
center in Wall street.
Aldrich is in the senate because
he can control it, Ii he could not,
he would not he there 1t is neces-
sary that the game which he repre-
sents should have its agent upon the
floor OF the United States Senate
which more and more eacu year is
coming to be the source of law in
this country If it were not Aldrich
the agent would be some one else,
but the "Interests" would go far and
wait long before they could find one
better equipped with all the neces-
s4ry qualifications, than Nelson W.
Aldrich.
The question may naturally be
asked how and why it is that Al
drich controls the United States
senate First, it is necessary to
consider Aldrich personally. AL
drich affects nothing of the appear
ance or bearing of a statesman, as
popularity conceived. Outside of the
Senate he might be taken for a
prosperous, mild hammered merchant
Z ,,-ha f,,io n
affairs. There are no frills on Al
drich he is intensely practical and
systematic in his workings. He is
no poser and never plays to the gal
leries. OF oratorical ability he has
none, although he can and does,
when it is necessary, make plain
blunt statement which, not by rea-
son of its soundness of logic or force
of fact, gains his point, but rather
because of the power which lies back
of what he says. When attacked Al
drich sneers and lodges, but he never
strikes back He answers no charge
made against him eeither in the
Senate or outside of the Senate. He
has the shrewdness to know that
to answer but directs attention tC
the truth of the charge, and that the
easiest way to have thing forgot
ten is to pay no attention to it. He
is confident of the security of his
position, he is cognizant of his power
and hence to fight back would only
be waste of energy and effort.
That Adrich is a man of brains
and ability, of genius and capacity
cannot well be denied. 1t requires q
man of these qualities to control the
Senate of the United States. 1t
would be the height Of folly from
their own standpoint for the IN
terests" to have a man who did not
possess these qualifications, in the
position which he occupies.
Furthrmore, Aldrich is born
leader of men. There are men in
whom this peculiar ability is bred in
the bone and sinew, and Aldrich is
one Of them. In all times and
among all peoples there have been
men who by singular, almost in
describable force impel Others tC
follow them, as the flock follows the
bell wether. In Aldrich's case it is
not personal magnetism which at
4
fear of his power, and the pressure
from unseen forces. Equipped with
this native ability, the wonder is that
he did not rise to a high commits
sion in the military service, but the
fact is that he entered the Union
army as private and was mustered
out as Il private. His record as a
soldier is good and he was hOnOrably
discharged, but that is all Aldrich
takes no particular pride in it. 1t
was merely an incident, and one
which he regards as of so little i'm
portance that he does not mention
il in his modest autobiography in
that symposium of self-laudation-
the Congressional Directory.
Added to his natural qualities OF
leadership, Aldrich is, by training
and development, an adept at organ
ization and combination. He has
trained 2S years in the senate and
that has given him prestige. He is
skilled in intrigue and cunning, and
a past master of detail. He knows
more about more things affecting
legislation than any ten of his as
| sociates, and about the things in
which he is especially interested, and
which he is in the senate to watch
and control, there is no one who can
approach him. He is a great student
of the questions bearing on the in
terests of the Game, tariff and high
finance for instance, and he is a
tireless worker. Aldrich can, and
! when ii has been necessary, he has