The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1909-01-06
Mr.. divers Candidacy for United
SiateS Senator.

PITTSBURGH, PA, Dec. 29.-The Hon.
John W. Craw ford, of the Forty-fifth dis
trict, senior member of the state senate OF
Pennsylvania and chairman of the Alle-
gheny county legislative delegation, is
taking keen interest in the candidacy Of
George Il. Oliver for the United States
Senate. Discussing the situation today,
Senator Crawford, who recently was re-
elected for fourth term, said:
ut is now nearly two weeks since the
candidacy of George L. Oliver for the
United States Senate was first seriously
considered, and a week since the Alle-
gbeny county legislative delegation un-
animously indorsed him in caucus. Dur
ing this time, as a friend of his l have
paid some attention to newspaper COM
ment on the subject, and especially to
such of 1t as was unfriendly. Ii is of this
that | think something should be said.
"Some have sneered because Mr.. Oliver
is wealthy. Is that discreditable? l
have yet to learn that to be born without
means, to work hard for 30 or 40 years, to
contend time and again against adverse
fortune, to survive the reverses inevitable
in period of industrial development and
transition, and at last TO achieve a COM
Portable position in life, should be held
Objectionable. Mr.. Oliver is not of the
sudden rich, but quite the contrary. He
has not oppressed, he has not crushed
others, and he has resorted to no unlaw-
ful or improper methods for his own ag-
grandiZement.
"Some have urged that we must have
another Knox-another great lawyer and
another great orator. Not necessarily
Spooners, Knoxes, Roots, Lodges and
Culbersons are few, and that is why they
stand out so brilliantly. Besides, it is
not essential that one excel in these re-
spects in order to make a good Senator.
The man of most dominating personality
in the Senate today is neither orator nor
lawyer. The President is not a lawyer.
The late Senator Allison was only an or
dinary lawyer and an ordinary speaker,
and yet he was an extraordinarily valu-
able Senator. Mark Hanna was not
lawyer and made no speeches until late
in life, but he was a real Senator for all
that. AS for Mr.. Oliver, he was a prac
ticing attorney for 10 years and he is we'll
grounded in the law. He was but % and
had been at the bar only three years,
when he was made solicitor for the Dollar
Savings Bank. This was in 1874 when
that bank was the largest financial insti-
tuition in Pittsburgh. The trustees we're
among the most conservative and SUBJ
stantial men in the city, and the service
was ola peculiarly eXacting nature re-
quiring both skill and discretion. 1t was
the most important general counselorship
in that part of the state. Mr.. Oliver dis
charged its duties with entire satisfaction
and retained the position until he retired
from active practice in 1881. The place
is now held by Mayor George W. Guthrie.
In short you may be sure that Mr.. oliver
is lawyer enough to discriminate be-
tween what is constitutional legislation
and class legislation, between meritorious
measures and political flubdub. AS to
speaking, he can take care of himself in
the committee room or on his feet. At
any rate the criticism we hear most fire.
quently of the Senate is that it runs too
much to oratory. Often the cry is for
fewer speeches and less prolonged dis
cussion, so | fancy one orator more or
less will not imperil the nation. Besides,
the tendency ofall legislation today is to-
ward the regulation of business. More
and more each year we are trying to cor
rect commercial and industrial evils
minimize transportation abuses and re-
lieve the distresses of labor by act of Con-
gress. What more natural, therefore than
for Pennsylvania-a state so intimately
concerned in these problems-to increase
the leaven of business men in the Senate
by sending business man like Mr.. Oil
yer to Washington? We all know that
for nearly 30 years he has had to do with
the very questions now uppermost in the
public mind-as a manufacturer, an en-
ployer, shipper, a transporter, devel-
oper, an investor and as an editor, The
experience he has had must prove inval-
liable when applied to proposed legisla-
ton his legal training will keep him on
constitutional ground, while the saving
common sense which has always charac-
terized him will act as a deterrent if radi
calism seeks to run rampant in either ex.
treme touching the issue of business and
national prosperity.
81 noted with amusement the remark
of one paper that thought man might bt
good father, kind employer, respect
ed citizen, of acknowledged integrity, ant
also aloyal Republican, these were no
sufficient reasons why he should be sen
to the United States Senate. OF cours
not. Still, those are attributes not to b.
despised even by men who occupy 'th
seats OF the mighty If a man be admir-
able 10 his personal relations, if after h
has lived for 60 years in the same com
munity he is of good repute for probit.
aud fair dealing, and be notable for th
instincts of decency which invariably in
splre his attitude toward others, 1t Is rea
sonable TO assume that the same rule @
conduct will be observed by him as