Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-19

the platform, pledged for revision down
ward, and the presidents campaign prom
Uses, all for revision downward. He went
at the revision with the quiet assur-
ance which is Aldrich, and from start to
finish he revised u~pward-upward, no mat
ter what any one may say to the contrary
upward in all features where the upward
pleasantly affected the great interests"
Of the country, and ownwa where the
was innocuous or agreeable.
More gently than the often quoted rail-
way magnate, concerning the public" be
cause he is by nature more gentle, Aldrich
remarked Of the people: The consumer
be-obliterated." And in spite of president,
progressives, democrats, platform and
promises, he revised the way he wanted
to, passed the bill through both houses,
saw It signed by the president, and left
at once for his magnificent summer home
at Warwick Neck, r. l., with a genial
smile upon his lips, a merry twinkle In
his eye and the very best Of good feeling
in his heart toward every living human
being on the earth.
No Mans Enemy.
The most disliked and the best abused
citizen of the United States today, with
enemies galore-the vast majority among
them-Aldrich is no mans enemy. . " .
He never loses his temper or sends a single
vindictive compliment toward his detrac-
tors, He is exquisitively polite. He can
be gently sarcastic. He is often cour-
teously c~uttlng-but he never loses his
temper. During the last months OF tariff
revision, while he was assailed and bat
| tered by press and public, and most of all
by his fellow members on the floor Of the
senate, the question was on every tongue:
How does Aldrich keep from getting
madT'
Wen. how does he? And how can he
do all the rest that he does7 Simply be-
cause he is Aldrich. Be he good, bad, or
indif-no. he could not be Indifferent in
a~nything-be II good or be It bad in him
It is facile pTinceps. He is a man without
a peer and he knows It, AS though It were
a new discovery It is heralded against
Aldrlch that he Is a plutocrat-as well
patent the announcement that a white man
is white. II exudes from every pors-of
the man. Som men are born great,
some achieve greatness, etc. Aldrich
achieved plutocracy. Along the path by
which he zane there are many little in
! cIdents in which muck-rskers revel; but,
whether they have the right or wrong
OF II. Adrich today is an unostentations,
earnest, honest plutocrat His associations
and affiliations are plutocratic. His friend
ships and principles are plutocratic. When
he frames his financial bill, two years
hence, he will not only favor a central ma
uonal bank, but one that will strengthen
the power OF the national banks, especially
the national reserve banks. He can't help
Il. Il is his honest conviction. on the
other hand, his marvelously keen common
sense Is a balance wheel which his detrac-
tors fan to appreciate. II is noteworthy,
too. that among his stanchest followers
and most consistent admirers In the SEN
ate are men as far as possible from pluto
cratic tendencies. and so far as general
legislation is concerned there is very little
which ever dangerously appeals TO pluto
cratic tendencies. II only indicates the
general trend Of legislative and political
positions which Aldrich naturally takes,
favorinG the great financial interests OF
the country, as, In his honest oapinion.
the best course for national and party
prosperity.
Not n Leader.
Aldrieh Is often spoken OF as the leader
Of the senate. but q leader he Is not. A
leader Is followed because he Is popular
Aldrich Il not popular. A leader is a
foremost fighter. Aldrich Is not a
fi~ghtsr-not like Foraker. for example, who
would stand by his gum the more nercay