The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-08-20
How Ability, Endeavor
and Pluck Won For Him
Fame, Power and Sue
cess.

nas discovered only within the imme-
aiate past to have been ruthlessly
I neglected and ignored
Fulfilling His Election Promise.
When the victory was won the
newly-elected senator made a solemn
promise to the people of Michigan:
Il shall be faithful to the trust.
The people, through no act of mine
shall ever have cause to regret the
work OF the legislature" was his first
declaration.
Scarcely. more than two years have
| passed since then.
| That his record of achievement as
congressman had preceded him into
the senate was evident from the as.
slgnments on important committees
given him. From the first his ability
and power won for him recognition
In that austere and rule-ridden body,
and he was not required to serve the
apprenticeship usually demanded of
new-made senator's.
In recent discussion of the
methods of the senate, and the long
years of experience required to at
tain recognition and power, Senator
| Beverage, of Indiana, said:
Now and then a man of dominant
personality, of vast ability, of tire.
less industry of perfect fearlessness
and rectitude develops; and for such
man there is in the senate, as there
is anywhere in any country at any
time, always an immediate and con-
spicuous recognition"
And such man, it must be con-
coded, was found when Michigan de.
n
represent her in the senate of the
nation.
Having won his way to the front
and attained that recognition with
out which no member OF the senate
! can hope to WELD influence or power
in national government, Senator
Smith may fairly be said to have
entered fully upon his career of use
fulness both to the glory and credit
OF his state and the whole nation.
Senator'S Interesting Characteristics.
The story of VIM. Alden Smiths
life Is one of success, little and
big. Whatever he set out to accom-.
plish, even in his boyhood days, he
appears to have succeeded In doing
If there are any failures chalked uI
against him the historians of his in.
teresting life, from boyhood to his
present exalted position, have neg.
lected to record them. His is
story of earnest resolves, unremit.
ting application, shrewd calculation
and ultimate success in every under.
taking.
1t stands out as boldly in the incl
dent which landed him in the legal
in hot ;oh
the way to his election to the
United States senate.
1t is told by himself, and as proud
ly as of the more important ones in
later years, that when as boy
peddling popcorn on the streets in
Grand Rapids, upon entering a law
office one day, and after gazing upon
the book-laden shelves he solilo-
quized aloud that:
Some day I'll be lawyer!"
He was youth of only about IA,
who had forsaken school that he
might contribute his mite to the sup
port of a loving mother, an invalid
father and younger brothers.
It was big promise to himself by
little boy, but although the path
way to its contamination was long
and beset with many trials and hard
ships, his boyhood promise found
fruition in 1882, by his admission to
the bar at the early age of "a. That
was an illustration of the insistency
of his boyhood character
When VIM. Alden Smith had at
tanned the distinction of having
reached congress, many familiar with
the life history of the boy who had
come from the ranks of street
urchins; one who had risen success
sively from messenger boy, bootblack,
newsboy and popcorn vender, it was
opined that he had reached the pin
nacle of his fame and success, and
that the future held no further adj
vancement for him.
Just how he reached the desired
goal is another story showing his
characteristic determination, astute-
ness in planning and persistency in
overcoming obstacles.
When the announcement came that
Gen. Alger would not seek another
term in the senate, there was a con-
ference of the members of the Michi-
gan delegation in congress. 1t was
we'll known that more than one
among them had senatorial longings
which, according to their ideas of
diplomacy, were best concealed FOR
the time within themselves. With
everyone discussing the probable
availability of somebody else except
themselves, Congressman VIM. Alden
Smith startled his assembled col
leagues with the announcement Of his
candidacy for the position. His bold
ness, and that is another of his char
acteristics, had crowded the others
off the track. The rest Of the story
is recent history.
When asked after his election why
and how he came to aspire for the
place he naively replied:
well, I saw | didn't have to push
anyone aside. 1t was a free fight,
with victory on the side of the man
nearest the people. 1t was hard,
uphill fight; but l didn't have to
drive anyone out Of the place"
Now Young Smith Got an Appoint
ment as Legislative Page.
DESTROYS of getting off the streets
and learning that the boys in the
legislature received good pay, he de-
termined to try for place. He bor-
rowed the money to go to Ionia to
ask the lieutenant-governor for the
IoE1