Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-27
SHOOT COMING TO FRONT
After Desperate Fight Utah Senator
is on Solid Ground.
BUSINESS MAN OF GOOD JUDGMENT
sonth Dakota senator seeking the
scalp of Auditor Person, Ions
n Fixture In the Interior
Department.
fFfom = starr Correspondent

From a STAFF Correspondent
WASHINGTON. April 8.tSpecial.SOr-
dinarily when q new man lie sworn in a.
a new member OF the United States senate
& IL expected that he will not be con-
spieuous for at least two years and some
times four years must elspse before It is
expected that he viii make his appear
.ance as a debater. o course. there are
exceptions to this general rule. II Uncle
Joe Cannon, for instance. should be chosen
10 succeed Mr. Hopkins as a senator from
the state OF Illinois everybody would ex-
ipect TO hear from him in short order.
And a man like Secretary Root can arise
in his seat 20 debate any question, espe-
cially a question involving the foreign
policy Of the United States. without ez-
citing ommen But the ordinary citizen
who is chosen by the Legislature Of his
state to occupy a seat in the senate IL
expected to. remain auiescent for at least
two years-snd he will suit the powers
that be better II he does not say a word
for four years-because It is an unwritten
law that new men should. like children,
be seen and not heard.
when Reed smoot first took his seat as
a senator from Utah six years ago he OBJ
served the rule rigidly, but still he was
in the public eye most emphaticaily from
the time that he took the oath Of office.
He WAS attacked on account of his re-
ligfon and his right to continue to repre-
sent the state of Utah was denied from
the outset. This was because OF the fact
that Mr.. Smoot is an apostle of the Nor
mon church. II used 10 be said that when
a preacher assigned to a Methodist church
announced to his congregation that he
would deliver his first sermon in an
tagonism 10 the brewing interest he was
advised rot to do 20 because there were
several brewers who were shining lights
in the congregation. He selected various
other industries as subjects for his dis
course, but In each instance the deacon,
whom he consulted, pointed out to him
the reasons why this should not be done.
In desperation the minister asked. Whom
can / attack?' "Oh, Jump on the Nor
mons was his reply, they have no
friends here" and there were mighty few
friends Of the Mormon church to stand
by Reed smoot,
He was subjected to "a most rigid in
QUESTION and nearly four years expired be-
fore his right to occupy a seat to which
everybody admitted he had been legally
elected Was confirmed by a majority OF
the senate.
Always a Hard worker.
During all that time Mr.. smoot had
remained rassive so far as active par
ticipation in the work of the senate was
concerned. but everyone noticed that not
withdrawing the strain under which he
labored for all those years that ne at
tended to his committee work assiduously.
No more persistent worker was found IN
any committee of the senate than Reed
Snloot He attended every meeting of
every committee to which he had been
assigned, religiously. and in those SUBJ
bodies of the senate. which, had active
control Of the legislation in which his
state was most deeply interested. ne dem
onstrated that he was. TO use a slang
expression. 'onto his job"
II was not surprising, therefore. that
when the new committee on finance was
chosen. after Mr.. Smoot had been reelected
by the legislature Of Utah for q second
term. that he should be assigned to a
place on the important committee on H.
nance.
In the cid days a finance committee of
the senate was composed of grave and rev.
erend ~selgniors'' who had long years of
service behind them. and western men par
t~icuiarly had very little chance OF obtain
ing a seat in that particular COMMITTEES
room. But a new regime has dawned and
the west Is coming to the front as a power
In legislation. Western men are now on
the steering committee and western men
i have something to say as TO the forma-
ton Of all the committees. so 1t Is not at
ali surprising that four western men are
now on the committee on finance, nor is
IL surprising to those who know something
OF the personnel of the senate that Reed
. smoot of Utah is one OF the four. Those
] who have watched the career of the SEN
ator from Utah are by no means surprised
at the activity which he has displayed as
a member Of the committee on finance.
= But others are. There has not been a meet
ing OF the committee since ii was organ
- lied which Mr.. Smoot has not attended. He
has shown a remarkable knowledge OF
tariff affairs and has demonstrated clearly
thai the business sense which has made
MIN successful in Utah is available in the
COMMITTEES on finance. withal, he has ex-
pressed a holiness q views which not only
- rebounds to the interest OF his state, but
makes for much in tho common interests
OF the country at large. There Is scarcely
A schedule of the tariff bill which he has
lot studied carefully and eonscientlously
The direct interests OF his people are IN
- hose schedules which affect hides. wool
lead and sugar. and yet he has de
roted Just as much study to SILK and
,hemicals, manufactures of cotton and al
the Others as he has to those which beal
y directly upon the Industries Of his owl
state.
II is not 10 be, wondered at, therefore
that Senator Reed smoot OF Utah has beer
n the public eye during the last few
weeks 70 an equally great extent as am
other member OF the finance committee
not excepting Senator Aldrich. lie hal
been spoken Of with more or less common
aatlon by practically every one OF the met
ropolitan dailies, and his activity has beer
noticed, In fact, throughout the country
senator smoot would not be regarded Al
an orator. but he Is a business man o
lard. common sense. whose senatorial ca
Ger win. in all probability, not reach III