The Washington herald., 1909-06-13
TOOK PRIDE IN CITY
Senator McMiEEan Vas Am
biticuS to See beautiful
Washington" Become a
Realization.

.
Columbia, and who was the right-han
man OF Senator Mcmillan. chairman o
that committee. recently delivered al
address before The Michigan Pioneer an,
Historical Society. at Lansing, on -~Th
Lie and Work Of James Mcmillan
Much Of this address appertains q
Washington and viii. therefore, be o
interest 10 the readers OF The Washing
ton Herald. The following extracts ar
taken from a report. OF the address print
ed in the Detroit Saturday Night:
''One organization 20 which Senator
Mcmillan belonged finds no place on pub
lic records II is q well-knoWn fact tha
much Of the legislation OF Congress &
arranged outside OF legislative halls: and
thar the dinner table and the smoking
room often play a larger part than th'
official places OF assembly. AIr McMn
lan's home. which be purchased soor
after entering the Senate. was noted fOl
its quiet but elegant hospitality. and II
was there that the so-caIled School Of
/ Philosophy held most Of its weekly meet
ings- Among the members were Senators
Allison. Aldrich. Spooner. Hale. wetmore
/ HaWley. Kean. MandersO1. Hanna. and
Vice President Hobart; while Speaker
Reed and Gen scoheld were frequent
attendants: and Il was not an unhear6
Of occurrence that the President OF The
United States took part in the discus
sions- II is quite within bounds 70 say
that no important measure passed the
Senate without first having been agreed
70 IN this informal c0nclave: and many
a bin, Ike the Force bin. and the ship
subsidy bin IN its original form. there
received It's death-blOW long before the
public learned Of its demise. A massive
silver loving cup. now treasured among
the Mcmillan family possessions. is the
I only tangible evidence Of the existence OF
( the school OF philosophy. for after Sen
ator Me3Iilian's death no further meet
ings were held
Becomes Committee Chairman.
Two years after Mr.. McAIinaa's cleo
ton 10 the Senate. political changes hav-
ing retired Senators ingalls,. SpOoner. and
Farwell. be became chairman OF the
Committee on the District OF Columbia.
His long experience with public service
corporations had made him familiar with
much OF the work which fen 10 his lot
He would have secuted the idea that he
was 10 be classed as a reformer: but as
matter OF fact almost every function
Of the city government was changed for
the better during his rule. To abolition
OF grade crossings on steam railways be
gave ten years Of Unremitting work. the
Introduction OF the underground trolley
for electric lines was the result Of his
investigations al Budapest. the reor-
ganization 0f the charities was brought
about by a joint committee OF Senate and
House. Of which be vas chairman. He
secured the adoption Of a law 20 restrict
the localities IN which liquor might be
sold; he secured the establishment OF a
reform school for girls; he obtained an
appropriation for a model building for
a business high school; through him a
board OF charities was created. and not
little OF the present prosperity Of Wash
ington is due 70 the personal-tax law
which assesses only Jangible personal
property To his determination and per
sistence IS due the great slow-sand fltra-
ton plant. which has transformed the
Washington water supply from one OF
the worst in the country 70 a supply clear
and sanitary. Each OF these achieve
ments marks q struggle-Often against
ignorance or indifference. and sometimes
against wei fntrenChed self-interesr
Courteous and consideraJe in his treat
ment OF those who came on business. he
resented any malign interference with the
proper conduct Of District affairs. When
an influential political and traction mana
ger from Philadelphia came 10 him with
the statement that he had secured the
consent OF a majority OF the members OF
the District Committee 20 the intro5uc-
ton OF the overhead trolley into the city
OF Washington. and asked for his sup
port, the Senator replied. that he thought
he possessed sufficient influence in the
Senate 70 defeat such scheme and that
he should try 20 do 50. There was a snap
II the gray eyes. and the threat was so
effective that 10 further move was made
Again. when The representatives OF ore OF
the leading railways secured the appoint
ment as District Commissioner Of q man
known 10 be friendly 10 their particular
interests. he tcIT them with some hear
that they were but misrepresenting their
employers; that what railroad should
desire was fair treatment. not favor. and
that he should see that the nomination
was not confirmed He carried out his
determinaticn.
Replanning Washington.
Mr.. Mcmillan knew every street and
road IN the District OF Columbia and he
saw the possibility OF realizing the plan
of Washington and Jefferson. that the
Capital Of the United states should be-
come the most attractive capital city IN
the world. To this end he devoted thought
and effort. first by providing for conven-
fence. good order, and sanitation. and
then by the preparation OF a comprehen-
sive city plan on which 10 build during
the coming century. Thwarted al first BY
selfish and narrow interests. he finally
got command OF the situation. and with
the Senate supporting him he proceeded
20 the accomplishment OF hls purpose.
Calling 20 his aid men who had achieved
much distinguished success in creating
the architectural and landscape beauty
that caused the Chicago Worlds Fair 70
surpass al other exhibitions OF IFS kind.
both before and since 1893. he Intrusted
10 them the work Of planning not only
for park system for the District, but
also for the placing Of future public build
ings and monuments. so that Washing
tor shall grow into beauty as the country
increases in wealth and power
1t would be impossible 70 conceive
greater harmony OF action than existed
between the distinguished artists who
made Up the Senate park commission and
the man who called them 10 the task
Daniel Fl. Durham. the chairman OF the
commission. proposed the removal OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad from government
property. where Il had been located for
thirty years, and Mr.. Mcmillan. who had
spent his entire legislative life thus far
in securing legislation revising the rail-