Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-12
Mere Men

Senator Purcell of North Dakota has
been member of the senate for a
little more than three months. In
that time he has become well ac-
quainted with nearly all of the sena-
tors, and has gained the respect of
his colleagues to a degree that does
not often follow the admission of a
new member. Purcell is an old-time
Dakota man, having gone to that
country in the territorial days. He
belongs to the coterie of men who
fought 1t through in Dakota, those
men who stood through all the trials
and tribulations OF frontier life and
won out in the end. Purcell hap
pened to mention to Senator Carter
of Montana the fact that he had never
seen the president, and the Montana
man said:
"See here, I'll take you up and in
troduce you. You ought to meet him. "
The result was that the president
and the North Dakota senator had a
very pleasant chat. Purcell will be
returned to the senate by the legisla-
ture this fall that is, If North Da-
kota elects Democratic legislature.
The minister of Russian finance,
Kokowzeff, is one of the ablest finan-
ciers in Europe. who enjoys in an al
together exceptional degree the con-
fdence of the men of haute finance in
the various foreign capitals. He de-
clares he will be able to provide for
the expenditure of $500, 100000, which
the nation is facing for the recon-
struction of the navy and the reor-
ganization of the army, without ask
ing for any loans, by means of very
considerable tax on alcohol and by the
raising of the price of all that portion
thereof that is produced and sold by
the state under the latter's rights of
monopoly.
Representative Poindexter of Wash
ington, who is running for the senate,
is much cheered by the news from his
state. At least one of the opposition
papers comedies that PoindeXter will
have a plurality in the primary. His
opponents are said to be bent on beat
ing him in the Legislature, regardless
of the primary PoindeXter is an in
surgent Republican and is making the
race for the senate on a platform In
which he pledges himself to progress
sive politics.
Senator Delivers speech on the oc-
casion of the reception of the statue
of Frederick H Pierpont in the sem
ate was much commented upon as one
of the most eloquent efforts heard in
congress for long time. Senator Dol
liver was in a position to talk most
entertainingly upon Pierpont, the
Union war governor OF Vermont, for,
while Dolliver is an Iowan. he was
born in West Virginia and reared
there. He is intimately acquainted
with the state and all its traditions
and with many of its people. His
father, known as Father Dolliver, was
for years a circuit rider in the noun
tains of West Virginia and went the
rounds of his circuit on horseback,
in the old-fashioned way for years
before the civil war and through the
period of the great struggle. he was
one of the most eloquent speakers or
his time, preached against slavery in
the regions where slaves abounded,
and preached death to strong drink in
the regions where the distilleries were.
THE result was that he was often in
peril of his life, but, being man or
great physical strength, as well as
spiritual, he was always able to ward
off his enemies.
Father Dolliver and Pierpont were
strong friends. Many nights my
father has gone to sleep in the Pier
mont home after joining with the fam
ilv in their prayers" said Senator Dol
ITnder the circumstances, when SEN
ator Dolliver talked to the senate about
Pierpont as one of the saints or Gou,
when he quoted from the words OF tne
nsalmist, when he recited the traol-
tional differences between West Nlr-
einia and the old dominion, reaching
Rack long before the days of the war
and when he paid a tribute TO the
mountaineers of West Virginia, he was
sneaking of things which the early ex-
neriences of boyhood had served TO
bring close to his heart.