The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-05-19
SENATOR PENR0SE
Interesting Sketch of
Career, Personal and
Political
NEW LEADER OF THE SENATE
HAS MORE SENSE THAN
ALDRICH," SAY INSUR-
GENTS.
WASHINGTON, D.

w WAOt1lNGl lON, u. y.
'Penrose has more sense than
Aldrich.' This observation from an
insurgent Republican Senator was
intended neither as a tribute nor
historical fact, but as an eXplana-
ton He had hated Aldrich and he
did not love Penrose The caucus
OF Republican senators had just ad
Journed. A steering committee
charged with the duty of reorganiz-
ing the majority membership of the
senate committees had been select
ed. The insurgent senators, long
barred from a Republican causus
by the ruthless and uncompromising
leadership of Senator Aldrich, had
come into their own. They had
been recognized as Republican SEN
ators with membership in the steer
ing committee, which made certain
the square deal for them in the
reorganization of the Senate.
How did that happen?" a news
paper correspondent asked the in
surgent senator.
And the explanation from the in
surgent's viewpoint was clearly
stated. Penrose had more sense
than Aldrich.
When the SiXty-second Congress
came to an end at noon on March
4 last the leadership of the Senate
nominally passed from Nelson w.
Aldrich, of Rhode Island, to Boies
Penrose, Pennsylvania. AS a mat
ter of fact, Senator Aldrich had sur
rendered his commission weeks be-
fore the session closed, and it was
Senator Penrose who directed the
uncertain Republican organization
in tumultous party conflict which
commanded the attention of the peo-
pie. With the coming of the new
congress he planned the reorganiza-
tion of the Senate. Friends of Sen
ator Penrose in the Senate say that
with the hostile attitude of Senator
Aldrich toward the insurgents he
never had been in sympathy. At
any rate, he not only counseled, but
insisted upon, party harmony. Con-
cession and conciliation followed.
When the caucus assembled the in
surgents were there; when it ad-
journed they went away satisfied.
No other man Pennsylvania has
sent to the United States Senate has
attained the position of prominence
in that body now held by Boies
Penrose. The story of Senator Pen
roses start in life presents nothing
to suggest the simple annals of the
poor. He is member of a wealthy
and aristocratic Philadelphia family.
On both sides he comes from pure
colonial stock. His father, the late
R. A. F. Penrose, was widely known
as scholar, physician and professor
in the medical department of the
University of Pennsylvania. His
grandfather, Hon. Charles B. Pen
rose, was solicitor of the Treasury
under Presidents William Henry
Harrison and John Tyler, speaker of
the Pennsylvania Senate for several
terms and lawyer who stood at the
head of the Pennsylvania bar. His
great grandfather was Clement Bid
die Penrose, appointed by President
Thomas Jefferson one of three COM
missioners to take charge of the
recently acquired territory of Louis
lana. He is direct descendant of
William Biddle, friend and con-
temporary of William Penn, who
came to America about the same
time as Penn and who was one of
the proprietors of the province of
New Jersey. Nicholas Scull, sur
veyor general of Pennsylvania in
the old colonial days, and Philip
Thomas, secretary to Cecil Calvert,
Lord Baltimore, and founder of the
Thomas family, of Maryland, are
among Senator Penrose's direct an
cestorS.
Senator Penrose was educated by
private tutors at home until he was
sixteen years old. Then he entered
Harvard college and graduated with
high honors. AS one of the gradu-
ates selected to deliver commence
ment Grafton his subject was, "The
political leadership of Martin Van
Buren," Senator Penrose has a
genius for politics. He has been in
politics since he was old enough to
vote. When "a years old he was
elected to represent Philadelphia
district as member of the House
at Harrisburg. From that body he
went to the state senate where he
served ten years. In both branches
of the legislature he was a recog-
nized leader. He resigned from the
state senate to enter the United
States Senate on March A, 1897, the
date of William McKinley's first in
auguration, and twice has been re-
elected.
During half a century the mantle
of Republican leadership in Penn
sylvania has fallen upon the should
ers of only three men, Simon Cam
eron, Matthew Stanley Quay and
Boies Penrose. The control of Cam
eron was an incident of the politics
of the Civil war period. Years be-
fore he died he was supplanted by
Quay The leadership of Penrose
dates from the death of Quay. Quay
had to fight for everything he Sc
cured in politics. Each chapter in
the story of his supremacy of the
Republican organization records re-
bellion against his rule. The forces
that opposed him were defeated but