Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-05-04
Senator Was a Philosopher

couldn't; and in that event the score
was forgiven
Upon one occasion a prospector ask
ed Tabor to grub stake him. The
request was instantly granted. A short
time later the prospector struck very
rich deposits of silver, and Tabor be,
came man of millions. He built an
opera house in Denver, plunged into
many activities, and at last had polit.
lcal aspirations, becoming lieutenant
governor of his state Then there
came a vacancy from Colorado in the
United States senate. There was an
interim Of only month between the
date when the vacancy began and the
time when the legislatures would meet
and elect a new senator. Tabor and
his mining friends prevailed with the
governor, so that it was announced
that the man who had changed his po-
sit1on over night from a grocery store
keeper to a capitalist of many mil
lions was to serve for four weeks in
the United States senate.
Before Senator Tabor reached Wash
ington to take his seat, there were
published wonderful tales purporting
to describe the outfit of clothing which
he had provided for himself in his
descent upon the capital. There were
vivid descriptions of an array of
nightshirts of the finest linen, deco
rated with real lace frills at the cuffs
and at the neck. These tales natu-
rally added to the interest in the ro-
mantle senator
But there was nothing in Tabor's ap-
pearance when he first took his seat to
Justify the belief that he had become
OF sudden an exquisite dandy He
was modest and unassuming, and ap
parently content to sit, even though
for no longer period than four weeks,
as member of the senate He paid
no heed to the reports which pur-
ported to describe his extraordinary
underwear, and after his term in the
senate had expired, he returned to
Colorado as quietly as he had reached
Washington.
| was chatting with the sole repre-
sentative from Colorado in the lower
house of congress, James B. Bedford,
shortly after Tabor's term in the sen,
ate had expired, and I asked about
the reports that had told of the al.
legged personal eccentricities of Ia.
sor
Well" replied Judge Belford, 'T
said to Tabor one day: Tabor, what
is all this stuff that has been printed
about you and real lace nightshirts?
Where did it start? Is 1t true?
Jim,' he said in reply, won't say
whether it is true or not, and you
don't need to ask me that; but l will
tell you conf1dentially that l guess
started the story myself You see, my
friends are all among the miners and
the prospectors. If I worked the red
shirt and overall business in politics
with them, they would all see right
through it. They are no fools. They
are AID of them the kind of men who
count on diamonds, fine raiment and
linen, and everything that's splendid.
if they make money, and so l said to
myself that if they heard | was not
playing the cheap political game, but
instead was willing to let the world
know that had money and was spend
ing some of it on myself, they would
all say: That's the boy for me- The
overall and unlaundered shirt business
has been worked to death in politics.
I don't think the lace nightshirt has
hurt me bit with the boys
That was Tabor's philosophy" con-
cluded Judge Bedford, "and l wouldn't
wonder if he was right in it,
Copyright, 1910, by E. j. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)