Evening journal., 1912-08-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
A Famous Senator's Con-
feSSiOn of the Cause
of His Weakness
By Holland

Charles A. Dana once told me that.
taking everything into consideration,
it was his opinion that William Pitt
Fessenden, United States Senator
from Maine from 1854 to 1864 and
then Lincoln's second Secretary Of
the Treasury, had the most acute as
well as the most profound intellect
Of any Of the great men gathered
about Lincoln with whom he DANA
was brought into personal associa-
ton az the time he was Assistant
Secretary of War
Il learned one lesson" said Mr..
Dana, form Senator Feesenden, or
rather from something which L
learned about him. which has been
Of lifelong value to me. I learned
that we are sometimes apt to mis-
judge men, thinking that they are
self conscious. irritable. prone to
needless quarrels. and given 10 say
ing things that wound, whereas, If
all the facts were known, II would
be discovered that these men are
either suffering from illness or from
great pain or else are under severe
mental strain when they do or say
the things that cause us to misjudge
them.
Senator Fessenden impaired his
popularity in the Senate somewhat
by reason of his excessive irritabiity.
Senators we're often hurt by sharp
things that he said. Some of them
kept away from him entirely, not car
ing to subject themselves to Fessen-
den's irritability. | think this tended
somewhat to weaken Fessendens
personal influence In the Senate. He
gained a reputation which extended
far beyond Washington of being the
most captious and irritable member
Of the Senate.
But one day / was given an ex-
PLANTATION of this temperamental de-
feet Of Senator Fessenden which was
really pathetic. II seems that in the
course Of a running debate Fessenden
had not only said something which
deeply wounded another Senator with
whom he had been friendly, but had
displayed toward that Senator an
irritable manner which seemed little
short of insulting.
The wounded Senator said moth
ing, but turned and went to the cloak
room. There. a little while after,
Fessenden found him. He was pre-
pared to greet the Senator cordially,
but saw that the latter was not dis
posed to speak to him 'Fessenden
took seat beside the Senator and
then said:
You feel hurt by something
have said or done. Let me tell you
something which may explain my
conduct. In the early part Of Presi-
dent Buchanan's administration,
when I was serving my first term in
the Senate, was stricken with that
mysterious and very dangerous COM
plant which became epidemic in a
part OF Washington and which had
its source in one Of the hotels on
/ Pennsylvania avenue. | believe
physicians we're never able to ex-
plain the nature of the disease. II
caused the death Of several promi-
nent people. Others we're made SER
iously III, and then, apparently. re-
gained their health. | was among
this number.
But Senator, let me tell you: the
poison which at that time entered my
system has never been eliminated II
causes me excruciating pain. ! have
been unable to find any remedy
am now convinced that ultimately
this poison will cause my death. At
times when I am rackcd with pain
am engaged in my duties in the
Senate chamber Il is always the
pain and not any fractions or crab
bed disposition which causes me to
display what seems to be irratability.
Just now in the Senate chamber
suffered tortures at the very time
was replying TO your question Sem
ator. do me the justice to ascribe any
act or word of mine, which seemed
offensive to its true cause.-the pain
from which | was suffering
"The Senator grasped Fessenden's
hand and the reconciliation was com
/ plete.
when this was told to me-" said
! Mr.. Dana, II made up my mind never
again TO judge offhand or instantane-
ously that any irritability Of speech
or OF action toward me shown by
anyone who had been a friend of
mine was due to any unfriendly feel
ing"
Copyright 1912. by E. J. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell Of