The Forrest City times., 1912-05-17
BS GEORGE CLINTON.


 was done In the rooms which their portraits adorn. In the war depart ment pictures of the former secreta- ries of war hang on the walls of the rooms used directly by the present secretary, Henry l.. Stimson. They are fine old portraits. most of them, and they represent a line Of men from the days of the foundation of the government until the present hour.
 By general admission. the finest work of art in the collection Is the portrait of Jefferson Davis, who was president of the Confederacy and who at one time held the cabinet position of secretary of war. In the treasury department there are portraits not only of former secretaries Of the treasury. but also of former comptrol- 1ers of the currency and former treas urers of the United States and of oth- CT men in high official position.
 Until few years ago Ellis H. Rob erts of Utica. N. Y. was treasurer of the United States. MT. Roberts Is still living and enjoying virile old age. He was a keen politician and was known as one of the scholars In politics. He is approaching ninety years of age and yet he Is still mak- Ing addresses upon governmental sub jects and upon subjects of historical interest. It used to te said of Mir. Roberts In Washington that he had luck stone in his pocket and ability In his head all through his public career. Feud Between Roberts and Conklins.
 Roscoe Conkling. one of the famous senators of the United States. was from Utica. and Conkling and Roberts, although both Republicans, were very much at outs. For years and years Conkling tried to put Roberts down and out but at the end, 1t Is said. Roberts had as much to do with put ting Conkling down and out as any other man in public life, unless Presi- dent Garfield be excepted.
 Early in life Roberts and Conkling, as the Washington story goes, were the best possible friends. Roberts was the editor of a newspaper now no longer ir existence, but In Its day one ot IN state. Conkling and Roberts fell out. The Conkling influence defeated Rob crts for Congress. He was imme- diately appointed assistant treasurer of the United States at New York city Almost as soon as this appoint ment was made Roscoe Conkling and Thomas c. Platt resigned from the tN Nf hn ynif they resented another appointment made by President Garfield. They asked the legislature of New York to vindicate them by returning them to the senate. The influence of Roberts and his paper helped to kill Conkling politically for all time and to kill 1'latt for a season.
 Later when Conkling had been out of the political arena for some time. Roberts, who had held good office all the time. was made treasurer of the United States. Platt came back into political life and became for a time chief of the Republican party in New York state. Conkling and Platt are both dead, but Ellis H Roberts Is alive and vigorous and apparently 1t does not need his picture in the treas ury department to recall to Washing ton men some of the stories of his life while he was in the midst of public affairs.
 Sherman Can't Get Away.
 The vice president of the Unit ed States. James s. Sherman. Is perhaps in one way not the happiest man this republic claims among its citizenship. Although he Is the sec ond officer In the government, he finds that he is virtually chained to his seat except on those rare occasions when the imperative call of duty to his pri- vate concerns or his family makes him arrange things 80 that he can get away.
 The senate of the United States has no president pro tenn. Senator Will liam F. Frye of Maine. who was the duly elected presiding officer to act tn the absence of the vice president, died last summer. and ever since con sress came together the senate has been trying without success to elect MT. Frye's successor. The progressive Republicans want one senator named for the place and the conservative Re publicans want another. while the Democrats stand by third candidate The result has been a deadlock which has prevented the election of any man to take Senator Frye's place. There Is no immediate prospect that an cleo ton can be forced. for neither side to the controversy seems to be willing to yield.
 Nis Vote Might Be Needed.
 As result of this trouble the vice president finds 1t difficult to get away from Washington. The Republican majority in the senate is small and such as 1t is. 1t is divided against It. self and so the conservative Republi- cans object to having Mir sherman away when anything of importance is unfnU a fn fa