Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1912-03-28
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Senator Frye's Largest Fee for
Services Rendered.
He Was Glad to Receive Ten Thou
sand Dollars for His Work as Men,
Der of Peace Commission
After Spanish War.
BY (. ]. EDWARDS.

OJ y. EOW AhO0.
The late Senator William P. Frye
OF Maine was the second selection
made by President Mckinley for men,
bershlp on the commission nominated
by Mckinley to negotiate the treaty
OF peace with Spain at Paris in the
late fall of 1898.
Mchinley's first selection was nat
uralIy John Hay, who. as secretary OF
state at the time of the Spanish war,
had had charge under Mckinley OF all
the diplomatic matters which arose out
OF our difficulty with Spain. 1t was
therefore not only highly appropriate
but essential that Secretary Hay
should be appointed a member Of this
commission and made it's chairman.
But there came into the mind of Nc
hinley as soon as he knew that It de-
volyed upon him to appoint a treaty
making commission the selection Of
Senator Frye as the second member OF
that commission.
Mckinley and Frye became intimate
political and personal friends soon aft
er Mckinley entered congress. Frye
had then been a member of congress
Mckinley was the first of the new
members whom he greeted on the day
that the new congress of which Nc
hinley was a member was organized
Their seats in the house were within
easy reach. They used frequently to
sit side by side, chatting sometimes
for an hour of more. They were in per-
1ect agreement on the question of pro-
lection, and it would have been i'm
possible to have found in the house
two men who were so thoroughly alike
in the simplicity of their personal
life, in the integrity of their standards.
both of public and Of private life, as
were Mckinley and Frye Their init
macy was maintained after Frye quit
ted the house for the senate: it was
continued after Mckinley entered the
White House. And it was because OF
this intimacy, and McKinleys high re-
gard for Senator Frye's integrity of
purpose, that the president decided to
make his longtime friend the second
member of the peace commission. Be
sides, Mckinley knew that Frye was
OF the opinion that there was not only
moral obligation on the part of the
United States to take over the SOW
ereignty Of the Philippines, but. fur
thermore, that the peace of the world
made that step essential.
After the commission had finished
its work at Paris and the treaty of
peace was signed. then the question
arose: What compensation should be
paid to the members of the commits
sion? Discussing that point shortly
after the commission had returned
home the president said:
Il expect to nominate Judge Day
(now on the Supreme Court bench) as
United States circuit Judge for the dis
trict of which Ohio is a part. I am go
ing to nominate Senator Gray of Del
aware as United States Judge of the
circuit court of the district of which
his home state. Delaware, is a part.
l would gladly appoint Senator Frye
and Senator Cushman X. Davis of Min
nesota to any high Office within my
gift, but l know that neither of them
desire to leave the senate"
Casting about in his mind for some
way to reward Senator Frye the pres
ident recalled that his friend had been
dependent ever since the friendship
began, almost wholly on his salary as
member of congress. He knew of
several occasions when Senator Frye
had declined to accept fees for profes-
sional services as a lawyer; he knew
that Senator Frye's standard of con-
duct in that respect was severe. He
also knew that the senator had very
little money. Therefore, President Nc
Kinley decided that out of a contin-
gent fund over which he had authority
to make such expenditure as he chose
he would authorize the payment to
senator Frye of $4,000 and a like
amount to Senator Davis of Mime
sofa.
When Senator Frye received the
draft for $4,000 he held it in his hands
for moment with almost a tender
touch, and then said:
Ten thousand dollars! That is the
largest amount Of money 1 have ever
received at one time for any serv.
ice l have ever given. And l am very
glad to get it."
Yet Senator Frye. had he been will
ing to accept fees, or to give heed to
tempting propositions to become a
member Of promotion syndicates. could
many times have received much more
than $4,000 for lending his name or
giving his professional services.
1t may be appropriate to add that
in recognition of the services of White.
law Reid who was the fifth member OF
the peace commission, he was appoint
ed special representative of the presi-
dent at the coronation of King Ed.
ward VII