The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-01-09

those who had once thought of him a,
probable President.
Ten years ago Senator Bailey occu
pied position of intellectual eminencf
perhaps pre-eminence-in body o
lawmakers unmatched anywhere in the
world for high average of ability
men not born to power as peers" but
CHOSEN for public service because Of
popular belief in their usefulness.
Senator Bailey was the typical poor
boy Of the American backwoods which
mas produced SO many men of fine in.
teiiect and noble virtues. If he was
not actually born in a log cabin be
was born in humble circumstances. He
originated in Copiah county in Missis-
slppl, and the charge that Abraham
Lincoln met by referring to the fact
Ihat there are two sides to every bar
gain and that when one man sells an.
other buys, might have been made
against him when he first came tn the
senate, but could not have been sue
cessfully urged against him by a
enemy in politics.
A good story, perhaps true one. is
told of Mr.. Bailey's first speech, when
ne was still boy and was unknown
In Texas, the state of his adoption
after he left Mississippi. There was TO
De nominating convention. Young
Bailey, lacking the means to ride. de-
cided to walk several miles to attend
IT, On the road he was offered Gift"
by farmer who was going to the con-
Vention in jolt wagon. He told the
FARMER that he had heard that there
would be a rafting good speaker at
the convention who would have thing
or TWO to say If any one called upon
nina young fellow whose name was
Bailey, newcomes in Texas. He pro. |
posed that both of them call upon him.
When the convention became dead
locked the farmer yelled for Bailey"
The gangling, long-haired youth in the
rrock coat and SLOUGH hat to whom he
mad given the lift" rose to his feet
lowered above the crowd and began an
oration that thrilled an audience To
whom he was stranger. The result
was that he was offered the nomina.
lion, but he declined it and remained
oyal to the man in whose behalf he
1ad spoken. The stampeded conven-
Ion showed the nomination upon him.
1ut he declared that he was not vet
70 years old, and could not accept It.
when 1t was discovered that he was
70 near rs that he would have been of
age in time for the be-
of the term he became hero
n politics and party leader. His 7
eward came soon and he has been
Congress, as a member of the House
nd of the Senate, since that time.
A half dozen years ago the Wash.
ngton correspondent of the New York
lines wrote book under the title.
Party Leaders of the Day." in which +
e said Of Senator Bailey:
1T is not merely to his ability that
ne senators pay tribute. They nav
also to his character; to the tremen. U
Gus sincerity Of the man, and to his
cad level loyalty to his own conyic-
ons. Nothing on earth could induce
alley to support a measure he did
OF think right. He is incapable of
king an attitude on a public cues
on for the sake of playing politics" r
That paragraph was written when
orman was upon the brink of his
ave and Bailey was the looming =,
emocrat in the Senate, measuring in
'ility with John c. Spooner on the
epublican side, and spoken of as a
nominee of his party, sooner
later, for the highest of offices. r
ounger than Mr.. Beveridge, who was
Ill tacetiously called the hoy ora
r." Mr.. Bailey had made his mark
Id taken his place among the serious
mixers in American politics, as we'll
to have established himself as an -
ator and logician whose speeches II,
ere never made to empty seats in the
enate chamber to say nothing of the
llleries.
II Mr.. Bailey of Texas is to retire
pm public life, comparatively rich
an, and still young man, the feeling
nong the many Democrats and Re
blicans who are familiar with his
'rk In the Senate and with his career
Texas, and the attacks that have n,
en- made upon him, will be one of
ep regret, not for the retirement of
Senator Bailey of 1912, but for the
lure of Senator Bailey of 1905 to NJ
velop according to the common fore y,
IT OF the day. Internationally Mr..
Hey had potentialities that might
We carried him to the pinnacle in