The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-07-14
SENATOR HOKE SMITHS RECORD
OF WORK IN WASHINGTON

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senate chamber to the vice presidents
desk to be sworn in as a senator of the
United States.
He had been a member Of President
Cleveland's cabinet and had been twice
governor of Georgia. but there was an
air OF reserve, almost diffidence, as he
took his seat on one Of the back rows
after the ceremony. New senators are
always given one of those seats and
later ON they get something better
either by process OF drawing or ming
q claim in case of vacancy.
The senate is so old and so self-sat-
iSfied that the advent of new mem
Der hardly excites a mild curiosity.
The senator's knew of Hoke Smith,
but only the more prominent ones
knew him personally, for it had been
nearly twenty years since his sojourn
in Washington as secretary Of the in
terror
AS the hum-drum of routine went
on the new senator began to take in
his surroundings. He studied thu sena-
tors as first one and then another
would, from day to day, engage in de-
bate. 1t was pretty much as if he were
studying an antagonist-the lawyers
on the other side in a great law case
Before him were members of the great
est law-making body in the world
more than ninety of the picked men Of
the United States. The game was old
to them, for they had debated questions
of government among themselves for
a decade or a score of years. Attentive
in a high degree to all that was said,
HOke Smith was in reality weighing
the men with whom he was to con-
tend in the enactment or defeat OF
legislation. The Republicans were
in power and over on that side stood
Root and LaFollette, Lodge, Penrose,
Smoot, Sutherland, McCumber, Cum
minis and others, an air of confidence
and smile of satisfaction on every
face. The Democrats were to be played
with as cat would play with mouse.
HOke Smith observed it all, but before
the Christmas holidays came he had
sized up the senate and knew the fight
ing weight of most of the men on the
other side. He knew their strength,
he knew his own and he was not dis
turbed.
His First Speech.
There was tradition that new sena-
tors should not rush forward in debate.
They were supposed to cOnfine their Ia
bors to answering roll call for at least
a year. But Hoke Smith got past that
ancient idea so easily and so quietly
that he did not even slightly jar the
senatorial dignity Just little speech
in favor of the children's bureau in
Washington-not speech on the tar
if, or the trusts, or the currency
only a modest little talk about the well
fare of children, made by an ex-mem-
Der Of the cabinet, ex-governor, a big,
broad shouldered man from whom
might have been expected a thunder
GUS exposition of some international
question. But it broke the ice. Hoke
Smith had made his first speech in
the senate. And the bill which he
had advocated was passed.
One thing that was noticed was the
fact that the new senator's voice was
distinctly Southern, so clear that
without effort it was heard in the
most remote corners of the gallery
and so softly modulated that it fell
pleasantly upon listening ears.
There came along in a few days the
matter of committee assignments for
the new senator. What would he have,
the Republicans wanted to know. A
place on the agricultural committee
and place on the postoffice commit
tee, was the answer. Oh, no, no, he
could not get those places.
E'Then, leave me off entirely" was
the reply. 81 would just as soon take
care Of myself on the floor of the SEN
ate"
And then the Republicans saw that
IA
enough there was the glitter of steel in
his gray eyes that meant trouble and
they went off by themselves and came
back and said he could have the two
committee places for which he had ex
pressed a wish What Senator Smith
has done with those committee places
will be told OF little further down in
this article.
r. His Early Work in the Senate.
Early in the session the house passed
resolution to dissolve a treaty with
Russia which had been in existence for
a long period of time. 1t involved the
right Of naturalized Jews to return to
Russia and was very delicate interna-
tional question. Russia was the friend
of this country There was no objection
to the abrogation of the treaty, but
JH0 MUSE WdS
worded. Senator Smiths second speech
was in support of an amendment modi-
flying the language in such way that
it would not offend a friendly power
and the position which he took was
sustained by the senate.
When the arbitration treaties known
IS the peace treaties came up Senator
Smith pointed out that under the bill
as proposed vital questions of our gov
eminent could be passed upon by arbi-
tration, possibly forcing the United
States to abandon positions heretofore
held or to repudiate its treaty agree
ments. The resolution was amended so
as not to include the admission Of
aliens to the United States or to the
educational institutions of the several
states; the territorial integrity of the
several states; alleged indebtedness Of
any state, the maintenance OF the Mon
roe doctrine or other purely govern
mental policy.
This amendment protected the
Southern states against suits over the
fraudulent bonds OF reconstruction