The Washington herald., 1914-03-16
HISTORY BUILDERS.
President Arthur's Friendship for the
Late Senator Teller.
(written expressly Tor The Herald.)
by DIR. T.. ,. EDWARDS.

| (Written expressly Tor The Herald)
by DIR. T.. }. EDWARDS.
When Gen. Chester A. Arthur firs
took his seat in the Senate chamber on
the day after his Inauguration as Vice
president, he was especially attracted foI
some reason never understood by him &c
| the senior Senator from Colorado. tho
late Henry NJ. Teller. Vice President Ar
thur had met the Senator In a perfectly
pcrfunctory way only. but there wal
something about the personality Of this
intensely serious and wonderfully indus
trious Senator which caused Gen. Arthur
frequently to take heed OF him.
The two were utterly unlike. both In
their intellectual characteristics and in
their temperamental qualities. Gen. Ar
thur was a man OF highly cultivated
taste with respect to dress. He was
never overdressed, but always perfectly
dressed. Senator Teller, on the other
hand. seemed to require only immaculate
cleanliness in his linen and apparel, not
caring particularly otherwise about his
garments or their fit. Gen. Arthur pos
sessed a very keen sense of humor and
was, moreover, man of highly culti-
waited literary tastes, although that was
known only to a few OF his friends. IL
Senator Teller had any sense OF hunor
he never revealed that quality to any of
his colleagues. In none OF his speeches
which were many and sometimes very
long-did he suggest that he had been
fond OF reading the great authors
lie had no gift OF oratory. His voice
contained a peculiar. almost melancholy,
cadence. and yet the intense earnestness
and seriousness OF the man and the
sense OF the sincerity and integrity OF
his character were so strong that he
gained the respect OF his colleagues and
something like admiration from Vice
president Arthur. who cultivated the
Senator's acquaintance.
When that rarely eccentric. rough, origi-
nal. and yet charming. personality. Sena-
tor kirkwood, of Iowa. who had been
summoned in the twinkling of an eye
from his seat in the United States Sem
ate to place in President GarfieIds
cabinet table as Secretary OF the In
terror. resigned as Secretary and took
his scanty belongings and his corncob
pipe back to Iowa the first man Presi-
dent Arthur thought OF as his successor
was Senator Henry NJ. Teller, OF Colo
rado.
In n conversation which I had with
President Arthur shortly after he had
persuaded. with great difficulty. Sena-
tor Teller to accept the portfolio of Sec
rotary OF the Interior. the President said:
There was no politics in the sense in
which the term is commonly used in nv
selection OF Senator Teller as Secretary
OF the Interior. II was my personal
choice. In the first place, ] knew that he
would he confirmed by the Senate instant
ly and without reference TO a commit
tee. In the second place. knew the
OF the man and his wonderful
power of application and Industry. Then
l had good reasons for knowing that he
was a man OF incorruptible character and
OF peculiarly strong common sense and
then. too. he WIS familiar with many
features OF that part of the country
which Is west OF the Missouri and with
which the Secretary OF the Interior would
have much to do. He did not want to
give up his seat in the Senate He was
proud Of the fact that he was the CEN
tennial Senator. having been elected as
the first Senator from Colorado on the
admission OF that State to the Union
in the centennial year. II was with the
greatest difficulty that he was persuaded
to give up seat in the Senate to take
a place IN my cabinet. He was a very
man in the Senate. and / am
certain that If he cares to return to that
body he will easily be reelected after his
service in my cabinet is ended"
That prediction was justified, for Sena-
tor Teller went from his Office in the In
terror Department to the Senate cham
Der Immediately after his service as
Secretary of the Interior was ended
Copyright, l9lID
Tomorrow-Words of Wisdom from I'd
ward Everett Hale"