The Washington herald., 1914-01-11
Quiet Man, Who BY His Uteanees Sways His Colleague,
in the Senate Declines to Stand for Highest Office n
Gift Of American People.

I some Of the lower tones. Occasionally Il
will be noted a word. IN the nice pre-
| cision OF his speech. lags behind. Sud-
denly he brings II forward with explo-
sive emphasis, which. were he less earn
est and laborious. might be called an ar
tifice in oratory.
There are also wide gaps at times in
his sentences Thus: They referring
, to the bankers of New York, went not
alone to the verge (here he stops), but
beyond 1t tagaIn he stops and, turning
his back to the Democrats. faces his own
party associated. of propriety and
safety"
A Great Scene I'm the senate.
Documents are on his desk. He pecks
at them frequently with the index finger
of his right hand. The finger is long and
slender, and the thumb stands out. de-
noting. palmists say. an open and gener-
Gus nature. Before he takes up q paper
he puts on his Eyeglasses with both hands.
Swanson. Of Virginia. robust OF voice,
heavy mustached. arises. breaks In and
reads from a book. THE author" he
observes when he is done. 'is a conserva-
tive man."
"How do you know he Is a conservative
mani" Root inquiries. scornfully and with
rising infection. by what you read
should say he was very reckless man."
And SO the speech, never fluent. but
always trenchant. goes on. Now and
then a word Is lost In the noise made by
arched palms as the hands of the speaker
smash together at points where he hopes
to be conclusive. Through 1t all CALM
ger. his champion and nominator. writes
busily at a speech of his own, while Bur-
ton, the successor and human copy Of
John Sherman. sits, folded up like a foot
rule, deyouring every word that Is said.
? Finally the speech. historical in some
of its aspects. Is done. The Presidency
has been renounced. my political and
public career is S-awing to a close" Elihu
Root has said with dignity. Before the
next administration comes to a close /
shall have PASSED the age of seventy-six
years. 1t is manifestly impossible. sir.
that 1 should be the President of the
United States. No political ambition
whatever findssits place in the horizon Of
my future"
Only yesterday. a Senator. In the rough
and-tumble of his methods, though he is
declared to be classical scholar, had
exclaimed. IN answering Roots first ar
gument on the currency: what a won
derful wreck can be wrought in q sound
mind by a Presidential bee!'
Now he approaches Roots desk. leans
over and speaks a few words. Any man
can imagine what is being said. Elihu
Root wrinkles his face into a smile ana
bobs his head up and down. But can
a private apology compensate for a pub
lie discourtesy? The wagging head and
puckering smile seem to answer the In
quiry.
Eliha Is Like oren, the Father.
Men who were schoolmates of Root at
Clinton, in New York, remember that ne
wore a brown roundabout, had a large
nose, and spoke in a shrill pitch of voice.
They also say that he was thoughtful.
careful, industrious and modest. Oren
Root. his father. was callel Cube Root
out of his hearing by the students in his
classes. The grandfather of Oren Root.
so Col. Roosevelt has said, fought at
Concord Bridge with 800 Provincial Amer
leans who, driving 500 British soldiers
from the neld Of battle, followed them
to Boston. shooting them from benInd
trees and stone fences.
In those days and later, the Roots
were farmers, and lived in Massachusetts.