The Washington herald., 1914-04-26
Stateeraft and Politics.
by r. ID. G.

Father Of the House Serene Payne AM
his comrade-in-arms, John Dalzell, O
Pittsburgh. were talking over other day
OF war In the further end Of the wIllar,
way the other night when a younge
friend stopped for moment of feIicita
tions
Then 1t occurred to the younger frien,
that Hon. Serene comes from the hom,
OF William H. Seward. who was secre
tary Of State in the days of war fift,
years ago and a great figure during tn,
rebellion. The talk turned to Seward
and Payne. who Is ever eloquent in tell
4 ing OF the distinguished patriot whC
sleeps at Auburn, remarked: Secretary
seward left but one dying request, and
that was a modest suggestion that ON.
line OF three words should be engraved
on his tombstone, He was faithful He
had used the words years before as tht
peroration Of a famous speech defendins
citizen. and he felt that the sentiment
was a sufficient epitaph and a summing
up of all that could be said of a man 1
| career, however great II had been. His
wish was carried out and the words are
engraved on a splendid monument in the
Auburn Cemetery"
The talk of Seward. with two such emf
nent statesmen as Payne and DaIzell re-
calling his great work as premier Of the
Lincoln Cabinet, recalled also that with
the coming in Of the Republican party in
1901 there was reaching out for big
statesmen 10 sit at the Presidents right
hand as head OF the department having
to do with diplomatic adjustments. Sew
ard continued through the johnson term
with possibly some stress of soul and
possibly because Johnson could hardly
have held up without him.
Grants first Secretary was ElIhu WASH
burne. his great personal friend and ad-
wiser. from Illinois. but he served only a
few days. going abroad as minister at a
time when this country needed great dip
lomats in Europe. Hamilton Fish. no less
able in diplomacy, came In as head of the
state Department, serving through both
Grant terms and eight days with Hayes
in 1877.
James G. Blaine was Garfeld's secre-
tary OF State, and comment on the quail
hcations OF Blaine is unnecessary. After
Arthur's accession Blaine gave way to
Frelinghuysen. Of New Jersey. who con-
tinued throughout the Arthur term.
Senator Bayard. OF Delaware, was pre-
mier Of the Cleveland first term, and
Blaine served through three years of the
Harrison term. resigning during the con-
vention of 1892.
Walter Q. Gresham, once a Republican.
was Secretary Of State in the Cleveland
second term. and Richard Olney, of
who had been Attorney
General. succeeded, when Gresham died
John Sherman. thirty years a Senator.
and Secretary of the Treasury under
Hayes. was Mckinley's Secretary Of
State. resigning after thirteen months
service.
Then came William r Day. now on the
bench. and then John Hay. who
served through the Roosevelt first ad-
and until his death, July l,
1905.
Elihu Root and Robert Bacon were the
premiers of the Roosevelt full
Term. and Philander Knox began business
with Taft. the day after Inauguration.
with few exceptions. the Secretaries
II state in past administrations have
been men big enough to have figured in !
national conventions as candidates for |
President, and Blaine was the nominee !
n 1854.
Horatio c. ClaypoOl. from ChiIlicothe.
he original capital Of Ohio. is a Demo- |
ratio member OF COngress-serene, soft
poken. crafty, cautious and content In
ne splendid and selfish dispensatiOn de-
reed by Gov. Cox and his select coterie
4 advisers at Columbus last winter Clay
'ool was handed delightful district. re-
aiming the counties most desired and los
ng Athens. described by Allen o. Myers
n the old days as "helIs half-acre Of
)hio politics"
No other Democrat in the DELEGATION !
ias treated so kindly by the Cox COM
ination at Columbus as but one new
ounty was added 10 his district, that Of
'ickaway. next door on the north and
yer loyal to the Democratic faith. So
he amiable Clayp"ol simply rubbed his
osom with JUNCTION and satisfaction. TAX
lg pains to pay special attention to dear
Id Pickaway prior to the primaries
.eally ii has never been explained to
ther Ohio Democrats in Congress why
he Hon. Horatio was handed so happy a
OF counties. while others who
ad won in Republican districts were
iven even harder districts to conUuer
lis year or give up in advance.
Claypool has a velvet tread and no less |
velvet tongue when he goes out among
lie righteous: also among the defiled and
He has been busy holding Office OF !
ome sort in old Ross County ever since
left that Old-fashioned normal school '
| Lebanon. and he had to let 20 of one I
bod paying office to begin business here
Washington. I
One thing that helps. perhaps. is that I
? is content with being in Congress z
nd is not reaching out for something =
gher. like governor or Senator. thus
inning the approval OF the restless ones :
no have higher aspirations
Old Chillcothe town has been the homeI
five Ohio governors. of Allen G. Thur ;
an, Senator. and many others of lesser =
gree who fought. bled and suffered de-
at in other days. Albert Douglas, a =
epublican. came to Congress for two !,
rms. following Grosvcnor, of Athens ;,
IT could not prevail against the sweep
1910. He is now active in WASHINGTON :,
al estate with less worry and surer :,
turns. He was the first Republican '
ON the Claypool town since the civil !,
ar. and If the crafty Claypool keeps in I
e game with rubber-heeled felicity and d
ver speech old Ross will not expect a
epublican Congressman soon again.
New York Hotel Arrivals. .