The Washington times., 1915-04-16
NELSON WILMARTH ALDRICH

SEIool> "iLmAKIH ALDNIS1
A man who had figured in a very
small group of the most potent
Americans of his time passed from
the stage today when death claimed
Nelson w. Aldrich. The former Sen
ate leader died suddenly in New
York. Though he retired from the
Senate on March a, 1911, people
most familiar with political matters
have known that he did not end his
association with political affairs, but
that on the other hand he has been
one of the real forces operating be-
hind the scenes. Very recently, his
name has been persistently used in
connection with present-day develop
ment of national politics.
Senator Adrich was distin-
guished success in both business and
politics; but in both, he represented
an era and a set of methods that
have become at least obsolescent. He
was a peculiarly self-confident man
with whom the end justified the
means, and he lacked neither re-
sourcefulness in devising nor vigor
in applying his means. He rose to
the domination of the Senate in the
later years of one of the longest
careers ever enjoyed by any man in
that body, as typical old-line Re-
publican. In the years of his ascend
ency it was not always easy to dis
tinguish between the veteran public
men of the two old parties; they
looked very much alike and their at
titudes and methods were much the
same.
Senator Aldrich was above every
thing else high protectionist. The
most distinguished demonstration of
his power in legislation was given
when he took the Payne tariff meas
ure of 1909, made it over into the
Aldrich bill, and forced it through a
reluctant Congress in the face of
big detection of members of his own
party. The manner of it's doing,
quite as much as the matter of the
legislation, brought on the revolt
that turned the country, on that is
sue, against the Republican party in
the 1910 elections and paved the
way for the Democratic victory in
1912. The day had passed for the
old methods, but not all the men
who stood for those methods realized
the fact until too late.
Senator Aldrich's monument in
constructive craftsmanship will be
the Federal Reserve Banking sys-
tenn; developed, one day, as prob
ably it will be, into another Bank
of the United States. He pointed
the way to engraft much needed re-
forms upon a currency and banking
system that had grown up since the
civil war days, without unduly dis
turbing business; and the work of
his Monetary Commission is en-
titled to recognition as the real
basis on which was later built the
structure that another party actual
ly raised. The time will come when
his work for monetary reform will
be viewed as one of the big &C
complishments in practical states
manship, and when much of the hos
tility toward his methods will be
mitigated by reason of the apprecia-
ton of his valuable services in this
connection. Only a man with very
real abilities and genuine leadership
could have done this work as he did.
One detail about Senator Aldrich
deserves mention because it is curl.
ously characteristic of the man. He
was strangely unconcerned about
what the public might think of him
and he never answered criticisms
His entire careleSsness of the popu.
lar impression Of him was illustrated
by the fact that, though lie served
in the Union army during the civi
war, and made an excellent recorc
as soldier, he never even mentioned
that service in his very brief bio
graphical sketch, prepared by him
self in the Congressional Directory.
War secrets continue to bring higl
prices, but peace secrets are still