Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-04-16

picted disgust, II never wore green
waistcoat IN my e." he said. and
forthwith the o1ng magazine was
thrown into the basket.
Born in Fosta I.. Nov. 6. 1874. he
first appeared IN 0blic of'ice as mem-
ber Of the counDoo council in the city
OF Providence. h was elected to the
Rhode Island a. anbly in 1875. and
four years later was sent to congress.
After two sessions Ne was elected to the
senate. as successor Of General Ambrose
E. Burnside.
Having begun his career as a busi-
ness man, Senator Aldrich continued
thruout his public service to display
business-like methods and extraordi-
nary capacity for organization Upon
his election to the senate, he was i'm
mediately made chairman Of the COM
mittee on rules, and a member Of the
committee on finance and inter- state
commerce. Later as chairman Of the
finance committee he was called upon
to assume large share Of the respon-
sibility for all tariff and financial legis-
lation before the senate. He partici-
pated in the preparation Of no fewer
than six revisions Of the tariff and bore
the burden Of labor incident to them.
The Payne-Aldrich tariff act was en-
gineered thru the senate by him after
many weeks Of skillful maneuvering
and hard fighting.
Fathersd Money Reforms.
Mr.. Aldrich was always ready to
seize any trend Of fpublic business to
advance legislative causes In which he
was interested. The "banker's panic"
of 1907 enabled him to give impetus to
his plan to bring about monetary re-
forms. The fruit OF his labors in this
direction was the Vreeland -Aldrich
emergency currency law Of 1908, put
thru the senate " Aldrich after a
historic fllibuster directed by Mr.. La
Toilette, the progressive republican OF
Wisconsin, who was aided by Mr..
Stone of Missouri, . democrat. Sharp
parliamentary tactics enabled Mr..
Aldrich to bring the bill to final vote,
but in taking Mr.. La Toilette off his
feet Mr.. Aldricf made an enemy who
was relentless In his opposition dur
ing many subsequent legislative con-
tests.
The emergency currency law was re-
garded by Mr.. Aldrich as the best
remedy Of speedy enactment, but ne
did not stop there. He began work I'M
mediately upon more permanent
plan OF currency reform, giving most
OF his time to the work Of the ma
tional monetary conimission. He was
able to devote his time unreservedly to
his work because In 1911 he declined
to be a candidate for re-election, CIV
ing ill-health =as a reason.
One Great Disappointment.
Mr.. Aldrict's friends contended that
hts. effort to revise the currency sys-
tenn OF the country Wa1 approached In
an absolute non partisan lay. He
was exeeexainslx anxious tl6e s7sserlk
shOuld stand up as q monument TO his
[nnbIic aAfyice. ~ TIis 81 Iaiaappointment
Evas. keen. = hen sin f0i1L his party lost
Econfrpl. .of the house and took from the
republicans the credit Of putting thru
this far-reaching LEGISLATION. Before
the political complexion Of congress
changed MI. Aldrich was compelled to
admit that his efforts were being frus-
trated by antagonistic sentiment In the
central west. Then he realized that
the attacks he had scorned to answer
had taken root. He could not UNDER
stand that the course he followed thru
his public career Of judging what was
best for the state itself was not ap-
proved by the people themselves.
After his retirement from public
life Mr.. Aldrich spent much OF his time
in travel but he continued to follow
business affairs. He saw many of his
ideas on the subject Of currency en-
acted by the democrats and although
the new law did not bear his name 1t
is known to large extent he approved
of what was done.