The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-04-16
NELSON W. ALDR|CH
DIED SUDDENLY
Thirty Years u S. Senator from Rhode Island and
Formerly Most Powerful Man in Congress
Stricken with ApopIexy Shortly After Physician
Left Him

Immediately made chairman of the
committee on rules, and member of
the committee on finance and inter
state commerce. Later as chairman of
the finance committee he was called up-
on to assume a large share of the re-
sponsibility for all tariff and finan-
cial legislation before the senate. He
participated in the preparation of no
fewer than six revisions of the tar
iff and bore the burden of labor incl
dent to them. The Payne Aldrich tar
| iff act was engineered through the
senate by him after many weeks of
sklilful maneuvring and hard fighting.
Mr. Aldrich was always ready TO
seize upon any trend of public business
to advance legislative causes in which
he was interested. The ''banker's pan
&c of 1907 enabled him to give impe-
tus to his plan TO bring about monetary
reforms. The first fruits of his labors
IN this direction was the Vreeland-
AIdrlch emergency currency law of
1908, put through the senate by Aldrich
after an historic filibuster directed bv
Mr. La Toilette, the Progressive Repub-
/ hcan from Wisconsin, who was aided
| by Mr.. Stone of Missouri. a Democrat.
Sharp parliamentary tactics enabled
Mr.. Aldrich TO bring the bill to final
vote. but in taking Mr.. La Toilette off
his feet Mr.. Aldrich made an enemy
who was relentless in his opposition
during many subsequent legislative
contests.
The emergency currency law was re-
garded by Aldrich as the best remedy
possible of speedy enactment, but he
aid not stop there. He began work i'm
mediately upon a more permanent plan
of currency reform, giving most of his
time to the work of the national none
tary commission. He was able to de-
vote his time unreservedlv to his work
because in 1911 he declined to be a can
didate for reelection, giving ill-health
as reason.
Mr.. Aldrich 5 friends contended that
his effort TO revise the currency system
lof the country was approached in an
labsolute nOn-partisan way. He was ex-
lceedingly anxious that his work should
stand up as monument to his public
service. His disappointment was keen
when in 1911 his party lost control of
the house and took from the Republi-
cans the credit of putting through this
Ifar-reaching legislation. Before the
political complexion of congress chang
ed Mr.. Aldrich was compelled to adj
NIT that his efforts were being frustrat-
ed by antagonistic sentiment in the cen
trial west. Then he realized that the
attacks he had scorned to answer had
taken root. He could not understand
that the course he followed through
his public career of Judging was the
best for the state itself was not ap-
iproved by the people themselves.
Mr.. Aldrich then undertook a speech
making trip in the Middle West with
lou
ity to himself and his project. He de-
sired especially to convert the people
to believe his declaration that he had
no purpose save to devise a system of
national finance sound in principle.
safeguarding all legitimate interests,
, and embodying the best wisdom of the
Ientire country. Although he had large
audiences of bankers and business men
, his mission was far from successful.
"Why is not our plan taken at face
, value?'' he asked a friend. He re
ceived a frank answer.
''You have spent your vacations in
Europe. You have not studied the peo-
! pie. Your language is that of the pros
lperous business man. You are seeking
too late in life to know the people,
Mr.. Aldrich expressed regret that he
. had not earlier made opportunity to ac-
quaint himself with the western people.
He said: E'In a way l have been famil-
lar with western interests, and have
done all could to protect them, but
feel that / could have been of still
n greater help if I had familiarized my
: self on the ground with your institu-
t tions and your people.
a After his retirement from public life
a Mr. Aldrich spent much of his time in
: travel, but he continued to follow bust
= ness affairs. He saw many of his ideas
on the subject of currency enacted by
: the Democrats and although the new
v law did not bear his name it is known
;, to large extent he approved of what
Twas done.