Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-08
Nent Speaker Of the Hoase
Washington Letter in Brooklyn Eagle (den.)

Washington Letter in Brooklyn Eagle (dem.)
Frederick H. Gillett Of Massachusetts, the
next speaker of the house of representatives. is
known as the "fairest man in congress. He
has not ansenemy within his own party nor that
of the opposition. His personal popularity is
largely responsible for his securing the lead
over Representative James R. Mann for the
highest gift within the power Of the house to
bestow and his personal popularity is
due TO the fact that he has always been fair
minded in dealing with matters in congress.
But few people believed in December, 1917,
when the republican steering committee selected
Mr. Gillett to act as floor leader of the
minority during the absence of Mr.. Mann, be-
cause of illness, that he would a little more than
a year later be the leading candidate of the re-
publicans for speaker. Any number of persons
would have at once declared that Mr.. Gillett
was not aggressive enough. But the reverse
has occurred and all because Mr.. Gillett, while
acting as minority leader, conducted himself
so that he made no enemies, but, on the other
hand, made many friends.
Mr.. Gillett is partisan but q first class
American. The history of his leadership in
the house during the period of the war is one
of which not only his party may be proud, but
his country as we'll Partisanship disappeared
in the house under his direction in all measures
relating to the war. He co-operated harmon
iously with Claude Kitchn of North Carolina
the democratic leader, in arranging for the
speedy enactment of all war measures. He was
a member of that small but responsible sub
committee which formulated the great bulk of
the appropriations for all branches of the gov
ernment during the war.
These great war budgets, which ordinarily
would have gone to the military and naval COM
mitteeS, came in deficiencies from the COM
mittee on appropriations, of which Mr.. Gillett
is the ranking republican member. The work
was done without partisan feeling or display.
Mr.. Gillett voted right" on all issues affecting
the war and co-operated loyalty at every point
with an administration controlled by the
opposing party.
Being a modest man and never spectacular, it
is hard to realize that Mr.. Gilett has been
member of the house for 26 years. He came to
Washington as member of the Fifty-third
congress and has been here ever since. He
rarely makes speech. But when he does he
always prepares his remarks in advance and
has, come to be known as one of the best ana
lytical speakers of the house.
TALL slender, with clear blue eyes and
short-cropped beard now rather gray, the smil-
ing Gillett is a pleasing figure on the floor and
a welcome one throughout Washington society.
Mr.. Gillett was bachelor until little more
than three years ago. During his early career
as congressman he became the intimate per-
sonal associate of the late William III. Moody.
He was one of the members of the party which
Mr.. Taft piloted to the Philippines. Three
years ago he married the widow of Congress-
man lockwood Hoar of Massachusetts,.
A view of the man among his friends gives
one a glimpse of the congressman among his
colleagues In the days when Roosevelt was
president, Root was secretary of state and Taft
was secretary of war, they were known to
Washington as the Three Musketeers." In the
same days there lived in house across from
the Department of Justice another trio of
known One was the chief of ordnance Mai.
Gen. William A. Crozier another was success
sively member of the house, secretary of the
navy, attorney general and associate justice of
the supreme court, William H. Moody, while
the third was Mr. Gillett
Representative Gillett was the Oldest of the
three, General Crozier next and the many-titled
Mr.. Moody was the junior There was no table
in Washington where day in and day out more
questions involving all branches of the govern
ment were threshed out than around the hos
pitable -Crozier- Moody board. Then, as
now Mr.. Gillett was known as a wise counselor.
In the days of the Roosevelt administration
The Three Musketeers" rode or walked for
exercise and in addition, Roosevelt played
tennis and boxed, and Taft played golf OF "The
Three Bachelors" General Crozier and Mr..
Moody rode horseback, while Mr.. Giett played
golf and tennis. In recent years he has played
SOAA
on one of the several golf links about the
capital.
He is a believer in protective tariff, but not
a rampant protectionist. There are more ag-
gressive men on the floor, there are harder
workers in committee; there are more brilliant
debaters and more gifted orators, but there is
not man in congress today with more in
fiuential personality.
During his early days in the house, Mr.. Gil
lett gained the enmity of many government en-
ployes in Washington by requiring them to
work every day until 4:30 o'clock, instead of 4,
as had been the custom from time immemorial
The clerks have never quite forgiven him for
this, although he has gained many friends
among the governmental workers, because he
later drafted workable bill for the retirement
Of aged clerks on a pension, and has been its
strongest advocate in the house, although not
successful in having it adopted.
Mr.. Gillett, during most of his service in
Washington, has served on a committee that
does not receive much recognition for the work
il does, yet it is the busiest committee in con-
gress. Many years AGO he was made a member
of the appropriations committee and has main
tanned this membership up to the present.
A Beer and a SGndWGcb
When Bismarck enunciated the principle that
the best place 70 have = war in aof11ah0dv