The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1920-02-07

Fro 1887 TO 1879 Butler was a
member of the New Jersey State
Board of Education, and in 1892 and
1893 he was president of the Board Of
Education Of the city of Paterson.
There are many stories of Buffers
early life in New Jersey. An Eliza
beth man enjoys telling this one:
81 am not likely ever to forget the
%precocious things that I heard Nicho-
las Murray Butler in his childhood
say. This youngster had a mans wit
In a child's body, and it was impossi-
BILE to get the better of him. One day
l heard a clergyman trying to joke
him a bit.
"'Nick,' said he, can you tell me
what the earth's axis is?'
eyes, SIR answered Nick. 1T Is an
imaginary line passing from one pole
to the other, and on it the earth re-
wolves
every good said the minister.
Then he winked at the rest of us
And l suppose, Nick he went on,
that you could hang a wash out on
the imaginary line
eyes, sir, of course said the boy.
1.-THE minister looked blank at that.
1t was not the kind Of an answer he
had expected.
"'Oh, you could, could your he
asked. What kind of a wash?'
"'An imaginary wash young Nick
replied"
Political Office Pursued Him.
Later, after he became a resident of
New York state, the political office
continued to pursue him, and he con-
tinued to resist temptation. Three
times he was urged to become the Re-
publican candidate for mayor of New
York, and on one of these occasions a
Republican was elected to the Office.
Twice he was urged to run for COVER
nor of New York state-in 1904, when
the nomination was equivalent to cleo
ton, and in 1912, when the situation
was more dubious. All these %protfered
opportunities he refused.
During the nearly ten years while
Theodore Roosevelt was governor of
New York state and president of the
nation Nicholas Murray Butler was
his most intimate unofficial counselor.
They were in daily contact throughout
this long and intensely important pc
Rod, either by correspondence or per-
sonal association, and Mr.. Butler
shared to an extent which eve his
close friends did not dream, until after
Roosevelt's death, in shaping the poll
cies which made the great Rough Rider
the idol of the nation.
In American political life he has
played an important role. Probably he
has refused more cabinet positions
than any other man alive. Roosevelt
wanted him and really wanted him
very much. But Mr.. Butler could not
see his way to the acceptance of the
proffered honor.
Indeed, every president since Ben.
jamin Harrison has asked him to take
q cabinet or diplomatic post except
Grover Cleveland, who, although Of
opposite political faith, asked him to
become a member of the National Civil
Service Commission. He has been a
delegate at four Republican national
conventions-those of 1888, 1904, 1912
and 1916-and received the Republican
electoral vote for v~ice-president of the
United States in 1913. He has become
famous in the party as the author of
critical and difficult platform planks.
During 1912 he acted as chairman Of
the New York State Republican Com
mittee. He has been aptly termed "the
wheel horse of the Republican Party.
Americas Greatest Budget Expert.
Butler has been recognized as the
one greatest budget expert in the Unit
ed States. When Senator Medill Nc
Cormick first began to advocate his
senate bill, providing for a rearrange-
ment of our government finance upon
a budget system, he referred to Mr..
Butler as one Of the few Americans
whose wisdom he had consulted and
later Mr.. Butler was called to Wash
ington to offer his advice officially.
When Mr.. Butler assumed the presi-
dency of Columbia as the youngest
man Eve indicted into an office Of
similar Importance, his job was that
of the administration Of a great bust
Mesa business comprising a group
of corporations representing an invest
ment of $70,000,000, employing approx
imately $500 persons with an annual
pay roll of about $1,000, 900 for the
care and instruction of $4,000 young
women and young e No greater
tribute could be paid to the business
genius of Butler than the true state
ment of his having administered the
affairs of Columbia during and since
the war without calling for emergency
subscriptions. This was only n of
the big incidents Of a big mans life,
but it won him nationwide respect and
admiration among business men and
men of affairs.
Nicholas Murray Butler is intensely
human. He enjoys contact with his
fellow men and because of this char.
U-An