The New York herald., 1922-01-02
Senator Boies Penrose.

Senator BoIES PENRosE, who died
in harness at Washington on Satur.
day night, never possessed in his
own State the power which had been
exercised by his political guide. spon-
sor and friend, MATTHEW STANLEY
QUAY. He never attained the ma
tional eminence of Senator QUAY,
who after the victorious Harrison
campaign. in which he was chairman
of the Republican National Commit
tee, became the foremost political
leader in the country. He never
achieved in the United States Senate
in the quarter of century he repre-
sented his State there, either the in
fluence or the distinction of QUAY.
Nevertheless Senator PENRosE was
a very big man, not only in political
councils but in the broad affairs OF
the country, unofficial as well as
official. AS chairman of the Com
mittee on Finance in the Senate his
Republican and Democratic associ
ates alike acknowledged his natural
grasp Of economic subjects, his thor
ough study of all their details, his
deep understanding of the various
and varied industrial problems oi
the nation and his bulldog courage
in standing for and fighting for tie
programs of his party in the nation
as he stood for and fought for his
lieutenants and followers In politics
at home, often to the astonishment
and sometimes to the horror, OF what
might be called the Pennsylvania
quality.
Senator PENRosE, however, had
been brought up in the school oi
QUAY, where loyalty to henchmer
who were loyal to the chief was .
religious devotion. PENRosE, like
QUAY, might quarrel with a colleague
in his State or in the nation. He
might break with him openly and
savagely. But he never deserted any
body that was faithful; he never
scorned in public one whom he could
cherish in private.
In this way Senator PENRosE, q
gentleman born, scholar, man oi
fine culture but always the old
school partisan and the old school
machine leader, served by follow
ing of political idolators, was much
misunderstood man in the country
IN the Senate, where he was so long
prominent, and even at home, where
his mastery of his party never fal'
tered and his activities for the in
dustries and general interests OF his
State never let down even through the
long months of his illness preceding
his death.
In the burly work which often had
to be done in practical politics within
the past generation to dominate ma
chimes and lead vast bodies OF voters,
as PESRosE did, it was easy for the
public to gather a misconception of
the aims and the achievements OF
such a man, but there Is no doubt
that his talents, energies and cour-
age were long a valuable asset to Con-
gress and to the country. An Ameri-
can 10 the core, with his admirable
clarity of mind and full knowledge of
the needs OF American industry, COM
merce and finance Senator PENRosE
up to the very hour when HIS illness
became grave laborcd stoutly and
wisely for the benefit Of the nation.
His going at this time, only three
months after the death OF his brill
liant and distinguished colleague. Sem
ator KNOX. will leave the great State
Of Pennsylvania with two baby Sem
ators," as they are called, at juno
ture when there never called for solu-
ton by statesmanship and leadership
more and greater industrial problems
Of singular concern to that preemi-
nent industrial commonwealth. This
virile figure OF PENRosE
passing from the scene, therefore.
will leave a wide gap in his own
State as in the Senate.