The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-10-24

olis une. and one 10 which sons.,.er
able honor attaches. but the Iowa sen
ator Is chairman Of i powerful COM
mittee, and it Is said he does not care
for presiding honors, il they are 10
interfere with his duties as commit
tee chairman. He may not take the
high chair in the senate If by The
transfer he has to lose the head chai-
at the committee table.
The presiding officer OF the senate,
whether he is the vice president or
merely a president pro tenn. does not
have much TO do but sit and look
fairly wise. Occasionally he gets tired
Of sitting and wanders out, but for
most of the time he is compelled TO
stick in his place and listen to dreary
debates OF to repeat time after time
as bills reach a certain stage the
word calendar" or else to conine his
vocal exercises to giving verbal ex-
preston to the fact thai the sen
ator from New York or some other
state has been recognized. Neverihe-
less the office of president pro TEN of
the senate is not to be despised. II
has been held by several men who be
came great in the country's history.
Frye in Chair Many Years.
Senator William L. Frye of Maine
was presiding officer of the senate
for q great many years. He managed
to perform the duties Of head officer
and at the same time carry on The
work attached Il the office Of chair
man of the great senate committee
on commerce. Senator Frye was an
interchangeable worker. and he was not
in his latter years a strong man phys
icalIy. He died at his home in Maine
- years ago, just after he had closed
his work at a senate session of un-
usual interest and strenuous activity.
There is rather an interesting story
connected with the time of Senator
Frye's occupancy of the office Of pres
ident pro tenn of the senate. He was
chosen to the place Immediately afie-
the election of Mckinley and Hobart.
in 1896. Mr.. Hobart became vice
president and Senator Frye used TO
take his place in the chair on the
occasion Of Mr.. Hobart's absence.
They became strong personal friends.
Vice President Hobart died in office
and then Senator Frye became the
actual presiding officer Of the senate.
His friendship with Vice President
Hobart had brought the families of
the two men into social relations. \
daughter of Senator Frye, president
pro TEN of the senate, married a son
of Garrett A.. Hobart. vice president of
the United States and presiding officer
of the senate.
There are several Hobart-Frye
grandchildren who a claim the non
or of being descendants of TWO men
who at the same time were presiding
officers of the United States.
Plenty of Candidates.
If Senator Cummlns shall decline
the honor of preferment for the posi-.
ton of president pro TEN of the sen.
ate. there will be no difficulty in Sc
lecting a mar for the place because o.
lack of candidates. Of course, thu
next presiding officer will be a Re
publican. because the Republican,
have control of the senate. The onil
seHasors+Rhs~ HI -asPfre-t6-rh
honor are those whose committee:
are important enough TO lead them I;
believe that their work as eommitte,
chairmen is of greater importance
than the work of presiding over tn
senate. which in effect is not muci
work. but largely a place of honor.
Presiding officers of the senate tse
quently, TO put it slangily. are bore,
stiff. They are compelled by sheel
sense of duty TO listen to all rh'
speeches which senators seem desir
Gus TO deliver. They are many time
in the United States senate when ths
only listeners to some senator's ad
dress are the presiding officer, tbs
leader of each political party in tbs
senate, and a handful of persons II
the gallery.
Fate.