The Washington times., 1924-12-02
Butler, Mystery Man,
Senate PoWer
Little Known Outside Own
State Until Recently, He Is
Closest Friend Of President;
Rich, and Described by
Friend As Essence Of
Conservatism
BY GEORGE r. HOLMES,
international News Rervioe.

dignity, many eyes were turned
toward short, somewhat pudgy,
gray-haired man, with a hawk
like nose and a bristly CRAVING
mustache, close-cropred.
Two years ago he was un-
known outside his home State.
And even in his home State he
was not widely known, except in
certain circles. A year ago he
was scarcely better known outside
these same circles. Occasionally
his name cropped up in the news
paper reports. When it did it
usually told Of his being the guest
of the new President on. a week
end yachting trip.
Butler q Power.
Today this pudgy figure, with
the sleek gray hair. occupies a pc.
sition in the Senate Of the United
States potentially more powerful
than that held by any of the nine
ty-odd others whose names have
been blazoned on the front pages OF
the country's newspapers through
many stormy fights in the Senate.
The public knows him not at all,
the Senate only casually. Yet he
was the cynosure of all eyes to-
day--from the floor as well as the
galleries.
EcIyarxyhodx 1. ,,,o,,dar;n0 4us,
what sort of a figure William NJ.
Butler is going to cut in the Senate.
He occupies a position in that
august chamber that is unique. He
is, perhaps, the closest personal
friend and political mentor that
Calvin Coolidge has. He Is chair
man of the Republican national
committee and intends to remain
so. He has just closed one Of the
most successful campaigns in Re-
publican history-a campaign which
he directed and in which he held
like.
Intimaeies Stunned.
And yet, despite this record of
national activity, there was none OF
those ninety-odd colleagues of his
today who knew him well enough
to slap him on the back and call
him BILL
To his friends. Harry M. Daugh-
erty, was always Harry" or
III. NJ" And to hundreds Mark
Hanna was Mark" Yet to no one
in Washington, SO far as is known,
is William NJ. Butler BILL" tie
Is not that kind Of man. Calvin
Coolidge does not call him "Bill. !"
T, the quiet, taciturn man in the
White House William NJ. Butler is
"Mr. Butler And to Mr.. Butler
Calvin college is not "Cal," bur
"Mr. Coolidge" Seldom even "Mr.
Fl esident.s
William M. Butler does not know
any of the men with whom he viii
b. most intimately and officially
associated in Washington Suffi-
GENTLY we'll to call them by their
first names. That fact, in an or.
ganization which has been described
a. ''the most exclusive gentlemen's
club in the world" is worth re-
cCrding. It may conceivably have
a not unimportant bearing on the
future political and legislative his
tory of this country.
Position Commanding.
1t is into such a situation and
amid such surroundings that fate
and the turn of the wheel in poll
tics have pitchforked William M.
Butler. His is commanding posi-
ton and one that is unusual
Ia 10
of the Senate. Stories that he will
hC are so much dreaming by
tfose who do not know the rigid
seniority rule, the petty jealousies
and the moss-covered traditions Of
the Senate.
The title will not be his, and yet
he will be leader His voice
probably won't be raised much in
debate, and he may not figure in
the newspapers quite as mucn as
some others; but his voice, when
raised in the quiet cloakroom con-
ference or st e ri n g committee
caucus, will be the voice Of power
and patronage and the voice of the
Administration.
He will be the spokesman for
Calvin Coolidge in the Senate He
will be the liaison officer between
the White House and the Capitol.
1t is he who will keep the Presi-
dent informed of what is going on
at Capitol HILL It is he who has
an entry to the Presidents quiet
study on the second floor of the
mansion such as none of his col
leagues enjov-an unusual position
Tor a freshman Senator" What
an upsetting of that hoary Senate
tradition that a new member should
have served at least two years be-
fore venturing to take real part
in the affairs of government.
What kind of man is this But
Ter who is going to occupy such a
position of Importance in the new
Coolidge Administrations
A friend once described him as
the essence of New England con-
servatism" and "cut from the same
pattern as Calvin Coolidge" Those
who know him best say that the
description fits.
Father a Minister.
William M. (the IN" stands for
Morgan) Butler was born in New
Bedford, Mass. in January, 1851,
making him nearly sixty-four years
old--twelve years older than the
President. His father was min
lister. Further back his people were
seafarers.
He had little liking for the min
istry and directed his attention to-
ward the law, graduating from Bos-
ton University In 1884. Two years
later he married. and for ten years
thereafter he practised his. profess
sion in New Bedford.
He had an early flair for poll
tics, and gradually he came under