Palisadian., 1925-12-04
RANDOM NOTES
Senator Mackay's Power

Senator Mackay's Power
The power of Senator Mackay is
quite beyond my ability to compre-
hend. He is so plain, so simple of
manner, so natural and so altogether
appealing, and withal so modest-al-
most timid-that while these attri-
butes are of themselves admirable,
and seldom in the makeup of one
man, they are not often possessed by
politician But there is a certain
that seems incomprehensible for the
very reason that the opposing forces
of practical politics drive some of
these qualities he has either into the
background or into the discard. TAX
ing Senator Mackay as a man he is
understood far better than as poll
tician, for most people understand
that politics is not lovable business
Yet he drives ahead quite as popular
with Democrats as Republicans, and
his party affiliation with the latter has
always dominated his life. He has
never been a wish-a-washy Republi-
can. But no matter what it is he has,
it is a beautiful thought that he can
go along and do so much without ap-
parent effort, and so satisfactorily to
the general public mind. His appeals
in behalf of measures he advocates
generally carry at first blush, because
the voter has come to the conclusion
that if Mackay is behind anything it
is right Personally I'd like to see
him Governor, and he would make
one of the best the State ever had.
| think he could beat any man for the
Office at this time. If Harry Moore
makes a good governor he will be hard
to defeat with Hague behind him, but
Mackay could do it, if any one could.
The Republicans alone elected Moore,
but they would never desert Senator
Mackay in such droves as they did
for Moore.
Mackay UnruffIed
Nothing ever seems to ruffle Sena-
tor Maclsay. Several years ago some
of his weil-intending friends got to-
before the public for governor away
ahead of the time when names should
have been brought to the front. The
thing was so cut-and-dried that it
looked as though the man were seek
ing the Office and not the office the
man. His friends were acting not
wisely but too we'll. | promptly did
rl, hn
Palisadian" and maybe Senator Mac
kay didn't come back at me! He ap-
preciated the stand took said he did,
but bless my life, he wasn't thinking
of being governor said so, and up
braided his friends for being "too pre-
vious." He did it all in such fine
fashion and handled himself so ad-
mirably in the sincerity with which
he denied the soft impeachment that
from that minute / was hog-tied on
Mackay Maybe sometime he may
meet my disapproval but I'll be
hanged if l believe he could. And l
sincerely hope he never will.
The Joke of Attacking Mackay
In the last primary campaign Assem-
blyman Black undertook to tie a
weight to Mackay by bringing up his
boyhood record in a candy store.
There were even some illusions to
fell fiat. Mr.. Black is a very able
man, but he was not quite strong
enough to pit himself against the
good-natured Senator, who had long
ago proven his popularity with the
masses and established himself firmly
because of the splendid service he had
always rendered the county and State.
The candy incident was really quite
absurd, because a host of Mackay's
friends arose and smote the tale hip
and thigh. Certainly the Mackay boy
had sold candy, and it was brought
out that he was a polite and attentive
boy salesman. and that customers
were in the habit of going back and
buying more because of the Mackay
boy and his genial manner. 1t would
be a hazardous undertaking to tag
Senator Mackay with any of the I'M
wholesome tricks of politics. His rec
ord is too clean and manly for any of
the malodorous roses of politics to
be pinned ON him. Being square is
his motto because with him that is
being natural, He's the candy.
Maekay and the Bridge
OF course the building of the Hud
son River Bridge is the outstanding,
the chief accomplishment of Senator
Mackay's useful career. The bridge
has been featured so many times that
it was long the cause of doubt and
jest. The big thing it needed and
couldn't get was leadership, and Mac
kay furnished that in such well-or
dered, clean and wholesome fashion
that before one knew of it the build
ing of the Hudson bridge was on the
way The bridge could not cross the
Hudson without foundation and lead
ership Somebody had to test the
public patience in a way that would
win public confidence. That was the
4 s..G