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Show RHODE ISLAND " I STATESMAN DEAD I Former United States Senatoi 9H Nelson Wilmarth Aldrich Dies in New York. IS WAS GREAT LEADER m Begins Career as Businest 1 Man Displays Extraordin- f ary Capacity for Organi- ftj zation. New York. April 16. Nelson W. Al- drlch. former United States senator WM from Rhode Island and for years prom- W$a Inent in Republican political circles, NsJ died at his home here today Sena- tor Aldrich died of heart disease ijL-j NelBon Wilmarth Aldrich held a UiJ seat In the United States senate con- ffjpy tinuously from 1881 to 1911 The In- fluence exerted by him on govern - L, ' mental affaira was best illustrated by the fact that when he was satirically introduced to an audience as "the gen-eral gen-eral manager of the United States,-' that appellation lived through the ad- ministrations of McKinley, Roosevelt y'i Great Senate Parliamentarian. Ni;.;. Probably the greatest parliamenta- I rian that ever served in the senate, r, Mr. Aldrich had no difficulty in main . ..3s taining leadership of his party. Al-though Al-though known among the veterans as a "committee senator, he was quite W- as much at home on the floor and nat- f?T urallv was more In evidence in the hi.' larger arena. While he gave special ' attention to the tariff and financial r I legislation in committee, on the sen- f ate floor his ear was open for all that IH was said on any subject of general IH importance He seldom failed to par ticipate in the discussion of an measure affecting governmental poli l cles 1 Naturally Mr Aldrich's long-contin- 1 I ued supremacy in tho counsels of hi3 H part and In directing legislation caus- j ed him to become the subject of much I adverse criticism He was charged with bossism and with being the tool v of the "interests " Vhether or not L . this was true in the main, It can be If said in fairness that some of these j, assertions gained and held currency I because it was his policy never to de- I fend himself against published at Hi tackS Ho rarely permitted himself I to be quoteo" by the press The net that his daughter was married mar-ried to a son of John D. Rockefeller served to strengthen the popular Im pression that Senator Aldrich was In some way peculiarly friendly to thn i oil magnate and considerate of the sen alied "Rockefeller Interests " Yet t when a friend or the senator onco asked him for a letter to Mr Rocke- f feller. Mr. Mdrlch replied' Vs I hap met Mr Rockefeller only twice In my life, I fear the letter would be of but little. If any assistants assist-ants to vou " I In legislation he was charged with being sectional This is hardly born? j out by the facts and more than once he gained his points by utilizing the jj conflict of Interests between West l and South and East. I A temporary opponent within his 1 own party when suddenly deprived of the floor (luring a debate on proposed currency reforms expostulated In vain s he took his seat he said: "The sen-ate sen-ate no longer is the great forum of J rre speech, at least not when the j senator from Rhode Island is here." I Writer Criticises Senator. Sindiously avoiding discussing or j reading attacks upon him, Mr. Aldrich practically invited adverse criticism jj A well known writer of Wall street tales devoted one whole winter to a i studv of Aldrich and then wrote a long biograpby for a popular maga- j sine The article was profusely il-lUStrated il-lUStrated and a highly colored photo 1 graph was used on the outside cover. I Naturallv the author desired to know 1 what Aldrich thought of the article. and a friend sought to find out A copj of the magazine was handed to the senator He looked at the cover , and his face depicted disgust "I f never wore B green waistcoat In my -life." he said, and forthwith the of- fiMidmg magazine was thrown into j the waste basket J Born in Foster. R I. November 6. 1S41. he first appeared in public office as member of the common council In the City of Providence. He was elect- J Sd to the Rhode Island assembly in 1875, nnd four years later sent to con- gross After two sessions he vva elevated to the senate as successor j o General Vmbrose E Rurnside. 1 Extraordinary Organizer. I I a ing begun bs career as a bust-nrs bust-nrs man. Senator Aldrich continued throughout his public service to dis-plaj dis-plaj business-like methods and extra-ordlnary extra-ordlnary capacity for organization. I Upon his election to the senate, he I . was made chairman of the committee commit-tee 011 rules, and a member of tho committee on finance and interstate commerce Later, as chairman of the Finance committee, he was called upon to assume a large share of the respon I Sibllity lor all tariff and financial leg Islation before the senate. He par- J tfeipated in the preparation of m fewer than six revisions of the tariff i and bore the burden of labor incident to them. The Payne-Aldrich tariff j ;u 1 v.-.-ia en-lneered through the sen- I I ate by him after many necks of skill- I iui maneuvering and bard fighting r Mr Udrich was alweays ready to I I seize upon any trend of public busi- I . ness to advance legislative causes in which he was interested. The "bank ers panic" of 1907 enabled him to f give Impetus to his plan to bring about monetary reforms The first fruit of his lahors in this direction ,. h.- vreeiand-.Mdrich Emergency I Currencj law of 1908, put through th- t. senate by Mdrlch after an historic l . I 1 1 I ' (Continued on Page 2.) RHODE ISLAND STATESMAN DEAC (Continued from Pago 1) filibuster directed by Mr. La Pollette the Progressive Republican from Wis consin, who was aided by Mr. Ston? of Missouri, a Democrat. Sharp par liamentary tactics enabled Mr. Aldrlcii to bring the bill to a flnul vote but in taking Mr La Follette off his eel Mr. Aldrteh made an enemy who was relentless In his opposition during many subsequent legislative contests Emergency Currency Law. The emergency currency law waf regarded by Mr. Aldrieh as the best remedy possible of speedy enactment but he did not stop there. He began work immediately upon B more per manent plan of currency reform, giv Ing most of his time to the work of the national monetary commission. He was able to devote his time unreservedly unre-servedly to his work because in 1911 he declined to be a candidate for re election giving 111 health as a reason. Mr Aldrich's friends contended that his effort to revise the currency system sys-tem of the country was approached in an absolute non-partisan way He was exceedingly anxious that his work should stand up as a monument tn his public service. His disappoint ment was keen when, in 1011. his party par-ty lost control of the House and took from the Republicans the credit of putting through this far-reaching leg islatlon Before the political complexion com-plexion of congress changed Mr Aldrieh Al-drieh was compelled to admit that his pfforts were being frustrated by an tagonistic sentiment in the central west i iicii ne repnzeu mat me attacks he had scorned to answer had taken root. He could not understand that the course he followed through his public career of judging what was best for the state itself was not approved ap-proved by the people themselves Mr Aldrlch then undertook a speech-making trip in the" middle west with avowed Intention of eradicating hostility to himself and his project He desired especially to convert the people to believe his declaration that he had no purpose save to devise a system of national finance sound In principle, safeguarding all lepitimate interests, and embodying the best wisdom of the entire country Although Al-though he had large audiences of bankers and business men his mission mis-sion was far from successful. "Why is not our plan taken at face value?" he asked a friend. He received re-ceived a frank answer Too Late to Know People. "You have spent your vacations in Europe. You have not studied the people Your language is that of the prosperous business man You are seeking too late In life to know the people. Mr. Aldrieh expressed regret that he had not earlier made opportunity to acquaint himself with the western people. He said "In a way I have been familiar with western interests, and have done all I could to protect them, but 1 feel that I could have been of still greater help if I had famMar-ized famMar-ized myself on the ground with your institutions and your people " After his retirement from public life Mr. Aldrieh spent much of his tim in travel, but he continued to follow business af faii-s He saw many of his ideas on the subject of currency on enacted by the Democrats and although the new law did not bear his name it is known to a large extent ex-tent he approved of what was done Danville III, prii 16. Former Speaker Cannon, when told of the death of former Senator Aldrieh said "Senator Aldrieh was one of the strongest legislators during his serv ice in the national congress. "The republic is better that he lived. I sincerely regret his loss ' j The Texas league this week starts out on what Lone Star state historians histori-ans are pleased to term its thirt fourth seaeon. though that Is hardiy accurate since there have been several sev-eral lapses since the first organize tion in 1881 |