OCR Text |
Show ESTIMATES OF SMOOT. The impending "Republican" convention con-vention makes tho church organs very anxious to push the merits of the Congressional Con-gressional delegation upon tho public notice, inasmuch as the fight against tho "insurgents" is for tho glory of that delegation, and to force the selection selec-tion of those comprising it as delegates to the National Republican convention. To that end one of the church papers yesterday yes-terday printed an evidently "persuaded" "persuad-ed" but mild eulogy of Suioot, found in an Eastern newspaper. It wasn't very laudatory, to be sure, for it couldn't be; but everything that is better thau a kick is gratefully received. re-ceived. On the other band, wo sec from time to time contemptuous reference ' to Smoot, beginning with the ' stinging, contumelious treatment of him by his follow Senators in connection with his ridiculous patent, bills, as drawn by himself and presented by him in tho Senate, which had never seen anything like them before. And now, as an off-sot off-sot to tho pcrcuaded mention of Smoot, as quoted in his paper here, we submit this timely estimate of him, which we find in the Washington Herald: Senator Smoot of Utah takes a. large part in the doings of the Upper House, and he is very nervous when he has to sit and listen to statements from other Senators Sen-ators with which he doe? not agroe. He has an unfortunate habit of wearing a palpable sneer on such occaaions, but the speakers never scorn to notice his disapproval. dis-approval. It may be just the appearance i of a sneer, but the resemblance Is very marked. Another of the steady habits of the tall and slender Senator from the Mormon Mor-mon State Is giving advice. He frequently fre-quently takes a seat near a Senator of his own party, who may be making a speech, especially tf it. be In defense of the Aldrich bill, and he coaches that Senator from start to finish. He seems to he very fond of the Aldrich bill, and never loses an opportunity to put in a good word for it. Tho disapproval of Smoot in this is about as marked as the approval of him in the extract quoted by his'paper, and both agree that he seems feverishly eager to make his mark in tho Senate, without having any particular influence. His stupid devotion to the discredited Aldrich bill, which is so decidedly hostile hos-tile to Western interests, is an impoach-ment impoach-ment of his intelligence on this question, ques-tion, however much it may prove his gratitude to Aldrich for his partisan vole and political influence to keep Suioot in hjB Senatorial seal. But in no sense does anything said of Smoot efforts or doings prove the pre-eminent necessity of sending him as a delegate from Utah to the Republican National convention. |