Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 16.pdf/771

 712

entry into the House of Representatives to the present day lie has been an interesting, often a dominating, figure in our national life. As he himself says: "In the year 1868 one chapter of my life ended and a very dif ferent one began. In the beginning of that year I had no doubt that what remained of my life would be devoted to my profession, and to discharging as well as I could the du ties of good citizenship in the community to which I was so strongly attached. But it was ordered otherwise. My life in Worces ter came to an end, and 1 shall if I live to complete my present term in the Senate have spent thirty-eight years in the National service." In the present instance as on former oc casions he had no intention of renouncing his profession for a political career. His nomination for Congress was wholly un solicited. His ambiton was, as previously stated, legal and judicial rather than politi cal, but once in Congress he has found it either too difficult or too attractive to leave. But the remarkable thing in the Senator's political career is the fact that he never sought a position; that the various nomina tions to public position came to him unso licited, indeed unexpectedly, and that in the course of his whole public career he never asked anyone to vote for him. Mr. Hoar was nominated for Congress in 1868, and the honor seems not to have overpleased him. He was elected but did not intend to serve more than a term or two. His interest in the "National Educational Bill'' led him to accept a second term in or der te carry the measure. At the end of this, his second term, he wanted to with draw, but was persuaded to remain, and in 1874, the year in which the Republicans lost the House of Representatives, he was forced to run, lest the Democrats should carry his district. At the end of this term,

he peremptorily declined and his succes sor was nominated and elected. Mr. Hoar thus served in the Lower House from 1869 to 1877, and during this period he met personally many of the most noted men of the day. Of some of thèse he has much to say in his Autobiography, and he not occa sionally advances reasons why the popular estimation is unjust in several instances and might well be changed in whole or cor rected in part. For example, Mr. Hoar frequently met President Grant at Wash ington, and cites instances of the Presi dent's grasp of economic conditions in his veto of the Inflation Bill during the hard times of 1873. He also shows that the Pres ident possessed a ready pen, and that the labors of composition were in Grant's case very slight. Finally the Senator cites (¡rant's native modesty as instanced in his repeated commendations of General Sheri dan, even in those cases where Sheridan had acted either without or in reality against orders. A special chapter is devoted to Sunnier and Wilson, in which it is stated that "Charles Sumner was beyond all ques tion the foremost figure on the national stage, save Grant alone. . . . Henry Wilson was the most skilful political or ganizer in the country." If Sumner was the foremost figure, and Wilson the most skilful political organizer, Mr. Blaine, then Speaker, was certainly the most brilliant and conspicuous man in the House of Representatives. Mr. Hoar, while not intimate, was on friendly ternis with him during their service in the House, and he thus records his impressions of the man and of the nature and source of Mr. Elaine's influence throughout the country. "The public, friends and foes," he says, "judged of him by a few striking and pic turesque qualities. There has probably never been a man in our history upon whom so few people looked with indifference. He