mxixmmmsm!iimiimt:;ifi;ni(le thri)ii>;li all its dcliheratioiis to the hij^hest and hest results. Illuniiiie from on lii.tch the minds of those who sit in judj;- ment n])on the laws enacted by the Congress that their decisions may he wise and just. Bless, we beseech Thee, the President of these I'uited Slates, liis advisers, and all otliers in authority, that the affairs of state may be wiselj' administered and the laws of the land faithfully executed, that the coordinate branches of the Government, thus working together and working with Thee, may fulfill in larger measure the ideals conceived of our fathers in "a government of the people, by the jjcople, antl for the people," that righteousne.ss, truth, justice, peace, and good will nux}' obtain, to the honor and glory of Thy holy name. The empty .seats on the floor of this House remind us of the strong-minded, pure-hearted, noble men who occujiied them, but have been called to the higher life since last we met. We thank Thee for their genial jire.sence .so long among us, the work they acconi])lished for vState and nation, the sweet memory and illus- trious examples left behind them. Be very near, O God, our Heavenly Father, to the bereaved families. Uphold, su.stain, and comfort them by the Ijles.sed hope of the inunortalitv of the soul. Impart, we implore Thee, more of Thy.self unto us all, tliat We may become in deed and in truth sons of the living God after the similitude of Thy .Son Jesus Chri.sl our Lord and Master. Amen. .Mr. I-owDKX. Mr. Speaker, it becomes my j)ainful dut\- to aiuiounce the death of the Hon. Romurr R. Hitt, Represent- ative of the Thirteenth lUstrict of Illinois. At a later da\- I shall ask that a time be set a])art for exerci.ses in memor\- of Mr. Hitt. I now otTer the following resolution and move its adoption. Procfccfiin^s ill tlic House 7 The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, Tliat the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Robert R. HiTT, a Representative from the State of Illinois in tliirteen successive Conjjresses. The resolution was agreed to. Resolvtii, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased this House do now adjourn. The resolutions were agreed to. Accordingly, in pursuance thereof, the House (at 12 o'clock and 54 minutes) adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock noon. ^lo^n.w, Jafivary 14, 190J. Mr. LinvDKX- Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the present consideration of the following order. The Si'K.VKEK. The gentleman from Illinois asks unani- motis consent for the present coiLsideration of the following order. The Clerk read as follows: That tlicrc be a session of the House on Sunday, February 17, 1907, at 12 o'clock ni.. which shall be .set apart for memorial addresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. ROBERT R. HiTT, late a Repre.sentative from the Thirteenth Congressional district of Illinois. The vSpeakek. Withotit objection, the order will be agreed to. There was no objection. StTND.W, Febritaiy if. ZQoy. The Hotise met at 12 o'clock noon. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry X. Couden, I). I)., offered the following prayer: n/csscd is tlie man tliat icallcctli not in tlie counsel of tlie i(ni;0(il_v. nor standeth in tlie 7cay of sinners, nor sittet/i in tlie seat of tlie scornfid . But his delight is in the la:e of the I.ord: and in His laic doth he meditate day and night. 8 MciiKirinl Addresses: Robert R. llilt And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringcth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not -wither; and lehat soever he docth shall prosper. Our Father in heaven, once more under the dispensation of Thy providence are we met within these liistoric walls to pa\- a last trilnite of respect to one who learned patience, wisdom, courage, fortitude, patriotism, and nobility of soul at the feet of our martyred Lincoln, and who served for years on the floor of this House with signal ability, and died beloved by all who knew him. Grant, O most merciful Father, that his example may l)e an incentive to those who knew him and to those who shall come after him to pure living and jxUriotic citizenshi]!, so that when we pass from the scenes of this life men shall rise U]) and call us t)lessed. Comfort his colleagues, friends, and kinsmen with the blessed hope of the gospel; and help us to look forward with faith and confidence to a blessed reward in some fairer life, where, with the redeemed, we shall live forever; and Thine be the praise, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Mr. LowDEX. Mr. .Speaker, I offer the resolutions which I send to the Clerk's desk. The SpK.\kEK. The Clerk will re])orl the resoluuions. The Clerk read as follows: Resolved, Thai the business of tlif House be now suspeiiilei!, thai opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Rohkkt R. HiTT, late a member of this House from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That, as a particular mark of respect to the menuiry of the decea.sc(l and in recognition of his distingui.shed public career, the House, at the conclusion of these exercises, .shall stand ailjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk corannniicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. The Spr.\.kkk. The question is on agreeing to the resolu- tions. The resolutions were agreed to. Memorial Addresses Address of Mr. Lowden, of Illinois Mr. Spp:aker: An old Roman once said tliat man was to be likened to a sentinel on dut}', obliged to stay at his post until summoned hence by his commander. Perplexities might come, ill health might pre.ss him down, but he is bound, smilingly, if he can, but patiently anyway, to bear the burdens of the earth until released from above. The man whose name we affection- ately take upon our lips to-day, who.se image is in our hearts, ilUrstrated by his life and death this everlasting truth. More than a decade ago death was very near him, and during the time that .since has intervened he knew that he was under .sen- tence to die almost any da}'. And yet never was he more useful to his country than dining these years. He was, in Very truth, a sentinel on guard, and serenely .served his coun- tr)' and his time until the sununons came. There is nothing which more dignifies man, which more benefits the world, than obedience to the law of service until the very end of life. The young can exhibit no triumph of mind which, in sublim- ity, equals that of the old man — old as the world measures age — who looks point-blank into eternity and genially and gra- ciously helps to bear the burdens of the world. Robert Roberts Hitt was fine in his .splendid youth; he was finer still in his latest ^-ears. Though he knew that death had but given liim truce, he lavished the best that was in him upon his country, family, and friends. He made it easier for all of us 9 lO .MoiiorinI Addresses : Roherl R. I lilt to iiieel old ajje and to meet it with a .smile. Xe\er were his perceptions keener, hi.s charity broader, nor hi.s afFection.s deeper than during the very last year he walked the earth. -His soul ne\er shone more resplendent than :it this time, thouj^h his feeble body was galloping to the grave. Then why shall we not believe that he survived the clay where he once abode and that we shall meet him yet again ? RoiiKKT RoiiKRTs HiTT was Ijorn at I'rbana, Ohio, January i6, 1S34. His jwrents were Rev. Thomas H. Hitl and lunily John Ilitt. The former was a member of the Methodist Church. When young Rorkkt was 3 years of age his parents migrated to O.gle County, 111., and .settled at Mount Morris. Thomas Hitt was described by those who knew him as a man of high character and ideals, devoted to his work. The pioneer preacher in every stage of the development of this country has borne a consjiicuous jxirt: Thomas Ilitt was a fine type of his class. The mother of Robert was a woman of great intellect- ual ability and beauty of character. This is the uniform testi- mony of tho.se who knew her best. Young Hitt was educated at Rock River Seminary and at De Pauw University'. During his college course he grew deeply interested in the stenographic art and became a very accom- plished shiirthand reporter. He preserved to history the Lincoln- Douglas debates of fifty-eight, and it is .said that Mr. Lincoln never arose to speak during that epoch-making time until he he had assured himself that "Hon" HlTT was present and at his ])osl. To us of Illinois he .seemed the clo.sest link between the martyred Lincoln and the limes we call our own. The con- fidence in and friendshij) for HiTT which Lincoln cherished, the reverence which Hitt felt for Lincoln, who once was ours and now belongs to the world, made Lincoln .seem very near to us indeed. Address of Mr. I.ou'dcjt, of Illinois ii Mr. HiTT was first secretary of legation at Paris from 1874 to i8>Si and charge d'affaires a part of that time. He was First Assistant Secretary of State under Hlaine during Garfield's Administration. He was elected to Congress from the old Ninth Illinois district in 1882, and served continuously until the time of his death, Septeml)er 20, 1906. He became chair- man of the Committee on Foreign Affairs at the beginning of the Fifty-first Congress. He was appointed in July, 1898, by President McKinley, member of the commi.ssion to establish government in the Sandwich Islands. During the last years of his life he was also Regent of the Smithsonian Institution. Mr. HiTT was married in 1874 to Miss Sallie Reynolds, a lady of great beauty, charm of manner, and cultivation of mind, who, with two sons. Reynolds and William F., survi\'e him. His home was a happy one. Those who were privileged to enter it found culture and liospitality .so graciously interwoven that every visit there produced a delightful memory. Of Mr. HiTT',? career in Congress, his old colleagues in this House are better fitted than I to speak. I may be permitted, however, to say that the peojile of our district were proud of his achievements and knew that his counsel was of infinite value to the nation. In every crisis in our foreign affairs we turned confidentlj- to Washington, for we knew that the wi.se, just, patient statesman we had .sent you would be heard. He was the soul of honor, and simplicitj- was the dominant quality of his mind and heart. Elaborate logic, too much re- fined, will miss the .goal, where simple, unpretentious directness will win. This simplicity of which I .speak was never more marked than in his public utterances. There are two kinds of speeches — one intended to show the mar\-elous mental machin- ery of the orator, the other to elucidate the simple truth from out a complex mass of facts. Mr. HiTT's method was the latter. 12 Miiiiorinl Addresses : Robert R. Ilitt Genial and gentle, he was the most lovable of friends. The rithness of his mind made him a center of interest iu any com- pany. Perfect naturalness seemed his. And this is why he liked men and men liked him. He was equally at home among the great and small. He knew that rank and wealth "were but thin disguises of the .soul." Almo.st a (juarter of a century ago, on an occasion similar to this, he, whom we mourn to-daj', in .speaking of Major Hawk, who had preceded him as Representative to Congress, used the.se words: He satisfied his constituents —no easy task, for that (lalena district had been accustonR-d to being represented by men of national reputation — Baker, Washbnrne, Hurchard — with whom he would be compared. But the people appreciated his solid (jualities, his worth, liis faithful .services. They trusted and honored him again and aj^ain, and when he was cut off so untimely they mourned his death a.s a personal sorrow. These words seem to ha\-e beeu as pro]ihetic of his own career as they were descriptive of that other career then just closed. He was always i)roud of his district, and the district justified him in his pride. If thrift, intelligence, patriotism, and .self-respect are, as I believe, the qualities which finally give .superiority to men, the people of this district are second to none anywhere. He had an afTection for the old di.strict, and it loved him. It is indeed a notable district. It was the home of C.rant and Rawlins, upon whom that great captain leaned. It was once represented in the Congress of the United States by I'.-iker, who fell at Balls Bluff while yet "his fame was in its dawn." Early in the fifties, before the Republican party was born, this district .sent IClihu B. Washlnirne to this Chamber, where he remained until he became minister to I-'rauce. Then came Horatio C. Burchard, who was a recognized authority on all questions of finance. He in turn was followed by Robert M. A. Hawk, a gallant soldier who died all too soon, the Address of Mr. Lcneden, of IIIi)iois 13 result of wounds received in the civil war. From then until a few months ago, Robert Rohkrts Hitt was the fitting Representative of the historic Galena district. Of the great group I have named Burchard alone sur\-ives, and the evening of his life is gently closing in about him. I have heard many regret that Mr. HiTT'.s distinguished ser\-ices to his country did not bring him higher place. I can sympathize with the thought whicli prompts the regret, but I do not join in the conclusion reached. It seems to me that to have ser\-ed his country with the ability and fidelity which always characterized him- to have spent the last quarter of a century of his life in this great body; to have won its admira- tion and respect, and now to li\-e in its affections is a perfect public career. On a lovely September afternoon, near the beautiful town in which he lived, I beheld the du.st of RoRERT Roberts Hitt descend into the earth. It seemed to me as I stood there that much of the brightness of this world had also gone into that grave. But what we saw was not our friend — it was onh- the garment of his iuunortal soul. vSonie place, we know not how nor where, that bright, liewitchiug, and gentle mind, that tender love, have found full plaj-. 14 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hitt Address of Mr. Clark, of Missouri Mr. vSpi;aki:k: With - a dress-parade committee, as some folks imag- ine. It has multifarious duties, most of them important, l6 Memorial .IHdrcsses : Rnbci't K. Hilt some of extreme delicacy, and others of far-reachinj; conse- quences. In my six years' service on it two great debates grew out of liills which we reported and on which the conmiittee was divided. G(n-ernor Nelson Dinglej' .gave me some valuable information about committees out of his large experience. I once asked him as to the comparative value of places on Appropriations and Ways and Means. He .said that as a men- tal training tlie>' were both of the liighe.st value in preci.seh' opposite directions — that service on Appropriations drove a man into details, while .service on Ways and Means forced him into generalization; that a rea.sonable .service on both was of incal- culable value as an educational process. I have never received more suggestive information than that. In this connection it is not out of place to remark that Governor Dingley was nuich more of a philosopher than he was commonly credited with being. A man knowing what he thought on the tariff and what I lliink on that subject may be surpri.sed to learn that he once gave nie what I consider jioiuters of ])rime value as to the theory of making a tariff-revision bill from my own .standpoint, but that is a fact, nevertheless, for which I am grateful to him, though in his grave. Men may come and men may go, but the great Conunittee on Foreign Affairs will never have a chairman more thoroughly ideal in equipment, character, maimer, and conduct than was Mr. Chairman HiTT. Ivverybod\- accjiiainted with my mental ])rocesses knows that to talk of Col. Thomas Hart Benton has become a sort of fad with me. It is not unlikely that I .sometimes bore people about him. I do not belie\e that "The Great Missourian" has had a fair deal in history, which I intend he shall have if I live long enough. .ItMrcss of Mr. Clark, of Missouri 17 So one niorniiii^ in the last year of Senator George Frishie Hoar's life he and I happened to come U]) to the Capitol together on a street car. I said; SL-iKit(ir. wliich kiifw the more — John Ouiiu'v Adams or Col. Thomas H. Hfiilon!' With a nierr\- twinkle in his eye he replied: If it hail been left to them to decide, both knew the more. Then he added: Well, that is hardly a fair statement. They differed so much in their fields of investigation that it is difficult to compare them. John Quincy Adams knew more about o.ir foreign affairs than any other American of his time, and Colonel Benton knew more about our domestic affairs than any American of his time. A philosophic remark, snrcl>'. So, I think, it may be stated without exaggeration that Mr. Hitt knew as much alioiit our forei.gn relations as any man of his time. His whole life had been a training for that high, onerous, and delicate position. As a youth he reported for Abraham Lincoln the far-resonnding Dotiglas and Lincoln deliates — which in itself was a liberal political education. Such a privilege as sitting at the feet of Abraham I^incoln and Ste- phen A. Douglas til learn wisdom comes to few young men. It not onl>' brought him into close jiersonal contact with tho.se mental Titans, but gave him a splendid coign of vantage from which to view and measure the big Illinoisans of that day, and what a tna.gnificent arra>' it was: Dou.glas, Lincoln, David Davis, General Shields, Lyman Trumbull, Dick Yates the first, DickOglesby. Leonard ,Swett, Richard.son, Browning, Elihu B. Washburne, Long John Weiitwortli, the Lo\-ejoys, John A. Logan, John M. Palmer, John A. McCIernand, William R. Morrison, and Joseph Medill. Besides the.se and other .sea.soned veterans whose \-oice has filled the trump of fame. Senator Shelb_\' M. CtiUom was H. Doc. S,,.S, 59-2 2 l8 Mi)i!orial .Iddnsscs: Rohcrl R. llitt bcKiiminji his loii>j career, and, Mr. Speaker, your political star, now hla/in^ like Siriiis at the zenith, was just peeping above the horizon. A.s.sociation with those men- even a pa.ssinja: silinijxse at them — was enough to send any yomigster upon a political voyage. It is appropos to .state that one of the most dramatic pieces of prose in our vernacular is in The Crisis, where Winston Churcliill describes the Freeport debate betwixt Douglas and Lincoln in 1S5.S, at which time and place was settled not u\\\\ the Illinois United States Senatorship for which they were wrestling, but also the stupendous issue of the Presidential election of 1S60. Seldom in this worlil has there been — seldom in this world will there be — a question a.sked and answered on which hinges such momentous events as upon the (juestion so care- fully formulated by -Lincoln, so carefiUly recorded by HiTT. and so promptly answered by "the Little Giant." It .seems to me that if the thousands of men, women, and children a.ssembled in that .soggy grove, in that drizzling weather, that da>- at Freeport, could have really comprehended the full significance of Lincoln's question and the words of Douglas, they would have .shrieked with terror and would have fled appalled; but fortunately, mercifully — Heaven from all crcature.s hides the lKX)k of fate. Oh! Blindness to the future kindly given. That each mar fill the circle marked by heaven. And no huni.in being there that da\- except Lincoln him.self appears to have thought that anything hail been accomplished except that Lincoln hafl reelected Douglas to the vSenate — which he had. It seems to have occurred to no one there except to Lincoln what is clear to everybody now — that by that Address o/Mr. C/ark, o/Missoiiri 19 (lay's work Linculn had nut onK- lost to Douglas the splenilid prize of the Senatorshiji, but had won for himself the more splendid prize of the Presidenc\-; but such is the truth of history. The "Bob Hill" to whom Clnuchill so frequently refers iu those intense chapters, and whom Lincoln loved and leaned u]ion, was RoRKKT Koin^kTs Hitt. When Mr. Churchill conies to issue a new and revised edi- tion of his thrilling no\el, he should strike out the name of Hill and in.sert Hitt. •After tho.se debates, Mr. HiTT had a position in W'ashingtou which enabled him to study at short range the great men here — e.speciall>- the Missouri giant, James S. fireene, who had no superior in the Senate, a statesman of whom Mr. Hitt de- lighted to speak. F'or j'ears Mr. Hitt was our secretarj' of legation and charge d'affaires to the French court. This service brought him into close contact with the choice s])irits of the Third Republic, Thiers, Gamljetta, McMahon, X'ictor Hugo, and the rest; also, of course, he was thrown into the comjxuiy of the diplomats from other lands. The next step in liis diplomatic education was that he ser\ed as Assistant Secretary of State under James Gillespie Blaine when that brilliant man was in the flower of his years and in the prime of his .splendid powers. Thus equipped and thus educated, Mr. HiTT entered the House, where he served nearls- a ([uarter of a century and where from the first he was considered an authority on all matters pertaining to our foreign relations. He was a model chairman. He would have made a model Secretary of State or an ideal amba.s.sador to a foreign court. If his health had lieen good, he jirobably would have Ijeen 20 Miiiiorin/ . hMrrsscs: RobrrI A'. ///// elected \'ice- President in 1904, perhaps wiilioiil a contest for the iionii nation, as it is generally understood that \'ice-President Fairbanks did not really desire the position— at any rate was not an active candidate. It is safe to say that had Mr. HiTT been elected he would have discharged the duties of that exalted station with such consunnnate grace and tact as to recall the days of Aaron Burr, who, notwithstanding the odium which re.sts upon his name, is .still ranked by the traditions of the Senate as foremost among its presiding officers. Mr. HiTT made it a point to give one state dinner to his com- nuttee during each Congressional term, and I feel certain that all who .served under him on his connnittee will bear me wit- ness that to accept his hospitality was a delight, for we all felt that we were welcome guests — invited not on compulsion, but because he really wi.shed to contribute to our happiness and to cement our friendshij). Such courtesies may be classed among those which Cieneral (.arfield once felicitously characterized as ■'the flowers growing over the dividing walls of parti.san politics." Mr. IIlTT was one of the finest raconteurs I have ever known. His miud was stored with anecdotes of the richest character about the most interesting personages of both hemi.spheres, and he was a rare artist in conversation. Man\- of his friends, in- cluding myself, begged him to write a book of reminiscences, and it's a pit>- — a positive loss to literature — that he did not do so. On March 4 I will have .served twebe years here. When this Congress began, there were thirl\-nine Members who had served longer. Fifteen of these will not be Members of the House in the Sixtieth Congress. Thus rapidly changes the personnel of this body — once more teaching us what shadows we are and what shadows we pursue. AtMrrxs of Mr. Pciyiif, of Xcw York Address of Mr. Payne, of New York Mr. Speaker : M\- acquaiiUaiicL- with Rcjbekt R. IIitt l)et,'^an in December, 1S.S3, at the opening .session of the Forty- eighth Congress. His Congressional career commenced a year earlier, he having been elected in Xo\ember, 1.SS2, to fill a vacancy which followed the death of his jiredecessor. h'rom my earliest ac(|uaintance with him I enjoyed his personal friendship until the end cif liis life. He completeil twent_\--fonr >-ears of continuous service here, an honor and distinction which has rarel\- been accorded to any Representati\'e. This continued fidelity of his constituents who sent him here was most creditable to them, as it was hon- orable t(i Mr. HiTT. He came here after a tliorough ]i(>litical training. As a boy at the po.st-ofifice in the village store he was regularly perched upon a l.iox or barrel to read from the New York Tribune from .some pulilished speech of a statesman like William H. Seward or an editorial from the pen of Horace C.rceleN- tn the few Republicans who in the early da\s of the jiartN' gathered about waiting for their mail. He said to me that he had first regarded these speeches and writings as dull and uninteresting. Later he became interested, and by them were laid the founda- tion of his political character, which made him a firm believer in the priiiciples of his party. Later it was his good fortune to Lie able to take down in shorthand the great debate between Abraham Lincnln and .Stephen A. Douglas, a debate that jiaved the way for I.,incoln's elevation to the Presidenc\' and found for liiin a place among the world's innnortals; it likewi.se adtled new luster to the alread\- irreat renown of Dou>das. 22 .]ftiiioria/ AtYffrrssi'S: Rohcrt A'. 11 it I Mr. Hitt's first public service was as first secretary of the lefijation in Paris, in which capacity he served from 1S74 to iSSi. and during a portion of the time, in the absence of his chief, acting as charge d'affaires ad interim. In March, iSSi, he was appointed As.sistant Secretary of State, which office he held until he took his .seat in Congress during ihe following year. .Vs a legi.slator his princi])al work was in con- nection with our foreign affairs. He was a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during nearly all of his .ser\nce here and was for an iniprecedcnted period its chairman, the honored position which he held at the time of his death. For a compreliensive knowledge of our foreign relations and a thorough understanding of every diplomati'; (jue.stion that has arisen Mr. HiTT had no superior. He had always at his command the details of everj' complication that arose between foreign countries, the hi.story of all important matters which led up to the issue, and w^ould often in an offhand conversation surprise the best of the world's diplomats by his thorough analysis and conclusions. He was often sought for informa- tion and counsel. Though Iiis tastes and his life work were more distinctively connected with (juestions of foreign inter- cour.se, he was equally well po.sted upon all (juestions of a national character. He was a thorough gentleman, kind, obliging, and diplo- matic, but not the least exclusive. He had an inner circle of friends, because some admired him and sought him more than others; but he had a kind word for all; was the .same amiable, independent gentleman to everyone with whom he came in contact. He was a good politician as well as a statesman. It was my good fortune to speak with him from the >ame platform to some of his people in a recent campaign. He not only showed keen knowledge of public affairs, l)Ut drawing his illustrations Arfdrcss of Mr. Pnyin\ of Xt-f York 23 from business incidents in the locality, giving the names of the parties, the dates of the transaction, his appeal was one of the most forcible to which I ever listened. He was a good mixer among the crowd that gathered about him; had a good memor\- for names and incideiUs in the lives of the men whom he met. This appearance of Mr. HiTT among his own people, and the evident regard and warm friendship with which they greeted him, was proof that they kept him here not only becau.se they admired him for his greatness of character, but because they loved him as a man. Mr, Speaker, (Others will speak of Mr. HiTT as he appeared to them. I only speak briefly of him as he appeared to me, without dwelling upon his great public ser\-ice. He was a manly man, a high-toned gentleman in the best sense, a faithful friend, a wi.se and indu.strious public servant, a kind father, and a devoted husband. His life was an illustration of American manhood at its best. 24 Mciiiorictl Addresses : Rolnrl A'. ///// Address of Mr. Cousins, of Iowa Mr. Si'KAKhk: When it comes to the hist analxsis of the character of iiien who have served coiis])iciiously for any con- siderable period in American piilihc Ufe, the result is usually a \'erdict of essential virtue. For example, if we consider our Presidents in lii.story. an expose of their characters and accomplishments affords an ins])i- ration and a reali/aliou which involves both ijenuine ijoodness and distinijuished al)ilil\- that challenges the world and all time for comparative examj)les. If we consider our judiciary in history altoj^ether, the record of their administration of equity and law — that is to say. of justice — reveals no hlnr upon the ermine of that order suffi- cient even to taint its sliroiid nor to discouraije any man who feels the deeper inspiration of al)ilil\- and exalted character. When we contemjilale, as we do to-da\-, the le.nislators of our nation in its hislorv I mean by that the men who.se eyes are clo.sed forever from our country and the world and from the mace; whose ears are deaf to jirai.se and to the gavel's fall, and whose hearts no longer feel the thrill of .-iction nor of noble jjurpo.ses and of honest deeds, nor the faithful friendship of conn-ades and cimstituents — the conclusion in no way embar- rasses the contemplation, hut rather leads it further into dee]ier consideration of the characters involved. Lamenting the lo.ss of his living jiresence, his \-italizing use- fulness, and his sympathetic helpfulness, we treasure not only for to-da\-, but for all time, in the records .and the memories of men the acconqilishments and char.-icter and the frientl>hip of R(ini';i- to that wondrous region of the ri\-ers and the hills of Illinois earls- enough to feel the rich, life-gi\'in,g insjiirations of that virgin .soil and to realize the thrift of its fertility and tl'.e virtue of its sterling manhood and devoted womanhood. They founded schools and churches and helped to ci\'ilize the wilds. They flourished with that mighty element of early settlers whcse progeny continuousl\- ])ressed farther, even to the western .sea and setting sun. RoiiP:KT R. HiTT, who began his life at I'rbana, Ohio, in 1834, had better opportunities than most men of pioneer daj\s for development throu.gh advantages of circumstances and asso- ciations. In the first place, the natural surroundings were of that rugged sort which forl)ade indulgences involving physical deterioration and which at the same time offered opportunities for education. He was schooled first at Rock River .Seminary, in Illinois, which his father had aided in est:d)lishing. and then was graduated at Asbur\- University (no>v DePauw), in In- diana. But perhajis the greatest fortune of his adventitious realizations was the opjiortunity which brought him into close 26 McDtorial Addresses: Kohcrt R. IJilt associatifin with that woiulrons character, Ahraliain Lincoln, in reportinjj; the Lincohi-Doiiglas debates, and in the closer asso- ciations of confidential and jiersonal enii)loynient. Of all advantages that nia\- happen to a yonng mind capable of nnderstanding, nothing can possibly count for so much in the way of substantial mental benefit and inspiration as intimate association with a great character. Of all phenomena in our strange world, tlie only thing that holds us constantly, and of which we never tire, is human intel- lect, individuality, that personal something which manifests itself originall\' and in coiuitless ways, through thought or deed or melod\- or dream, that something which is always and forever impossible until, like its own peculiar genius, it mani- fests itself. But with all the adventitious elements that contributed to his life and usefulness the kindliest and gentlest of all aids and in- spirations was the life association with that helj)ful and distin- guished consort who survives to-dax', and with whom we .share in mourning, offering to her and to her family our deeji condo- lence and assurances of fondne.ss and respect. After the eminent advantages of such distinguished a.ssocia- tions our friend enjoyed the oi)i)ortunities of extensive foreign travel and of ob.servation, which fitted him so preeminently for his sub.sequent duties as a member of the Connnittee on For- eign Affairs in this great body, which position, as Representa- tive from the State of Illinois, he occupied with unusual ability and ex<|uisite tact for sixteen years, during twelve of which he was our chairman. It was in that distinguished pfisition dur- ing the niight\' and e\-entful \ears since 1.S90, crossing the threshold of the twentieth oentm'y. that his great and con.serv- ative abilities sensed so .safely and so well the ])eo])le and the interests of the American nation. Addriss of Mr. Cousins, of Io7ca 27 No man can calculate the \alue of his devoted, intelligent, and diplomatic services in that jieriod of nearl\- two decades. It is neither necessary or fitting in this brief hour of personal tributes to analyze the many international exigencies in which his superior tact and wnsdom were preemiuenth- displayed. Hi.story has recorded their results. Biography will detail and recount them, and future generations will revere the memory of him who wrought so nobly and effectiveU'. It was over there by the sea, where he tarried in the summer days last year, beseeching Ciod and nature for the strength to come to us again. But at la.st the sea failed to send him back to us, and now we mourn together. Years and years ago I heard a black man say of Abraham Lincoln that the severest criticism could discover in him noth- ing that affection would conceal, for the first time, after more than a decade, that utterance flashed upon my memory when I learned that our chairman and our friend could never come to us again. 28 Memorial Addresses: Roherl R. Hilt Address of Mr. Lamar, of Florida Mr. Sphakkk: The character and fame of Mr. HiTT as a piil>Hc man are secure in the hi.story of his coinitry. Xo critic coiilil diniinish it. Xo eulogist need .seek to add to it. Mr. 1 1 ITT had lieen well ])rei)ared for the important ])ost in th'.- House of Representatives of chairman of the Com- mittee on Foreign Affairs. For seven years he had been secretary of the American lega- tion at i'aris. He had been Assistant Secretary of State. Tho.se who served with him in Congress can be.st speak of the sagacit\' and high intelligence he always brought to bear uixjn public ciuestions, and peculiarl\- those touching our for- eign relations. M\' service upon the Committee on F'oreign Affairs with Mr. HiTT was only for a year prior to his passing away. Familiar for years ])ast with his eminent ]>ublic career, my personal ac(|uaintance began with him with m\ memljersliip in the House of Re])resentalives in the lMft>-eighth Congress. I shall leave to others who knew him and .served longer with him to speak of his deservedly successful public career. I desire to bear testimony to tho.se engaging personal ciualities that caused those who came in contact with Mr. HiTT not only to admire but to love him. Who that e\er met him could forget his fine intelligence, and something more than that, his gracious manner, his kindly heart? He exhibited to me more than once his interest in my duties upon the Committee on Forei.gn Affairs. More than once he made friendly suggestions, helj)ful to me in my servici- u]ioii that conunittee. .{//(/rcss of Mr. I.ai)ia!\ of I'lorida 29 With a jM'opt-r firmness of character, Mr. HiTT had in an eminent degree the charm of gentleness awl gentle considera- tion for others. An English poet wrote that he would not ])lace upon his list of friends a man who, though graced with sense, yet, lacking sensibility, would set his foot needlessly upon a worm. The charm of Mr. Hitt's per.sonalit>' was his exqui.site sensibility, united with fine sense. Mr. HiTT was a gentle man. He was the true, chivalric gentleman. 30 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hitt Address of Mr. Dalzell, of Pennsylvania Mr. Si'KAKi:k: The very ' now. together with the recollection of the friendly interest that he always manifested in me, lead iiie to \y.\\ my humble tribute to his memory on this occa.sion. He always seemed to me from the time when I first knew him to be a man of mark among his fellows, c()ns])icnons for his great and \aricd knowledge, both of books and of men, his tactfnlness in dealing with the latter, and the luiifonn courtesy that made his a charming ])er.sonalit\'. I never spent any time, however brief, in Mr. HnT",s company that I did not feel that I had learned sometliin". It is not to be wondered at that his accomplishments were varied. His l)ublic career covered .some of the most critical periods of our history and brought him into contact with its most famous men. From the civil war to the end of the Sjianish war, from Lincoln to Roo.sevelt — of all the hapi)eniiigs of those tempestu- ous times he had a right to say, "Quorum pars magna fui." As a \()ung man he reported the famous Lincoln- Douglas debates, and drank in from the \'ery fountain head the inspiration of the ])rinciples for which the martyreil President stood. To come into contact with Abraham Lincoln was in itself an inspiration. That great privilege Mr. HiTT enjoyed, and the memory of it followed him like the savor of a sweet incense throughout all the years of his life. It was his fortiuie to be present at tlie downfall of the second French ]vm])ire, to witness the rise of the Republic, and h\ his tactfnlness and good jiulgment to coiUribute to the welfare and contentment of his fellow-countr\nien in Paris during the Address of Mr. Dalzill, of Pennsylvania 31 stormy days of the Franco- Prussian war, when he was first sec- retary of legation and charge d'affaires ad interim at Paris. It was no less his fortune to be the trusted friend and enjoy the companionship of the brilliant Hlaine, whose Assistant he was as Secretary of State. He was active, zealous, and exceedingly efficient as a regent of the vSniith.sonian Institution, ardently devoted to the carrying out of the objects of that great philanthrop>-, and rendering to the duties of his position such marked attention as lias inse]i- arabl}' linked his name with its work and history. As I .see his portrait hanging on its wall, I am struck with the appro- priateness of the place for it. The calm, scholarh- atmo.sphere is su.ggestive of one phase of Mr, Hitt's character, for he loved his books and loved to be surrounded b\- them. But it was as a Member of the House of Repre.sentatives that he made his greatest and best record. For twenty-four con- secutive years he gave to his constituents and to his country the fruitful service of his cultivated mind, his mature judgment, his wise counsel, and his forceful efforts. He was no idler, no fitful worker, but an earnest, honest, faithful, everyday worker in the field of legislation. He was the warm, trusted, intimate friend of that greate.st of parliamentary leaders known in the history of the English-speaking people, Thomas B. Reed. As to all matters relating to international law and international relations he was the one recognized authority not only by his own party, liut by all parties. He shared the confidence of Pre.si- dent McKinley and was one of his most relied-upon advisers. A participant in the administration of his country's affairs dur- ing the period covered by the Presidencies of Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, and Harri.son, he was a .sharer also in the new career upon which his country entered during the Admin- istration of McKinley and Roosevelt, the period of expansion of 32 MiDiorial .Iddrcsscs: RohrrI R. J llll world jjower. To the new ])roblfms presented he gave liis earnest consideration and to their sohition his wise counsel. He was one of the commissioners to estahlish a government for Hawaii cm its annexation to the United States. Mr. IIiTT died full of years and of honors. His life is a part of the historv of his lime. In him were uniteil in a marked degree the cjualities of the scholar and of the man of afTairs. His ideals were high ; his actions loyal to them. The world is belter because he lived in it. As hn.sl)and. father, friend, he wore the white flower of a blameless life. And to that inner circle of his home, of which he was the light and center, he left the priceless legacy of a life of lo\e and tenderness. Address of Mr. Lacey, of hnva 33 Address of Mr. Lacey, of Iowa Mr. Spkakkk: Rdhkkt R. Hitt's lnn.i; and honorable career in this House has Ijeen of lasting service to the country, and has left his name as another addition to the list of great and worthy men given by Illinois to the nation. He was a pioneer in the art of .stenography, and, at a time when there were but few men in the West who could take an accurate report of an extemporaneous speech, he reported and published the great debate between Lincoln and Douglas in their campaign for tile .Senatorship in Illinois in 1S5S. To this point the minds of his friends naturalh- turn as the begiiuiing of his career. It often happens that defeat is the stepping .stone tu higher .success, and Lincoln, though defeated for the office of Senator, became an oljject of great national interest. Mr. HiTT preserved Lincoln's exact words for the historian and marked an ep(jch in our histor\'. Mr. Hitt's chief service to his country in Congress was in the Committee on Foreign AfTairs, where he was looked U])on as the highest national authority His training in the diplomatic service especiallx- fitted him for this work. The Hou.se of Representatives is always ready to listen to the man who has .something to say upon a public que.stion which he thoroughly understands. Helpful 'men always get an attentive hearing. Mr. HiTT had given earnest attention to all general and political subjects, but he had .specialized upon the questions H. I)uo. -SuS, 59—2 ^ 34 Monorial Addresses: Robert R. Kill relatiiijj to our forcisiu affairs until his colleagues naturally turned to him for guidance. Another great Illinoisau. John Hay, was at the head of the State Department, a most worthy successor to thechairof Webster. Mr. H itt was a very modest man, but he was always willing to give the Administration and the Congress the benefit of his con.stant study and clear and incisive logic. He was a thorough diplomat, and, though he took vigorous and pronoiuiced positions in debate, his uniform courtesy and good humor always di.sarmed hostility and won the respect and confidence of the membership of this body without regard to party. He was alwaj's ready. Some of the best speeches made by him were delivered upon the .spur of the moment. Circum- .stances arose in debate in which an answer or elucidation of a situation seemed imperative, and, while he had made no prepa- ration for the delivery of a set speech, he was so full of his subject that he was prepared to present the ([uestion at issue with the cleverness, strength, and polish of a carefully revised speech. Many instances of this faculty will occur to the memory of the older Meml^ers with whom he long .served. But Mr. HiTT was not a man of many words. Excellent as he was as a sjK-aker, he was a worker rather than a talker. He gave full adhesion to the statement of Thomas B. Reed: Boasters are worth nothing. Deeds are facts, and remain forever and ever. Talk dies on the empty air. Better a jwund of performance than a shipload of lanj^iage. Humor is the great .safeguard to sanity. To the man who has no sense of humor this hard, bleak worlil becomes intoler- able. Mr. Hrrr was always ready to .see the humorous side of .all things. It was a great pleasure to listen to him when Address of Mr. Laay, of hnca 35 some of his friends would skillfully start and direct his conver- sation into a channel of reminiscence. The period in which Lincoln lived was one of stern responsi- bility and involved the gravest and greatest of questions. But there has been no time in our national life when American humor has had freer scope than in those stirring times. Xo better exponent of the life and times of Lincoln and his contemporaries has been known to the present generation than Robert R. Hitt. 36 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hill Address of Mr. Foss, of Illinois Mr. .Speakkk: I too would lay :i laurel at his feet. I met him wheu I first became a Member of this body. He was among tlie first to welcome me, and that was one of the cliar- acteristics of the man; he had a greeting for ever)- newcomer here. I served with him through six Congresses and came to know him in an intimate way. I was at the train when he left this cit\' for the last time to go to Rhode Island, where he died. He had x>artially recovered from his illness and was in a cheery and happy mood, and seemingly confident of complete restora- tion. He was a man greatly beloved for liis gentle and kindly (jualities. He was genial and generous, sparkling with wit, and abounding in delightful remini.scences — a brilliant conver- sationalist and a delightful companion. His career was a long and useful one to his country. He was a colaborer with the mighty Lincoln. From 1S74 to 1881 he was first secretary of the legation at Paris, and was later transferred to the State Department in Washington as A.ssistant Secretary. He was afterwards elected to the I''orty-,seventh Congress, and continuously reelected to each successive Con- gre.ss. He was chairman of the Committee on Foreign AfTairs, and was an authority, the greatest in oiu' country, on all ques- tions of foreign relations. He was a man of s])lendid ability, a great student, and when he addressed the House, although not often, he exhausted the subject with wonderful clearness and great power. He was frequently mentioned for higher offices in the gift of his State, and was at times a candidate, but always in his candidacies he Address of Jfr. /vw.v, n/' Illinois 37 niaintained a high dignity and toitk the position that the office should seek the man. To-day he is mourned by all those who knew him as a warm and true friend. His name is honored and respected everywhere as one who brought great honor upon the State and nation which he ser\-ed. He was a man of great refinement, manv accompli.shments, faithful and true to the highest conception of public duty and public trust. ^8 Ml' III or ia/ Addresses: Robert J\. Ilitt ADDRESS OF Mr. FULLER, OF ILLINOIS Mr. Spkakick; I accept this oi)i)()rtunity to ])ay my tribute to the memory of one who, in hfe, was my friend and in whose death I feel a personal loss. Was he your friend? Then well you knew His friendship was unfei>;nedly true. ROHKKT R. HiTT was a typical American {gentleman, univer- .sallv liked by tho.se who knew him. Of him it might well be said that "Those who knew him best loved him most, and tho.se who knew him little loved him much." He was reared on the broad ]3rairies of northern Illinois, but a few miles from my own home. His parents came with him to Ogle County, 111., when he was but 3 years of age. There he grew to manhood, was educated in the public .schools and Rock River Seminary (now called Mount Morris College), and at De Pauw University. He took uj) the calling of a shorthand reptjrter and was one of the few who early became proficient in that calling. He reported for the Chicago Tribune the celebrated debates between those two Illinois giants, Lincoln and Douglas, in the campaign for the United vStates Senate in 1 85S. He was afterwards appointed official court reporter for the State of Illinois. In 1867-68 he made a trip abroad, visiting Great Britain, the continent of Europe, Egj'pt, and the Holy Land. In 1868 he became private secretary to Governor Morton, of Indiana. Afterwards he was for .several years .secretar\- of the legation and charge d'affaires at Paris, and in 1881 became A.ssistant vSecretary of State under James G. Blaine. In 1882 he was elected to Congress to succeed to the vacancy caused by the deatli of the Hon. R. M. A. Hawk, and was reelected to each AMn'ss of Mr. I'li/lir, of Illinois 39 succeeding Congress until the present Congress. During the ten years preceding my first election to this House, in iy02, Mr. HiTT represented my home county, which was then a part of his di.strict, and for twenty years he represented the adjoin- ing county of Winnebago, now in my district. During that time I came to know him ver>- well indeed, and the better I knew him the more I admired him for his ability and his great qualities of head and heart. In all his political career no taint attached to any official act of his; the finger of su.spicion even was never pointed at him. In all the relations of life he was what has been termed "the noblest work of God," an honest man. I happen to know that other, and what might be called "higher." political honors might have l)een his had he been willing to do what some men deem legitimate in order to obtain such honors. His honor was dearer to him than any political preferment, and the consciousness of having maintained that honor tnistained was his to the end of life. Those who .served with him through a longer part of the twenty-four years of his service in this House than I are better qualified to speak of his work here: I know that his work was appreciated and recognized as of the greatest value to the whole country. On questions relating to our foreign affairs he was an acknowledged authority. I saw enough of him here to know that, while he did not speak often, he never lacked for respect- ful attention when he had anything to say, and he never in- truded himself upon the attention of the House unless he did have something to say. I heard his great speech in defense of the cotirse of the Administration in the matter of the acquisition of the canal strip across the Isthnuis of Panama, and the recog- nition by this Government of the new Republic of Panama. It was a masterly argument and one that, it seemed to me, must carrv conviction to e\-er\- fair-minded man who heard it. 40 Memorial Addresses: Robert R. Ilitt His knowledge of international law and precedent was, at least, equal to that of any other man in the nation. When such a man departs the country mourns. But in the country at large we have learned to know that the life of no one man is of very great consequence. "Ciod moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform." Millions of flags may float at half-mast to-day for the loss of one upon whom we have looked as a great and almo.st indispensable leader; hut to-morrow tho.se same flags will float as high as ever. The great world will move on, the progress of the nation will be stayed, if at all, only for a mo- ment. Instinctively we turn our faces away from the tomb and take up anew the ordinary pursuits of life. However great or strong or mighty, however exalted in position or power or achievements, whatever of fame or wealth he may have pos- ' se.ssed, death, the great leveler, reduces high and low alike to dust, and but a memory or an example remains. The places of the departed are filled, even as the waters of the sea cover over and le\-el the space where a ship has gone down. The greatest momunent that any man can rear for himself, or leave to mark the place that he has filled in the world, is that in his time, in the age and generation in which he li\-ed, he made the most of his opportunities; that, consider- ing his environment, as he was given to see the right, he did the best he could. Measured by this standard Robert R. Hitt left a priceless legacy to his family and friends; a legacy in which his legion of friends all share. He lived in an age of the greatest achievements, of the grandest times the world has ever known. He knew and was intimately as.sociated with many of the greatest men of the period in which he lived. He was the friend and associate of Abraham Lincoln. bHihu B. Wasli- burne, John A. Logan, James G. Blaine, Thomas B. Reed, Nelson Dingley, William McKinley, and a host of other leaders ^■hidrcss of Mr. FitUrt\ of Illinois 41 of thought anil action in their da_\' and generation, all of whom preceded liini to the other shore, that far-olT country from which none have ever returned. Mr. HiTT was a Republican and particii>ated in the achieve- ments and the .glory of that great organization from the da}' of its birth to tlie day of his death. Vet he was not a hidebound partisan and his friends were by no means limited to the mem- bers of hi.s own party, but were to be fotmd in the ranks of all parties. He was great enough and broad enough to recognize the good in those who differed with him in political belief, and he had the respect and esteem of all who knew him. re.gardless of party affiliations. I remember well an incident he once re- lated to me of an occurrence at Paris while he was connected with the American legation there. A prominent Democratic Member of Congress was visiting in Paris and expres.sed to Mr. HiTT his desire to meet the great French statesman Gambetta. Mr. HiTT went with him and introduced him to Gambetta. In France, e.specially at that time, party feeling ran high and members of one political party were not apt to be on terms of personal friendship with those of the opposing part\'. Gambetta expressed surprise that Mr. Hitt, a Republican, should intro- duce as his friend a prominent member of the Democratic partj^ and he .said: Mr. Hitt, I do not uiulerstaml this. How is it that you. whom I know to be a Republican, introduce to me as your friend a gentleman whom I know very well by reputation as a prominent Democrat? I do not under- stand it at all. Oh- Replied Mr. HiTT — in our country we do not let political differences interfere at all in matters of personal friendship. This gentleman is my friend, and although we do not believe alike on mere matters of politics we are yet alike in love of our common country and loyalty to its flag. 42 Mrmnrial Addresses: Robert R. Hill Witli a maf^nificeiit gesture of commendation Gambetta replied: Htliold. the idi-al Republic And in that respect, thank Gfxl, it is ideal, and north and south, east and west, everywhere, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf and from the rocky shores of New England to the golden gate of the Pacific — aye, from the frozei: regions of Alaska to the sun-kissed islands of the .southern .seas — we are one people, with one flag floating over us, glorying in a com- mon heritage and going forward to a common destiny, which we believe, under God, will be more grand and glorious than anything the world has ever known. In the upbuilding of this great nation, now in the very fore- front ;unong the most civilized and progressive nations of the earth. Robkkt R. Hitt was a factor and did his part among the patriotic and progressive leaders of his time. He will be missed in the sjihere of usefulness where his counsel and his work was of \alue t(j the nation; he will be mi.s.sed in the great district he so long and so ably represented; he will be mi.s.sed by the thousands of loyal friends who admired, respected, and loved him. No more will his voice be heard in this Chamlier. Scholar, diplomat, statesman — his labors for his country and for humanity are ended. Kind, genial, companionable man — his virtues and his exani])le remain with us. It is a pleasure to believe that death does not end all; that, in the language of the ])oet — There's a land that is fairer tliaii day ; That our friends have not gone from us forever, but that — In the sweet hy-and-by we shall meet on that beautiful shore — where there is no more .sorrow, or death, or parting. Where all that is best in man survives and all that is unworthy is left forever behind ; where the weaknesses, and the jealousies, and Address of Mr. Fuller, of Illinois 43 the animosities of this hfe fade into insignificance and are forgotten. The seas are quiet when the winds >{ive o'er; So cahn are we when passions are no more : For then we know how vain it was to boast Of fleeting things too certain to be lost. Clouds of affection from our younger eyes Conceal that emptiness which age descries. The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed, Lets in new- light through chinks that time has made ; Stronger by weakness, wiser men become, As they draw nearer to their eternal home. Leaving the old, both worlds at once they view, That stand upon the threshold of the new. 44 Monona! Addresses : Robert A'. I lilt Address of Mr. Flood, of Virginia Mr. Speakkk: The tradition uf I)iou;eiies lighting a lantern at midday in Athens and announcing that he was searching for a man naturally provokes a smile. Hut Diogenes was \i\ far too profound and earnest a man to he associated with the ridiculous. What the rigid philosoi)her meant was that he was upon the search of a man who regarded things intrinsic- ally and .shaped his life accordingly. I lielieve he would have ended his (piest had he met with ROHKKT R. HiTT. The entire career uf our departed friend and colleague was concerned with large and vi\-ifying and inspiring matters. He was .saturated upon the \er\- threshold of his manhood with that wonderful debate between Lincoln and Douglas — alike dramatic and fraught with tremendous results. His subse- quent life got its trend from that season of intimate association witli those mighty reasoners. The congenial .studies to such a spirit were large tpiestions with large relation. His varied experience for man>- years served to sharpen his faculties and to broaden their range. Mr. IIiTT served during the nionientous revolution in a confidential capacit\ to that colossal war minister, Edwin M. Stanton. During those exciting years succeeding the downfall of Napoleon the Third he was secretary of the legation to France. Afterwards he was a.ssi.stant to Blaine in the Depart- ment of State. What a unique and splendid career. One to dazzle and turn the heads of most men — Rohicrt R. Hitt they only steadied and sobered. Address of J/r. Flood, of I 'iro-i>i/ii 45 How well qualified he was for the discharge of his difficult duties upon the Committee on Foreign Affairs; how admirably did he discharge those duties; how perfectly, as if by processes of nature, he measured up to all of the requirements exacted of him; how en\-iable was he throughout his entire career, and yet without ever exciting envy, so true and modest and lovable a gentleman he was. Mr. HiTT was an incessant student of generous and stimulat- ing topics. The value of such .sttidies is inestimable. Cicero declared in a kindred ca,se: "These studies foster our earlier years, afford delight in our later years, adorn us in prosjierity, prove a refuge and a solace in adversity. They impart gratifi- cation at home; they embarra.ss not abroad; they are with us dtiring the vigils of the night; they roam with us in foreign lands, and are our companions amid the retirement of rural scenes. ' ' Mr. Speaker, eloquent and touching tributes are being paid to our friend. His long and versatile career is being happily and faithfulh- delineated. But the highest tribute paid to him is the unvaried testimony to his unselfish and disinterested kind- liness. \\'ho that has known it does not cherish its memory- with gratitude and admiration? His unol)trusivene.ss, his self-poi.se, his sympathy, his com- panionaljleness were based upon the profound intuition of jus- tice. With an ingenuous but not overawing estimate of his own merits, he generously re.sponded to those of others, and there was a frankness and simplicity in his greeting and inter- course that .stamped the genuineness of the man. He e\'er ' ' wore without rej)roach the grand old name of gen- tleman." Mr. Speaker, justice is indeed a high attrilnite, if not the very highest. The ancient mythologists call it the "offspring of 46 Memorial Addresses: Robert R. Hill heaven and eartli. " Its supremacy in any Imman Ijreast sig- nalizes a noble nature. And when to this exalted quality are added gentleness and modestj-, kindliness and sympathy, fel- lowship and helpfulness, we then indeed recognize a creation ■ ' where every god doth seem to set his seal to give the world assurance .of a man." Robert R. Hitt has fought his fight and finished his cour.se. He did generous service throughout, for which his State and the Republic will always hold his name and memory in high honor. We will sorely miss him, and the one consolation we have is that his district has sent to this House as his successor one who measures up in so many ways to the high standard set by his predecessor. Every valuable and earnest career is a long conflict. In this conflict Mr. HiTT came off conqueror. He has laid his armor down and ' ' fallen upon sleep. ' ' The knight's bones are dust, .Vncl his good sword rust; His .soul is witli the saints, I trust. Mr. LowDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous con.sent that Members desiring to do so may ha\-e leave to print. The Speaker. If there be no objection, it will be .so ordered. There was no objection. The Speaker. Under the resolution heretofore adopted the House stands adjourned until to-morrow at 1 1 o'clock. Accordingly (at i o'clock p. m. ) the Hou.se adjourned until Monday, February iS, lyoj, at 11 o'clock a. m. PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE Tuesday, Pecctnbir /, igon. Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I a.sk that the resolution of the House of Representatives relative to the death of the late Rep- resentative Robert R. Hitt, of Illinois, may lie laid before the Senate. The \'ice-Pkksidkxt. The Chair lays before the Senate resolution of the House of Representatives, which will be read. The Secretary read the resolution, as follows: In thk House of Rkpresextatives, Dcceiitber ^, igo6. Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Robert R. Hitt, a Representative from the State of Illinois in thirteen successive Congresses. Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I submit a resolution, and ask for its present consideration. The \'ice-Pke,sidext. The vSenator from Illinois submits a resolution, and asks for its present consideration. The reso- Itition will be read. The resolution was read, and unanimously agreed to, as follows: Risol'eed, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the annoiuice- ment of the death of Hon. ROBERT R. HiTT, a Repre.sentative from the State of Illinois in thirteen succes.sive Congresses. Mr. Lodge. Mr. Pre.sident, I also offer another re.soltition. The \"ick-Pre.sident. The Senator from Mas.sachusetts proposes an additional resolution, which will be read. The resolution was read, as follows: Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 47 48 Memorial Addresses: Roberl R. Hill The resolution was unanimously agreed to; and (at 2 o'clock and 55 minutes p. m.)the Senate adjourned uutil to-morrow, Wednesday, December 5, 1906, at 12 o'clock meridian. Saturday, February 2j, /po/. The Vice-President laid before the Senate the following resolutions from the House of Representatives, which were read : In Till-: HorsK ok Representatives, February //, 1907. Resolved, That the busitiess of the House he now suspended that op- portunity may be jfiven for triliutes to the memory of Hon. ROBERT R. HiTT, late a member of this House from the State of Illinois. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of these exerci.ses, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the ettled in 0,gle County, 111., in 1S37, and this continued to be Mr. HiTT's home until the time of his death. His father was a Methodist minister, a man oi force and character, one of the foremost citizens of his portion of the State, and it was through his effort that the Rock River Seminary, at Mount Morris, 111., a prominent ifistitutiou of learning in the early days of the .State, was established. The late Representative attendetl the Rock River vSeininary, and, with Governor Beveridge, the distinguished John A. Raw- lins, the late Congre.ssman G- I,, h'ort, John Hitt, and others, H. Dec. SoS, 59-2 4 49 50 McDiorid/ Acfr/rcsscs: Robert R. Ilitt were classmates of mine. It was there that I first met and learned to know and appreciate his character, and the intimacy thus early formed continued until his death. Wx. HiTT was a thorough student. I never knew a young man who was a more constant reader and who seemed never to forget anything he once read. He received his first start in life through his knowledge of phonography. As a very young man he took a deep interest in .shorthand and soon became one of the earliest and most capable .stenographers in the We.st. The first notable service which Mr. IIitt jierformed and wliic'h attracted the attention of the country to him was his rejiorls of the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858. He accom- panied Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Douglas to Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro, Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, and Alton, 111., and it was through his jiroficiency as a stenographer that millions of inten.sely interested readers all over this country were enabled to have a daily verbatim report of this greatest of all political di.scussions, involving the most momentous i.ssues, ever held in this or any other country. In his Twenty Years of Congress, James G. Blaine charac- terizes the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 as " a di.scu.s,sion whi-h at the time was so interesting as to enchain the attention of a nation, in its innnediate effect so striking as to affect the organization of ]):irt\-, in its subseiiuent effect so ]i()werfnl as to change the fate of millions." Douglas was already a great national figure — one of the ablest of the leaders of a Senate which included in its mem- bership as great. a number of eminent statesmen and notal)le men as were ever before or since gatliered together in this Chamber — while Mr. Lincoln was then comparatively unknown outside of his own State. One can .scarcely realize now the Address of Mr. Cn/Ioiii, of ///iiiois 51 intense interest which those debates awakened in every part of this country. They had a tremendous effect upon the pubhc sentiment of tlie day. Lincohi's masterly effort challenged the admiration of the people, and it was his wonderful succe.ss in thi.s debate which finally culminated two j'ears later in his election as President of the United States. Lincoln became nuich attached to the young reporter and would decline to liegin the discussions until sure that HiTT was present. The .story is told of an interesting occurrence which took place at Freeport, where one of the debates was held. A stand was erected in a field adjacent to the city. Thou- sands of people gathered about the platform. The .speakers were ready. The throng was impatient. The tall form of Lincoln arose. He looked an:-. President Grant, like President Lincoln, had great respect for and confidence in Mr. HiTT, his capacity and ability, and in 1874 he appointed him as secretary of the United States legation at Paris, which position he filled, with great credit to himself and his country, for more than six years. That most popular American statesman, James G. Blaine, when he became .Secretary of State under President Garfield, iiinnediately tendered Mr. Hitt, whose personal friend he was, the position of Assistant Secretary of State. The tender of the position came as a surprise, but after .some hesitation he accejited. He continued as Mr. Blaine's principal assistant until Mr. Arthur became President, when he voluntarily retired with his chief. Although Mr. Hitt had held many important positions prior to 18S2 and had enjoyed in the highest degree the respect, esteem, and confidence of the great public men of the day, conunencing with Lincoln, Douglas, and .Stanton, continuing with Grant, Garfield, and Blaine, his public career really com- menced when he entered Congress in i.S.Sj. The nomination was not .solicited. It was tendered to him. For twenty-four years he continued to represent his district in Congress, and so much pride did the people of his di.strict take in him that Address of Mr. Culloiu, of Illinois ^t^ he seldom had opposition in his own party, and he was at times elected liy majorities ranging from fifteen to more than seventeen thousand. Twentx-foiir years in the House is a long term of ser^ace. \'erv few men in our histor\- have had so long, continuous, and honorable service in the House of Representatives. The House is a great forum in which to achieve distinction. Many of our Presidents achieved, at least in part, that distinc- tion through the reputations they made as Members of the House. The reputation of a Member of the House is made only as a result of individual effort and ability. Here in the Senate seniority and long .service do much. A member of Congress who can serve nearly a quarter of a centtiry and retire with the reputation Mr. HiTT had is no ordinary man. He must in the highest degree have had extraordinar\- ability. His long service abroad and in the State Department, his knowledge of our foreign affairs, and his ability peculiarly adapted him for service on the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was soon made a member of that committee, and later he became its chairman, in which ]>osilion he continued for many years and until his death. A more distinguished and able chairman that connnittee has never had. Mr. HiTT occupied an unique position in the House, and his death leaves a vacancy which can not easih- be filled. In man}' respects he resembled the late Cushman K. Davis. Like Mr. Davis in the Senate, he took comparativel\- little interest in current legislation, but when any great .subject affecting our foreign relations was tinder discus.sion he immediatelj' became in the fullest sense leader of the Hou.se, jiust as Mr. Davis, under similar circumstances, Ijecame the leader of the Senate. I tliink it will be admitted that he was more thoroughly con- 54 Mciiiorin/ .-itMrcssrs : Rulnrt R. Hill versaiU with all that p" • caius to our foreign relations than any other Member of tha: oody. Subjects affecting our foreign relations should be alxjve jjar- tisanship. Partisanship should .ease at our own shores, and questions pertaining to our relations with other governments should be considered and dLsposed of without regard to party affiliation. But when, unfortunately, such questions have been debated from a partisan standpoint, Mr. HiTT was naturally selected as the leader of his ])arty on the floor of the House. How well he merited that eople wins their approbation and advtxrates their welfare and helps to promote the ,i(reat interests of the Republic is not only a worthy and faitliful ]>ul)lic servant, but he has done that which in all ages and in all countries has merited and received last- ing honors and continuous admiration and respect. Mr. HiTT was equal in every respect to the position he held. His ability, indu.stry, integrity, and faithful and efficient ser\-- ice made him a model Congressman, respected by his colleagues and loved by his constituents. He was well equipped for all kinds of legislation and wa,s a most excellent parliamentarian, but his services as chairman and as a member of the Connnittee on Foreign Affairs were conspicuous. He entered Congress after he had experience and training as .secretary of legation and charge d'affaires at Paris, bVance, and Assistant .Secretary of State, and after association with many of the ablest and nujst prominent men of our coun- try and of Kurope, and he soon proved that he was a worthy representative of the great State of Illinois, which had been represented in the councils of the nation bj- Abraham Lincoln. Stephen A. Douglas, John A. Logan, David Davis, Lyman TruinbuU, and (jthers. He was an earnest student of international law and was a recognized authority on all matters pertaining to our foreign affairs, and was well informed in diplomacy, and he could have discharged the duties of Secretary of State or ambassador abroad with credit to himself and honor to his country. .Mr. 1 1 ITT lived in an age of the greatest achievements and the most niar\elous progress the world has ever known. His life, which is a part of the history of his time, illustrated high appreciation of his environments and marked and noble efforts to make the world better because he li\-ed in it, and showed Address of .l/r. .\[iCrcar\\ of k'l utncky 6i what a man can accomplish l.i>- inteUigciict, energy, iiitegrit>', and fidehty to duty. In his earl_v inanliood, after he was educated at De Pauw University, he was a stenographer and reporter, and he pre- served and published the exact words of Lincohi and Douglas in their great debate in Illinois in 185S, which marked an epoch in our countr3''s history. He made rapid advancement in learn- ing and in official position, and in the largest part of his mature life he was a Congressman and participated in the administra- tion of the affairs and the enactment of the laws of the greatest Republic in the world during the period embraced by the Presi- dencies of Garfield, Arthur, Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, and Roosevelt: and no man gave more earnest consideration to the great problems jiresented or did his part more faithfully among the patriotic and jirogressive leaders of his time, or tried more earnestly to do his duty as God gave him the wisdom to see the right, than Hon. Robert R. Hitt. Our friend, with his rare acquirements, courth' manner, and delicate and refined nature, has left us forever. Our loved col- league, in whose career no breath of suspicion ever assailed his integrity or dimmed the brightness of his honor, now sleeps the sleep of death. He will lie missed in the many spheres of use- fulness which he adorned. He will be missed in his district, in his State, and in the councils of the nation. He will be missed by his host of friends who admired, respected, and loved him. but abo\'e all he will be missed beyond expres.sion in his home he loved S(j well, and of which he was the li.ght and center, by his loving wife and devoted sons. In halls of state he sat for many years Like fabled knight, his vi.sage all ai^low. Receiving, giving sternly, blow for blow, Champion of right; but from eternity's far shore Thy spirit will return to join the strife no more. Rest, citizen, statesman, rest; thv troubled life is o'f r. 62 M( iiioria/ .lifdnsscs: Robert R. Hitt Address of Mr. Sfooner, of Wisconsin Mr. PRESinENT: The request by the distinguished Senator from Illinois [Mr. Cullotn] , the chairman of the Foreign Rela- tions Committee of the Senate, and long an associate in public life of Robert R. Hitt, that I speak a word of tribute to his memory, comes to me as a command. It seems to be my rather unhappy lot to be called upon to speak in unstudied words and unpolished sentences of colleagues and friends who have gone to the grave from public life. I looked upon Robert R. Hitt as a friend. I entertained for him great respect and admiration. There was an undefinable something about him that seemed to come down from the Lincoln period. He was essentially indi- vidual to my ajiprehension; all in all a quaint character. One like Mr. Hitt could not, in early or later life, be the confidant and a.ssociate of Abraham Lincoln without obtaining from that a.ssociation an education the like of which the schools do not and can not afford. Mr. HiTT, had he cho.sen to devote his life to purely legisla- tive functions in general, would have excelled as a practical legislator. But he was a born diplomat. He had spent much time aliroad. He had gleaned from his service in France a great and vahial)le disci])line on the lines of diplomatic thought work. He chose to make that his specialty in public .service, and he chose wisely aud well and for the benefit of his countr}-. He was not an orator in the sense the world at large thinks and speaks of oratory, but he was a charming and interesting speaker. He was always fully posse.ssed of every pha.se of the subject upon which he spoke. His diction, never in the slightest apparently studied, was absohitel.N- exquisite in its simplicity Addf'fss of yfr. Spiutiur, of ]]'isioiisiii 63 and beauty. More than ouce I have hstened to him in the House of Representatives speaking upon some diplomatic ques- tion — and none are more important, none more comphcated, none more difficult of wise solution, and oftentimes none more dangerous, than the questions which grow out of our foreign relations — and his thought was as clear as crystal and his language was as clear as his thought. He well deserved the abiding and complete confidence which the late but ahva^'s to be remembered John Hay repo,sed in him as a wise counselor and as a Io\al and devoted friend. I con- cur in all that has been said of him by the vSenators who have preceded me. He would have made an exceptionally able Sec- retary of State. I think, as nuich as the people of the United States admired and respected him; I think, as dearh" as the peo- ple who for twent\-four years kept him as their Representative loved him, neither the country at large nor the people of his district fulh' appreciate the public .service which he rendered. It is a great mistake to measure a man's usefulness in public life, in the House or in the Senate, l)y the speeches which he makes here, by the reports which he writes and pre.sents upon important public matters, or by tlie measures which he introduces. We here all realize, what the countr}- at large can hardly be expected to realize, that a great mass of the valuable, splendid service rendered b>' the Members of the two Houses is rendered in conunittee room and in consultation with the different Departments of the Government. I know more than once when the wisdom, the experience, and knowl- edge of diplomatic hi.story in our career as a nation has enabled Mr. HiTT to solve a problem which gave all, however able, who were concerned in its solution great anxiety. He was a charming companion. He was one of the best raconteurs I ever met. His memorv was .stored with anec- 64 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hitl dutes and experiences gleaned from abroad and at home, wliich he told in an inimitable waj^ and no one of which he could not as a gentleman — for there was no finer gentleman — have told in the presence of a lady. His hospitality in his own home was delightful. He was a frank man. There seemed to be, while quite reserved, in him nothing of that stealthy reserve which sometimes characterizes the diplomat. He believed in the modern diplomacy, which tells the truth and which is franker and more open than the diplomacy of old times. Mr. President, like the Senator whose memory we have honored this afternoon, the heart of Koukkt R. Hitt i)roved in the end to be his mortal weakness. I visited him .several times during the last months of his life, when he could not take ten steps with safety, and when sitting beside him on his porch not far from my home was the wife who had been his friend and companion and lover during all the years. He talked alwut the diplomacy of the country, the questions which confronted us, and the dangers which he thought — and he was a farsighted man — beset us; and with apparent .sadness he seemed to feel that he would not much longer be a partici- pant in the affairs which for so many years had absorbed him, and pointed here and there to po.ssible .solutions, one of which since his death has been approved. I may saj- this in conclusion. His life in private and in public was spotless. He was a .singularly able public man, calm, wi.se. patriotic, and devoted. His memory will be for- ever fragrant and honored in the memory of our people, Mr. President, and I hojie .some day, although I doubt it, the people of the whole country will come to know that for the labor of twenl\ -four and more years which he gave to the country, to our peoj^le, lhe\- owe to him a "debt, inunense, of endless gratitude." Address of Mr. A'tu/i, of New Jersey 65 Address of Mr. Kean, of New Jersey Mr. President: It is with no ordinary feeling that I rise to saj- a few words in memory of the distinguished man to whose memory and works for his country and State we to-day pay tribute. Mr. HiTT's pubhc career covered the mo.st important and critical period of our history and brought him into contact with the most famous men of the times. Beginning as a young man, he reported the famous debates between Lincoln and Douglas. Continuing in public life, it was his fortune to render distin- guished service to his country during the Franco-Prus.sian war at the time of the siege of Paris. He also rendered to his coun- try valual)Ie assistance as Assistant Secretary of State under Mr. Blaine. But his great record was made as a Member of Congress. For more than twenty-four years he gave to his constituents and to the country the benefit of his cultivation of mind, his sound judgment, and his best efforts. I first knew Robert Hitt when I came to Washington as a young Member of Congress. It was then I learned to appre- ciate the extent and accuracy of his stores of knowledge and the breadth of his wide experience. I learned to appreciate more than anything else his kindly, generous nature, and while I admired him as a statesman, I loved him as a friend. Most of the happiness of those early da\s in Washington I owe to the constant, daily association with one so kindly and .so gifted. His was true sweetness of disposition, which the shaqjness of H. DoL-. .SuS. 59-2 5 66 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hitt party strife, the bitterness of disappointment, or even the trial of loiif^, weary illness conld not rnffle or embitter. He served his conntry at home and abroad with ability and success. His attaimnents remain as monuments to his memory. He has left a place in the councils of his State and nation difficult to fill and a memory j^racious, respected, honored, and revered. Addrt'ss of Mr. Daniel, of I 'irginia 67 Address of Mr. Daniel, of Virginia Mr. Presidknt: It would he well fur our countrj^ if there were more men in the public service of the character, of the mold, and of the temperament of the late Robert R. Hitt, of Illinois. He was a unique man, a very remarkable man, remarkable for the fine balance of his facilities and for the excellent good judgment he displayed on all occasions. He was remarkable for his .serene and gentle disposition. It was not offensive to him that another differed with him in opinion, nor was he ever offensive in stating his ditTerences of opinion with another. He was remarkable in his equipment and in his aptitude for the ta.sks of public life. Lord Bacon says, "Read- ing maketh a full man." Mr. HiTT was a full man. He had that thirst of knowledge which the Creator has implanted in generous minds that love the truth and can never he content in their quest for it. He read much and his fine memory kept in store what he read. The same great man has also .said, "Writing maketh the accurate man." Mr. Hitt was an accurate man. He made just estimate of the tasks which he assumed. He had acquired the lial)it of writing in the most severe and delicate kind of manual composition, which re<|uires the skilled hand and the nicest and closest application of the intellect. He was in \'outh a stenographer, and aniong.st the mo.st skilled of that craft in the West. It is a great cultivation of the whole man to .study deeply any question or master any art. His compositions had that delicacy of expres.sion and that fitness of statement which bespeaks the well-ordered mind. They flowed from the accu- racy with which he measured men and things. Thej' flowed 68 Memorial Addresses : Robert R. Hit/ like streams within their hanks. The>' bore clear messages from a clear mind, and carried light in the exact communi- cation of specific thought to others. "Speaking," said Bacon, " maketh the ready man." Mr. HiTT never seemed to have the ambition or the taste or the dramatic instinct to make himself a fig^ire of conspicuousness or to shine on great occasions, but the serenity of his mind appeared on all occasions and bespoke the settled judgment. When he cho.se to speak, he spoke neatly and aptly, not to the galleries, not to an ab.seiit audience, but to the point of what he was endeavoring to illuminate and to those who were decid- ing. He was a ready man, one not to Ije surprised or startled — ready because equipped and because of steady opinion and purpose, and becau.se also gifted with the faculty of natural expression. Mr. IIiTT was credited by all who knew him to be a good man, one who felt the re.sponsibilitj- of the tasks committed to his hands, and one who sought in all becoming ways to accom- plish the objects and to carry out the views which impressed him as right and just. And so he could do these things. He seemed to be utterly careless of himself. Mr. HiTT was one of the most unpretentious men with whom I have ever been thrown in contact. In his intercourse with others and in his dealings with public things it never occurred to you to suppo.se that he was thinking of himself and yet when he dealt with things you could see that he had seen through them, that he understood them, and that he was a master of the subject which he undertook to illustrate. lie was a conserva- tive man. He did not dip into many things, but he understood a few things and on the.se he was an authority and a guide. Like the distitiguished Senator from Kentucky [Mr. McCreary] , who has paid to him to-day the just tribute of a colleague in .hMn'ss of .\[r. Dnniil, of I'iroiiiid 69 most eloquent and fittinsj; terms, I first became acquainted with Mr. HiTT in the Forty-ninth Congress, when he was in the minorit>' and wlien the distinguished Senator from Kentucky and I were in the majority- of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. We were not long together before everyone realized that we were fortunate in his presence and in his having a share of our labors. I can not recall ever to have heard a word of partisanry uttered by him or that any kind of partisan spirit was ever engendered amongst the gentlemen who shared in the labors of that committee. They had respect for each other, and each went his way as he thought best. I then formed a high opinion of Mr. Hitt, both of his judg- ment, of his sincerity, of his learning and ability, and of his high and noble character. It is plea.sing to me to reflect that at the end of nearl\- a quarter of a century I can contemplate long relations with him, not indeed those of intimate friendship, but those of frequent contact and association and manly feel- ing, in which never a word was .said or anything done to break the current of cordial esteem and good will between us. Mr. President, I have Ijroken bread by his fireside, and I know the charm of that liome which was the crown of his life and the source of his greatest pride and joys. Many men, as has been remarked by the distinguished Senator from Wis- consin [Mr. Spooner] , have made great names and have shown in the public annals of our representative bodies here who have neither undertaken nor accomplished such worthy and such lasting tasks as did Mr. HiTT. Vet it is also true that if tho.se records of the Government which are seldom .seen by any eye and which make impression upon but few were brought to light and were to be given due and proper weight and con.sid- eration, I doubt if there is any man who has served the 'JO Memorial Addresses : Robert A'. ///// United States in Conjjress within a score of years concerning whom would be discovered and l)rought to hght more durable and more worthy memorials of honest and useful public service. He was useful to his country and to his kind. Is not this the best of all epitaphs, excei)t that he left a name without a shadow or a blemish upon it? It is no wonder that his con- stituency in Illinois were .so faithful to him, for the\- had learned and they knew that he was faithful to them. He sought as his highest dignity and received the greatest of all rewards in knowing that they appreciated his services. Address of Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois Address of Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois Mr. .Sutherland. Oh account of the unavoidable absence of the junior Senator from Illiiioi.s [Mr. Hopkins] , he requested me to read to the Senate the following ; Mr. President : Death has claimed few public men receutlj^ more honored and respected b\- the people of Illinois than Robert R. Hitt. For several years the rugged health which marked his earh- and mature years had deserted him. He fought the grim mon- ster Death for years, however, with courage and persistency. During all this time he di.scharged liis public duties and all personal and social obligations with a bright and cheerful spirit that are found ordinarily only in those who enjoy the best of health. When I first entered public life as a Member of the Forty- ninth Congress Mr. HiTT, whose district joined mine on the west in Illinois, was then a prominent figure in the House of Representatives. He was chairman of the Committee on For- eign Relations, and was honored and respected as one of the most cultured and distinguished members of that body. For a full quarter of a century he represented in the House of Representatives one of the most intelligent and richest dis- tricts in Illinois. It had been made famous before his day by sending to the House of Representatives of the United States such men as E. D. Baker, who fell at Balls Bluff, one of the most eloquent orators of his time and one of the mo.st heroic figures of the civil war: Ivlihu ?>. Wa.shburne, a great historical character: Mr. Burchard and Mr. Hawk, less distinguished, 72 Moiiorial Addresses : Robert R. Hilt perhaps, than their predecessors, hut men, however, of great ability, who rendered conspicuous .ser\ice in the House of Representatives. Mr. HiTT had had a long and varied experience in public life prior to his Congressional career. He was Mr. Lincoln's especial friend long before that great man was thought of for the Presidenc\', and during the now famous debates between Senator Douglas and Mr. Lincoln Mr. Hitt was selected by Mr. Lincoln to take his speeches in shorthand and transcribe them for the public. He was a very young man at this jjeriod, but was regarded, and justly .so, as the mo.st accomplished .stenog- rapher of his da>-. He had been educated at what was then known as Rock River Seminar)-, in Illinois, now known as Mount Morris College, and later at I)e I'auw I'ni\-ersity, and thus brought to bear in the discharge of his duties scholarly attainments and a literary finish to his work that are rare in shorthand-reporters. For many years he was secrelar\' of legation and charge d'affaires ad interim at Paris, and later was Assistant Secre- tary of State. In these .several public ])ositions he not only discharged his duty with fidelity, but with an ability that ultimately led to his wider field of u.sefulne.ss as a Member of Congress. During his entire service in the House of Representatives no Member exerted a wider influence than he in the House and country on all tjuestions affecting our foreign relations. He had made an especial study of our diplomatic relations from the earliest history of the Ciovernment, and was looked up to as an authority on the various questions that from time to time came before the House of Representatives affecting our relations with foreign countries. The people of his district loved and honored him, and their Address of Mr. Hopkins^ of Illinois 73 confidence in him was reciprocated by a loyalty that knew no wavering. While he never forgot his dnty to his vState and conntry, his first love was to the people of his district, and he allowed no opportimity to pass unnoticed that enabled him to contribute to their welfare and prosperity. His death, while not unlooked for, when it came was a .shock to the good people of his di.strict and the State of Illinois. He has pas.sed over the dark river. His voice will never again be heard in tliat great legislative body, the House of Representatives, where he .so frequentl>', during his long and distinguished career, defended the great principles of govern- ment which have made our country the foremo.st nation of the world . He will l)e missed in the C(_)nimittee room, where his wi.se counsel controlled and directed his colleagues on the Foreign Relations Committee. He will never again be heard in the di<5trict that he .so long and honorabh- represented in Congress; but his memorv , Mr. Pre.sident, will long remain not only with the people of his district and the State of Illinois, but with al who had the good fortune during his life to come within the circle of his acquaintance and fellowship, as an inspiration to them and to succeeding generations. o