(■i,,ss Ehh ^ 7 ^- 61sT Congress]. 3d Session ) SENATE f DOCCMENT \ No. 875 ) '^ \ O - i'^ ! 1. STEPHEN BENTON ELKINS (Late a Senator from West Virginia) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES Proceedings in the Senate February 11, 1911 Proceedings in the House January 7. 1912 COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING Mfe WASHINGTON 1912 tLL^^ tv ^ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page. Proceedings in the Senate. 5 Prayer by Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D 5,7 Memorial addresses by — Mr. Scott, of West Virginia 9 Mr. Gallinger, of New Hampshire 18 Mr. Depew, of New York 21 Mr. Bailey, of Texas 30 Mr. Watson, of West Virginia 35 Proceedings in the House 39 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 39 Memorial addresses by — Mr. Hughes, of West Virginia 45 Mr. Davis, of West Virginia 49 Mr. Mann, of Illinois 53 Mr. Sulzer, of New York 56 Mr. Littlepage, of West Virginia (50 Mr. Brown, of West Virginia 63 Mr. Hamilton, of West Virginia 66 Mr. Clark, of Missouri 70 Mr. Langley, of Kentucky 78 Eulogy by Hon. George W. Atkinson 70 Remarks bv Rev. Dr. Wallace RadclilTe 83 [3] DEATH OF HON. STEPHEN BENTON ELKINS Proceedings in the Senate January 5, 1911. The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered the following prayer: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who compassest our path and our lying down and art acquainted with all our ways. Thou knowest the sorrow of our heart, as also the frailty of our nature. But for the assurance of Thy grace, how could we endure the vicissitudes of life? Thanks be to Thee, our Father, that Thy love abides through evei-y change. Thou hast given and Thou hast taken away ; blessed be Thy name. We remember before Thee him whom Thou hast called from our midst. Lighten the sorrows of our hearts, we pray Thee, and be with those against whose lips this cup of grief is most closely pressed. Uphold us by Thy holy spirit, and grant that neither life with its burden nor death with its sorrow may separate us from Thee, who art our God and our Savior. And unto Thee, who art able to keep us from falling, and to present us before Thy presence without fault in exceeding joy, be glory on earth and in heaven, now and forevermore. Amen. Mr. Scott. Mr. President, it becomes my painful duty to announce to the Senate the death of my colleague, the Hon. Stephen B. Elkins, which occurred at his rosi- [5] MEMORIAL Addresses: Senator Elkins dencc in this city at 12 o'clock last night. After a long and serious illness, making a brave figjit for his life, as he always had fought bravely for the principles that he believed to be right, he has answered to the roll call on the other side. To me, Mr. President, his death brings deep personal sorrow and the countr\' suffers a great loss. West Vir- ginia especially has suffered one of the severest blows with which she could possibly have been inflicted. At some future time, Mr. President, T shall ask the Senate to pay fitting tribute to his memory. At this time I offer the following resolutions and ask for their present consideration. The Vice President. The Senator from West Virginia offers the following resolutions, which will be read. The resolutions were read and unanimously agreed to, as follows : liesolveci, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Hon. Stephen Benton Elkins. late a Senator from the State of West Virginia. licsolved. That a eoinmittee of 17 Senators he appointed hy the Vice I*resident to take order for superintending the funeral of Mr. Elkins. liesolved, That as a further mark of respect his remains be removed from his lale honu- in lliis cily to IClkins, \V. Va., for Ijurial in charge of the Sergeant at Arms, atti-ndod l)\ Ihr com- mittc-r, wlio sliall have full power to cany thesi- resohitions into elfi-ct. licsolved, 'I'lial the Secretary coinnuinicate these jirocecdiiigs to the House of Representatives and ic(|uest the House to aiii)oinf a committee to act with the committee of tlu' Senate. The Vice President ap|)()inted as the committee, under the second resolution. Mr. Scott. Mr. Hale, Mr. Five. Mr. Al(h-ich, Mr. ('iiMom, Mr. (lallinger, Mr. T><)dge. Mr. Bacon, Mr. Tillman, Mr. Kcan, Mr. Bailev, Mr. Foster, Mr. Stone, [6] Pro(;eei)in(.s in the Senate Mr. Crane, Mr. Carter, Mr. Smith of Maryland, and Mr. Root. Mr. Scott. Mr. President, as a further mark of respect to the memory of my deceased colleague, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 12 o'clock and 6 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until Mondays January 9, 1911, at 12 o'clock meridian. January 23, 1911. Mr. Scott. Mr. President, on behalf of myself and the Senator from Colorado [Mr. Guggenheim] 1 desire to give notice that on Saturday, February' 11, at half past 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I shall ask the Senate to con- sider resolutions in memory of the late Senator Elkins, of West Virginia, and the late Senator Hughes, of Colorado. Saturday, Febriiari/ 11, 1911. The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered the following prayer: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, whom alike the living and the dead praise, we thank Thee for this day of reverent memory and of tender recollection. We thank Thee, who art the giver of every good gift and of every perfect boon, for the lives and services of those whom our lips shall this day name. It is hard to yield up those who have labored by our side and have shared our councils. As they stand again before us in memorj^ and again live in our hearts, teach our tongues fit words to utter our sense of loss and to voice our unchanged devotion. Sanctify to us, we implore Thee, the services of this day, and make us worthy of the fellowship of those who in newness of life dwell with Thee in Thy heavenly kingdom. Join our [7] Memorial Addrkssks : Sknator Elkins hearts with theirs, and unite our spirits with the faitliful and true, there and here, in one Hght of faith, one beauty of hoHness, one repose on Thee. And unto Thee, our Father, who hast h)ved us and blest us and given us eternal eonifort and good hope through grace, will we ascribe praise now and foreverniore. Amen. The Presh)ing Officer (Mr. Cirtis in the chair). The hour of lialf past 2 o'clock having arrived, the special order of the Senate will be taken up. Mr. Scott. Mr. President, in pursuance of the notice that I gave on January 23, I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk and ask for their adoption. The Presiding Officer. The Secretary will read the resolutions submitted by the Senator from West Virginia. The resolutions (S. Res. 316) were read, considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows : liesolvcd, That the Senate has luard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Stephen B. Elkins, late a Senator from the State of West Virginia. liesolvcd, 'ihat as a mark of respeet to the iiuinory of tlie deceased the l)iisiness of the Senate be now suspended to enable bis associates to i)ay i)rojH'r trit)ute to his hi.nh character and distinguished services. liesolvcd. That tlie Secretary cominuiiicalc these rcsohilioiis to the House of lU-presentatives and transmit a copy flureof to the family of the deceased Senator. [8] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Scott, or West Virginia Mr. President: To-day the Senate pays its last tribute of respect to the memory of my late colleague, Stephen Benton Elkins. Words of praise spoken here fall short of being adequate to measure our affection for the one who has passed on or the loss his countrymen feel, for a mighty man has passed away; a great leader is no longer with us; a tall cedar has fallen. While our lips pay him this acknowledgment of remembrance, we know that his deeds live after him and that he can not soon be forgotten. Why does the Nation mourn? Why does the State of West Virginia feel that she has suffered a loss that can not be measured? Because a man wise in counsel, strong in action, a doer of great deeds, a builder up of wilder- nesses, a constructive man, a power in the market and in the forum, a lovable, genial companion, has passed from our mortal sight forever. It is to bear testimony to these qualities — the qualities which made the man — that we are here to-day. As his colleague and his friend, it be- comes my duty to try to give some estimate of the man and his worth to our Nation, as well as to the State he so faithfully represented. Perhaps no Member of the United States Senate was more widely known and respected than he. The quali- ties which make up American manhood were found to the full in him, for the qualities which tend to the up- building of a republic found him a channel through which to act. His upbringing was similar to that of tliousands of young Americans. Reared on a farm in Ohio, his [9] IMi:morial Addhi:ssi;s: Senator Elkins thirst lor education took him through college at the head of his class, and the spirit which has built up first the eastern and then the western sections of our great Re- public started him on his career. The great war between the States was on, and notwithstanding the fact that his father and family felt it their duty to cast their sympathy with the Confederate States Mr. P2lkins was forced by his convictions to cast his lot with the Union. A short but creditable career in the Army found him at the end of that great conflict on the threshold of manhood — the future all before him. The Middle West being settled, the golden Southwest tempted him, and New Mexico became liis home. Determined to succeed in his chosen profession, the law, he found it necessary, on taking up his residence in New Mexico, to learn the Sj)anish language. Just starling his career in a strange land this fact did not daunt him, and in less than a year he possessed a fluency in this tongue which aided materially in advancing his influence and popularity. Though a success in the law, yet polit- ical life was to him alluring. The close contact with men who were doing Ihings, who were leading, was most en- ticing, and it is not strange that he was soon a nunihi-r of the Territorial legislatiii'e and eonimenced that polilieal career which was to be so full and comj)lete. In a few years he was made attorney general ol tin- Territory; two years afterwards I'nited Stales distiiel attorney, and a few years al tirw ards he was ehosi'n to ('ongress, where he served two terms in the House of Kepresentati\ ts and made a name and a reputation I'oi' himsilf. \\\ci) in the early seventies, while a niembei' ol the House, he intro- (hieed a hill lor the statehood ol Niw Mexico, which passi'd the House by over a Iwo-lhirds vote, |)asse(l the Senate with an amendmenl. and only tailed to hei-onie a law because.' of lack ol time to lake it up again in the [101 Address of Mr. Scott, or West Vir(;inia House. During these years of the practice of his profes- sion and his first introduction into politics he did not, however, lose sight of the business opportunities which presented themselves. So successful was he along these lines that at the expiration of his term in Congress he was able to commence the great work of development which associated him with the State of West Virginia, and led eventually to his becoming a power in the business as well as in the councils of the Nation. At that time the great riches of the State which he so long represented in the upper branch of Congress were but little known to the outside world. It is true that stories almost as fantastic as fairy dreams were told of the great wealth lying undeveloped in the hills of West Virginia. A large portion of the State was almost a wilderness, traversed only by a few country roads and sparsely inhabited by a home-loving, liberty-seeking peo- ple. To develop this wilderness required capital, energy, and business enterprise of no mean degree. To this task Mr. Elkins, in company with his distinguished father-in- law, ex-Senator Henry G. Davis, a most noted citizen of our State, dedicated his life. The result in the years that followed more than justified his judgment. The wilder- ness was made to bloom and blossom; railroads were built, mines were opened up, towns were erected, and nowhere in this broad land of ours can happier, more contented, more enterprising communities be found than among these mountains and hills which he helped to bring in touch with civilization. Following the line of his railroads came schoolhouses, churches, and colleges, and to-day located within the confines of the once wilder- ness are an educated and God-fearing people. I first met Mr. Elkins in the campaign of 1881, when he was striving to have James G. Blaine elected President of the United States. He was then, as I have always [llJ Memorial Addresses: Senator Elkins known him since, an aggressive, energetic, wide-awake, alert man, and was much interested in the election of Mr. Blaine. They were warm personal friends and had been associated in business. It was a great disappoint- ment to Mr. Elkins when it was finally decided that Mr. Blaine was defeated. Smilingly he accepted the result, but he always held that several thousand votes in New York should have been counted for him which were counted for another candidate. This election ended Mr. Elkins's active participation in politics until he became thoroughly a citizen of West Virginia and commenced to help build up in our State the Republican Party, in whose principles he thoroughW believed. In the year 1888 I was again thrown closely with him in the nomination and election of Mr. Harrison. Mr. Elkins, with the assistance of several other prominent politicians and friends of Mr. Harrison, perhaps did more to give him the nomination than any other man in the United States. From this period on my personal ac- quaintance with Mr. Elkins became closer and closer, and as the years went by I esteemed more highly his friend- ship. During these years he was a power in West Vir- ginia. His genial, sunny disj)osition made him friends on ever}' side. His poise of mind, his great inlclhel, helped liiin to hohl his friends, made him a leader of leaders, and eventually led in 1891, when West Virginia became Hepul)h'eaii for llie first time in ahnosl a geiuralion, to his hiiiig the Republican eaniUdiilc for rniled States Senator. The legislature silcelcd him, and Mv. Elkins then became tlie first Republican ]\h'mber of llie Enited States Senate in many years from the so-called solid South. The hisl(ti-y of these yeai's, h'aihiiLj U|) to his eh-elion ;in(i re( leelion to the Sen;ile, is ;i |);irt of the history of tile de\ (lopnient and wealth ol' onr Nation, and espi'eiaily [12] Address of Mr. Scott, of Wi:st Virginia of our State. It is impossible to attempt, even in the briefest manner, to estimate the influence of Mr. Elkins without referring to the material development of the large section of countiy in which he was interested. He was a great captain of industry, and as such became known and respected everywhere. To him and his associates is due directly the building of four railroad lines through dif- ferent sections of West Virginia — lines that total about 500 miles and are now feeders to great through systems. When one remembers that these roads were built over mountains, across deep ravines, through an undeveloped and virgin country', it can readily be seen that great judgment was necessary and a great faculty for the man- agement and control of men. These faculties he pos- sessed to a high degree and they bound him to the labor- ing man, the merchant, and the capitalist. He always endeavored to establish confidence and harmony between employer and employee, and personally his political ene- mies loved him as much as his political friends. The improvements to the rivers of West Virginia have been largely due to his influence; changes in railroads stand to his farsightedness, and there has been no material ad- vancement of far-reaching importance in our mountain State for the past 25 years in which he has not had a part. A thriving city on the top of one of the Allegheny Mountains bears his name; a college directlj' honors his memor\% and from the north to the south and the cast to the west of our State his memorj' is closely bound in achievements of all kinds. Politically, Mr. Elkins was a Republican. He believed in the principles of that party. He studied with the eye of a student the progress of the protective principle; he saw that it built up and did not destroy; tliat it was con- structive and not destructive; that it made happier the poor man and gave him greater advantages; and to the [13] Mkmohial Addhkssls: Sknatoh Klkins development of this principle he devoted his time and his energ}'. He believed in progress and did his best to bring to the markets of the \vorld the undeveloped wealth of one State. He believed that the principles of the party to which he belonged aided in his doing this, and he was broad enough to stand for its extension to everj' other State of the Union. He believed this party right, and he fearlessly stood for wliat lie thought was true. The career of Mr. Elkins was laid in troublesome times. With liim it was a struggle, a fight, from beginning to end. Struggling for an education, taking part in the great Civil War, conquering a foreign language, wresting supremacy from the hands of nature, fighting for political principles that he thought right — these occupied his attention to the end. But Mr. Elkins was constituted to enjoy these struggles, in the larger sense, and to him the overcoming of a difficulty was a pleasure and a pride. In the latter years of his life his wonderful personality, his command- ing genius, his whole-souled geniality served him in the contests with his political foes without and within his own party. Perhaps one of the deepest regrets of his life was the fact that he was unable to take an active part in the late campaign in our own State. Smiling, he fought until he could fight no more. Mr. Elkins was a scholar, and in his books he found rest from the strife of tlu' outsidi' world. He loved his classics, and his Latin or (ireek he could read with I'ase at any time. A great student of llu- Hible, he found solaei' and comfort there. Full of humor, he could find some- thing to smile at most anywhere, and was ready and apt with (luolalion oi" simile. As an iliusli;iti()ii ixilh of his ioxe ol books and his l)o\\( r <»l c()in|)arison. 1 may be pi rmilted lo iilale an anecdote. Duiing one of our heali'd parly lights, afh r a State convention which bade fair to split in two our paily [14] Address of Mr. Scott, of West Virginia and over which he had presided, at a great expense of vital force, he returned to his home at Elkins. For sev- eral weeks the opposing press and some of the papers of his own political faith bitterly upbraided him for his rulings in the convention, for his " bossism," and for the ruination he was bringing on his party. After these vituperations had traveled from one end of the State to the other, a visitor to his hospitable home found him sit- ting in his library reading and smiling. In answer to an inquiry, he turned to his visitor and said: I have been comforting myself reading the Book of Job; but I don't think Job was in it with me. His career in the Senate is w^ell known. In his early service, assigned to important committees, he became a painstaking student of all legislative questions coming before this body. With a well-stored mind, a fund of information seldom excelled, he was a ready debater, and gradually won his way to the front. After 16 years of service in this body he w^as the peer of anyone, unexcelled by none. Important legislation bears his name. His influence was felt in all directions. Sure of his position, he could meet with a smile the attacks of those who differed from him on matters at issue, but never lost himself. It was largely due to his geniality, his grasp of details, his power of comprehension, his unfailing courtesy, that the great railroad measure which passed this body at the last ses- sion became a law. As a legislator none in this body will say me nay when I cry that a great man in tlie coun- cils of the United States Senate has gone from us. That such a character should attract to it other great natures was inevitable. So it is not strange that Mr. Elkins numbered among his warm and personal fricMids some of the greatest names in the history of our country ri5] Mk.mohial Addresses: Senator Elkins in the last half of the nineteenth century. Stretching from the time of Lincoln to that of Taft, what an oppor- tunity ^vas his of thoroughly enjoying the friendship of the men who have been shaping the financial and political destinies of our countrj'. Intiniately associated with Mr. Blaine, he undoubtedly would have occupied a prominent position in the latter's political family had he become President of the United States. His close friendship to Mr. Harrison led to his selection by tiiat President as Sec- retary of War, and in this important position his con- structive genius had full sway and its effects are still felt. Connected by business ties with the greatest financiers of our age, he possessed their personal esteem and confi- dence. A Presbyterian in religious convictions, he could yet enjoy the close friendship of the cardinal of the Church of Rome. Intensely American in every fiber of his nature, he was on loving terms of friendship with the distinguished men of foreign nations who have repre- sented their Governments at this capital for the past ([uarter of a century. Tt) his competitors along business lines he was courteous and friendly, and he numbered among his close followers and friends in his own State all of his largest business opponents. To Ihi' humblest West Virginian he was always accessible, and greeted him with the same kindly interest with which he met a (lij)lo- mat, a prelate of the church, oi* a great financier. il is no wonder, llicn, Uial around his bier stood men whose nanus will li\c in history; lliat lo\inL,f liil)ulis to his nuniory and to his kindly beai'l came from ail around the woild. it is no wonder thai llu' newspapirs of liiis bioad land of onrs, those impaitial judges of nu'n. car- tied to all Americans the news of his passing on and Iheii" judgment of his work and woitli. It is no wonder thai in his own Stale, fi'om e\iiy town aiul handel, from every city, expressions of ngiel and alVection came pour- [16] Address of Mr. Scott, or West Virginia ing in, and our large dailies were filled with such uUer- ances almost to the exclusion of all other matter. It is no wonder that on that hright January day, when his mortal remains were lowered to rest in a beautiful ceme- teiy in the city he founded, the Army flag flew at half- mast nearly all around the world, that his home city was one sorrowing community, that his State paid its tribute of respect and the Nation its word of farewell. It is no wonder that the governor of our State later appointed his son as his successor in the Senate, a closing tribute to the love and respect borne Mr. Elkins. Born September 26, 1841, he passed from our sight January 4, 1911. The wonder is that so much could have been crowded into a life of less than 70 years — farmer's boy, soldier, lawyer, legislator, Member of Congress, Cabi- net officer, United States Senator, and a great captain of industry. Life's struggle over, his mortal remains rest forever on the West Virginia hills, whitened by the snow of winter and carpeted bj^ the flowers of spring. But he still lives in his great works, his kindliness of heart, his purity of character, and his love for his countiy and his fellow man. Not soon will he be forgotten. 87°— 12 2 [17] Address of Mr. Gallint.er, of New Hampshire Mr. President: It was my privilege to serve for nearly 17 years in this body with the late Senator from West Virginia, whose death we all keenly deplore, and whose splendid achievements, in public and private life, will serve as an inspiration to those of us who knew and ad- mired him. Service with In'm on three of the important comniiltees of the Senate — Ai)propriations, Commerce, and Printing — covering a long i)eriod of years, gave me unusual opportunities to become acquainted with the qualities of iu-art and mind of Senator Elkins. His re- markable career, from boyhood days to the zenith of his power and influence, has been graphically told by the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Scott]. For me it is suflicient to offer a simple tribute of affection to his memory. It is safe to say that few men liavc served in the Senate who have been more popular or universally esteemed than Senator Klkins. The morning aflei- his death, in till' course of an ajjpreciative review of liis lifi', the Washington Post liiillifnlly said: lie \v:is ;i man wlio inadi' rrii'iids on cvrrv liaiid, who diH'W jind Ill-Id llu-ni lo him, rct^ai-dicss of polilical alliliation, riiii^ious creed, or racial ( iiaraclerislies. Of liim it ma\ l)e said lu- was witlioiil an enemy. iii- was tlie ai)ostle of snnsliine. Ilie enilxidi Hunt of K'xid eiieer, liu- invetei'ali- I'oe of jjessimism, a sni)remi- <)])timis(, who saw oidy llie Ixsl in everyone and refnsed to helicvc lliat wiiieli was not p^ood. It was impossitde lor iiin) to harhor a kiihIkc, and if ever Itiis sincere and l)i}4-lu'arted man Kave ollciise in llie heal of (hi)ate or ixttitical discussion, lie was (|iiiclv lo retract and heal the woinid hefore it he.yan to iuirt. [18] Address of Mr. Gallinger, of New Hampshire What higher tribute could be paid to any man than that? The man who makes and holds friends, whose very presence dispels gloom, and whose cheery smile and warm handclasp make his associates forget the little ani- mosities, trials, and burdens of life; such a man is an evangel of peace and love and happiness, and such a man was our late associate. Senator Elkins was not an orator, but he possessed powers infinitely more potent than that of oratory. He was an indefatigable worker, and knew the art of ap- proaching and dealing with men. He carried through the Senate measures of great importance to the American people, and in the stirring debates over the bills that he had in charge the success he achieved was largely due to his imperturbable good nature, his courteous treatment of his opponents, and his dogged determination to accom- plish results. In the statutes of his countrj' are written monuments of his broad-mindedness, his intense patriot- ism, his devotion to the public weal, and his independ- ence of thought and action. He was an honest and suc- cessful legislator, a shrewd politician, and a high-minded public servant, whose record will grow brighter and brighter as the years come and go. Mr. President, what more need be said? In my 20 years' service here death has invaded the senatorial circle many, many times. Four honored Senators alone remain of those who greeted me when I entered this Chamber. The list of those who have departed is a long and honor- able one. Memory recalls the names, and tender thoughts touch the heart as we summon them before us. But they are gone, and we remain a little longer, to bear the burdens and the cares from which they have escaped. Among them all there was no more genial and lovable soul than the late Senator from West Virginia. He was so strong, so full of energ>% and so hopeful for the future [19] Memorial Addukssls : Senator Klkins that his death came to us all as a peculiar shock. When he left the Senate a notable figure passed from our view. His seat here is vacant, but his memory will be cherished and his virtues remembered by those of us who admired his character and valued his friendship. In the death of Senator Elkins this body, the State that honored him, and the Nation which he served so well have sustained an irreparable loss. [20] Address of Mr. Depew, of New York Mr. President: At no time in its history has death in so short a period removed from the Senate so many of its members. Daniel of Virginia, Elkins of West Vir- ginia, Dolliver of Iowa, Clay of Georgia, McEnery of Louisiana, and Hughes of Colorado were among tlie most valued and distinguished Senators. Many of them had been long in the public service and w^on national reputa- tions. In their careers, activities, and characteristics they represented distinct types of American citizenship. 1 might select for comparison Elkins, Daniel, and Dol- liver. Senator Daniel was almost the last of that line of southern orators whose fervid eloquence and glowing rhetoric made famous the forum and the platform before the Civil War. He had lofty ideals of government and civic duty. He had an intense pride in the greatness and glory of the countiy, and drew inspiration from the past for guidance in the present. The wonderful material developments since the Civil War, the increase in na- tional, and especially in individual, wealth did not appeal to him. He never possessed either greed for gain or lust for fortune. He was an idealist of a rare type, whose great gifts were devoted to the realization of those ideals in the preservation of the constitutional limitations of the powers of the Federal and the State Governments, and to bringing back the people to what he regarded as the purer and higher life of the fathers of the Republic. A chivalric figure both on the battle field and in the Senate, he brought the knightly virtues of a romantic age lo the solution of the prosaic problems of the day. Senator [21] Mi:m()Hiai. Addhksses: Senatok Klkins DoUiver, on the other hand, was intensely modern. From the parsonage of his father, in which he received his early training, he carried into puhlic life the spirit of the missionary. He was possessed of a rare faculty for oratory, and equally brilliant in argument, appeal, ridi- cule, and humor. He came while young into public life and from a constituency which promised a long continu- ance in the public service. He never was in contact with and cared little for the wonderful opportunities for men of masterful genius in affairs which have created the phenomenal fortunes of the past 10 years. He was essentially a tribune of the people. His mind was absorbed in the solution of the economic problems of protection and revenue in a way which, according to his faith, would add to the wealth of the Republic and the individual prosperity of every citi- zen. He studied the movements of the markets with the sole purpose of originating and promoting such legisla- tion as would keep our places of trade and barter as far as j)ossiblc for the benefit of the producers and workers of (he United States. He also believed in such use of the prestige, power, and diplomacy of the country as would win an open door for our surplus in competition with the great manufacturing nations of the world into the Orient and Africa. lie died, as he had li\i"(l. on his chosen battlefield, using all his powers and exhausting his energy and vitality for ideas which he believed would eventuate in policies and measures for the best interests of the |)eo- j)le. The chiNalric kniglil from N'iiginia and the modern soldier i'lom Iowa tilled larne ani:w, of New Yohk moter. He could turn the wilderness into productive pos- sibilities which would attract and support masses of peo- ple. He could project and construct railroads for the development of the mine and the forest, and won for himself by his genius for affairs an enormous fortune. Yet as a Senator he brought the invaluable aid of his experience, his business acumen, and his knowledge of affairs to legislation which was for the protection of the people against the misuse of millions and the creation or the existence of monopoly. A contemplation of the lives of these three statesmen presents a vivid picture of varying conditions in the 48 Commonwealths which constitute our Federal Union. In many of the States there has been cultivated a hos- tility to corporations and wealth which builds bars of insuperable height and strength against any man, no matter how gifted, who has made a success in corporate management or accumulated a fortune in active business, becoming a representative of the people in public office. Such communities believe they are best served by theo- rists and idealists. They accept with eagerness and en- thusiasm the various panaceas which are so skillfully manufactured and so attractively presented for the cure of the ills of the body politic. But West Virginia and other States similarly situated present a remarkable con- trast. Limitless wealth and opportunities for employ- ment and the accumulation of a competence lie in the mines in her mountains and valleys and her primeval forests. Instead of locking up her boundless resources she welcomes capital and capitalists who will open her mines, build her villages, enlarge her cities, improve her water powers, and construct her railroads. Ever since her organization as a State she has sent to both Houses of Congress the men who were doing this work in her behalf, while they were accumulating, or had accunui- [23] MEMORIAL Addresses: Senator Elkins lated, large lortuius by their efloits. Her people recog- nized that every mine opened meant more families sup- ported and more opportunities for the youth, and every railroad built or extended meant the wilderness converted into boundless opportunities for development, for popu- lation, and for prosperity. She believed that the men whose genius, energ}', experience, and money were ac- complishing these results could best secure for her the legislation which would redound to the progress of the State and the benefit of its people. Senator Elkins was easily the leatler among these bold and adventurous spirits who dare risk their all, because they know if they live success is certain to crown their efforts. Elkins, the legislator, though a railroad promoter and owner, saw the necessity, for the protection of the people and of investors, of a large measure of (iovernment con- trol over railroad corporations. As the head of the great Committee of Interstate Commerce he had charge of the measures which have accomplished so much in the pre- ceding administration and the present one to remove the railway from politics, to reform and punish abuses, to give shippers and the traveling public a tribunal with j)ower for instantaneous redress, and to secure stability to biisiiuss and credit by the largest measure of (Iovern- ment activity in railway affairs. The antirebate 1)111, which goes by the Senator's name, was his own creation. I^y supervision and penalties he prohibited discrimina- tions in favor ol' individuals or fonmuinilic s and com- ix lied llicse great corporations to Ircal all alike. So llie railway lalc bill of the Hoosevell administration and the railroad bill of the Taff administration, distinct advances in the line of wisi- corpoiMtc control, greater than had been accomplished sinci' the first locomotive was plact d U|)oii the tails HI years ago, passed through his I'ormalivi' bunds ;is the chairman of the connniltee that had them in [24] Address of Mr. Defew, of New York charge and were conducted by his skill and genius as a parliamentarian in their passage through the Senate. A young American who has finished his college course and continued his law studies until admitted to the bar has the world before him. It is the critical initial period which tests the fiber of his being. He may settle down in his native village or take the more perilous plan of entering the contest in a large city or move to new terri- tory^ to grow up with the country. His choice and the few years following it indicate his future and fix his career. In 1864 New Mexico was as distant almost as Japan now is and as little known in the States. The Spanish adven- turer Coronado had conquered the Indians and settled it with his followers 70 years before the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth Rock. The Territorj-^ had been in 1864 onh' 14 years annexed to the United States, and its population was still over- whelmingly Spanish. The conservatism of the people is best illustrated by the fact that the first rail was not laid down in the Territory until 1878. Young Elkins, looking around for the best field for a career, selected this distant Territory. His magnetism, his charm, his resistless energ>% and the fact that within a jear he had acquired the Spanish language, captured the imagination and con- fidence of these Latins, who had met no one like him in the over 200 years of their settlement. They sent him to the legislature and elected him twice to Congress. In the House of Representatives he came in contact with the brilliant men who were Members of that body in the Forty-third and Forty-fourth Congresses. With his alert and receptive mind, with his rare faculty of soon gaining an intimacy with strong characters, he speedily absorbed an intimate knowledge of the resources and business opportunities of the different sections of the country. He recognized early the fortunes there were in the acquisi- [25] Mkmohial Addresses: Senator Elkins tion of coal lands, if they could be reached and developed by cheap transportation. He saw that the future for him was not in the slow-moving life of New Mexico, but in bringing into the channels of trade the treasures which had been accumulating for ages beneath the soil of West Virginia. I remember how, in tlic early years of his life, in West Virginia, I used to meet him often in New York trying to inspire men of means with his own confidence and enthusiasm in the resources of his State. Always hopeful, perennially optimistic, neither indifYerence nor incredulity nor rebuff's could discourage or dishearten him. He brought into the countingrooms of finance the fresh and invigorating atmosphere of his mountain home. By his earnestness, his indefatigable industry, his won- derful ability to win the hardest headed to his faith, he advanced by many years the progress and development of his State. Few versatile men are successful. Concentration is the secret of i)()wer, but nature endows some highly gifted with the ability to concentrate with equal success in many lines. Senator Elkins was one of these fortunate indi- viduals. Notwilhslanding the cares and anxieties which attend the initial processes of the development of nature's resources, he found leisure to be for 12 years one of the most active and influential nuinbers of the Uepub- lican national committee. We of the older generation know the trust which was reposed in him by his fellow nicnihcis and the cxte-nt to wliieli the grratest n-sponsi- bilifics wiic placfd upon his shoulders. 1 ncxci- shall I'orgc I a (liainatie serni- lutween him and tiu' lu publican candidate for Pnsidi-nt, .lames (i. Hlainc. It was just after the lanioiis meeting of the pii-sidential candidate with a thousand i'rolestant ministers when three words utlired by tluir spokesman ended tlu' most hopeful of canvasses and changed the course of American history. [2G] Address of Mr. Depew, of New York Mr. Elkins was responsible for bringing about this meet- ing, which was all right in its conception and intended to remove the prejudice which had grown up among Prot- estants because of Mr. Blaine's family relationship to the Catholic Church. Of course, no one could foresee that the preacher, who was also the spokesman, had a formula which he had used a hundred times successfully from the pulpit, but which when it became a part of the literature on one side of political controversy proved a can of dyna- mite for the cause it was uttered to promote. No one saw the disastrous effects of coupling together rum, romanism, and rebellion more clearly than did Mr. Blaine. He was naturally for a while not only indignant, but unreason- able, and yet, when he saw how deeply affected was Mr. Elkins, Blaine put his arm around Elkins's neck and said in that tone of tenderness which captured and bound to him thousands, " Steve, it was planned for the best and no one could have foreseen what has occurred." The few who witnessed the incident knew what a load it lifted from the heart of the one and how deep and abiding was the affection of each for the other. I had an illustration of Senator Elkins's methods of accomplishing results. After his second nomination and the retirement of Mr. Blaine from the Cabinet, President Harrison tendered to me the position of Secretary of State. I told him I could not take it because, as presi- dent of the greatest railway system in the coimtry, it would inject in the then inflamed condition of the public mind on railway questions an unnecessary issue into the canvass, which had four months to run before the elec- tion. The President did not think so, and sent Mr. Elkins, then Secretary of War, to persuade me. He did not argue with me, but said, " Come, let's take a walk," and he led me over to the State Deparhnenl and then pointed to the portraits of those who had occupied that [27] Mhmohial Addresses: Senator Elkins great place, among them Thomas Jefferson, John Mar- shall, James Madison, James Monroe, John Qiiincy Adams, Henr}' Clay, Martin Van Biiren, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, Edward Everett, and William H. Seward, and said : There is a list far more eminent and distinguished than the Presidents of the United States. To have your picture hung in that line is fame. To Senator Elkins was granted a rare equability of temper and equilibrium of mind. He was an earnest partisan and slated his views on all public questions with the vigor of profound conviction, but he never uttered a word which injured anyone's feelings or left a sting be- hind. When partisan rancor was most bitter and pas- sions intense he was equally welcome with every faction of his own party and of the opposition. Senator Elkins was a big man physically, mentally, and sympathetically. Successful men have hard experiences with temporary setbacks, discouraging failiu'es, or faith- less friends and implacable enemies. Their experiences harden them against appeals from suflering humanity. But for the Senator these trials broadened his charity. He was remarkably free from enmities and animosities. To forgive and forget were his nature and policy. He was first beside friends in sorrow or sickness, and liis alVectionale interest and bracing vitality were of inlinile help and comfort. If liie li'oubh' was linantial, insliad ol' ;i\ oidiiiLi; tile u n foiliMKi le, \\ hieh is the eoinnion way, be would di'oj) his own great affairs to lake up those of his friend. If the enler|)i"ise was sound and re(|nii'e(l nion- pecinn'ary assistance to tide oxer the depression of a panic or a niislaUen calcnialion. his sagacily and money would change the silnalioii fioni impending bankiuiplcy to |)ios- p( ritv. Thotigii nol an oraloi', yel in debate upon the [28] Address of 'Sin. Defew, of New Yohk purely material propositions, which constitute most of our legislation, his common sense, practical experience, and lucidity made him a dangerous adversary and per- suasive advocate. The memory of this happy, healthy, helpful figure in our public life will long linger among the best traditions of the Senate. West Virginia is destined to become one of the most prosperous of our industrial Commonwealths. As the State grows because of the development of its exhaustless natural resources, so will the fame of one of its greatest State builders, Stephen B. Elkins. [29] Addhess or Mr. Bailey, or Texas Mr. President: When I entered the Senate I enjoyed but a slight acquaintance with the late Senator from West Virginia, Mr. Elkins, but even that had brought ine to appreciate those qualities which made and kept him easily the best-beloved Member of this body; and when one afternoon, soon after I had assumed my duties here, he crossed the aisle and proposed a permanent pair with me, I readih' and cheerfully consented to that arrange- ment. Our relation, thus established, brought us fre- quently into contact, and Senators will understand all the better what that contact meant when he volunteered to say that if in his absence at any time I felt that my duty to my people or the suitable care of my own political fortunes required me to vote, I was at liberty to do so, even though it left him without a pair. Our friendship, beginning almost when my term in the Senate began, was not only a source of constant and unin- terrupted pleasure to me, but it was often used by my other friends to their good advantage, for it becamr a common practice with those who knew how much 1 loved liiin to seek my intercession with him. When tlu- river and harbor bills were- pending Mend)ii's of the other House, not from my own State alone, but from other Slates, often a|)pealed to luv to interview Senator 1-1.kins in behalf of j)i-ojecls which deeply interi-sted them, and nian\ was the tinu- 1 have taken anxious Mtinbers ol" the House to iiini in order that they might state theii" own case. In all of those iniidiiils not once did that Senator excr exhihil ;in iin|);i tienee ur a|)|)ear iiidilVerent to llu' ri(|nest ol' .1 Men liter w hosr name jxihaps he had not know n unlil [30] Address of Mr. Bailey, oi Texas I had introduced him and in whose State he coukl not possibly have felt any local interest. Not only was he generous and obliging to men from all sections, but he was especially so to men of the section from which I came. He was the best friend the Southern States have ever possessed in this Chamber since I have been a Mem- ber of the Senate, and in making that statement I do not even except Senators from the South themselves. No Senator from any Southern State ever invoked the friendly ofTices of Senator Elkins in vain, and he some- times aided us in works which we believed right and proper though our colleagues from other Southern States could not agree with us. Not only in those great works of internal improvement, but on every other question which touched the honor or the interest of the South he was our steadfast and our unswerving friend. He had so impressed me with his peculiar interest in our States and in our section that one day, half in jest and half in earnestness, I said to him, " You are better to us that we are to ourselves, for you will help us whether we are right or wrong." He looked at me with that unfailing good nature which so won the hearts of all who came in contact with him, and he said, " My dear boy, to me the southern people are never wrong." And then, as if that needed to be qualified, he added, "They were wrong once, I suppose, when they tried to dissolve the Union, but that is the only mistake they have ever made, and I never expect to think that they have made another." Other Senators on this side, who often appealed, as we were compelled to appeal, because we were in the minority here, to his great influence with his colleagues on the other side, appreciated his services no less than I do. Mr. President, there have been many who have served in this great assembly who were loved and trusted by all [31] Mr-MORiAL Addrlssks: Senator Elkins their colleagues; there are Senators here now loved and trusted without measure and without question; and yet, without invidious distinction, I believe I may safely say that not one of us who are still here, and not one of those who have gone before us, was as universally loved and trusted as he was. And if I sought a reason for a fact like that 1 would find it in the other fact, that he loved and trusted us, and thus he warranted us in loving and trust- ing him. He was of that nature that, intending no evil himself, was not swift to impute evil motives to other men, and though he passed through that calumny which all success- ful men encounter, it left no stain upon his name and it left no scar upon his heart. I have seen him, when they were misrepresenting his purposes, and when they were challenging his patriotism, put such suggestions aside as strong men would the challenges of children, and he was often charitable enough to believe that the men who unjustly aspersed him were honestly mistaken. I almost envied him that virtue. 1 never envied liim his fortune, magnificent as they say it was; 1 never envied him his station, because perhaps my own was not less than his; I never envied him his friends, though they were manyfold more numerous llian mine; I never en\ied him any of the great and \ai'ied success which fatt' or his own i-xer- tion had won for him; but sometimes I did ahnost feel weak enough to envy him his good nature. To those of us wlio have a bitterness easily aroused by ungenerous li'ealineiil, it is ahnost incomprehensible how a man can be gentle and |)alienl undir erilieism whith he knows to be nudicious and unliulhl'ul. To those ol' us who llnd it ^ need. And grant that our failures may be stepping- stones to a brighter future, that, passing on, we shall leave to coming generations a better Government, a better world. Profoundly moved, God our Father, by the sudden death of one of our foremost statesmen, whose life has been conspicuous for many years in State and Nation, we pray for Thy sustaining and guiding hand, that his many warm friends and the bereaved family may look forward to the larger life with the same optimistic spirit which ever filled his mind and led him onward to nobler achievements. And Thine be the praise forever. Amen. Mr. Gaines. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep personal sor- row and a profound sense of the public loss that I rise to announce to the House the death of the Hon. Stephen Benton Elkins, late a Senator from the State of West Virginia. As a Member of this body, as Secretary' of [39] Mi:.M()RiAL Addresses: Senator Elkins War, as a Senator of the United States for IG years, and in olhcr public positions he served his country' with great distinction. Following the custom of the House, I shall at some future time ask that a day be appointed when fitting tril)ute may be paid to his memory and his distinguished public services. Now, in l)ehalf of the delegation from West Virginia, I offer the following resolutions, and move their adoption. The Speaker. The gentleman from West Virginia offers the following resolutions (H. Res. 889), which the Clerk will report. The Clerk read as follows: JHesolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow and sincere regret of the death of the Hon. Stephen B, Elkins, late a Senator from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate, and send a copy thereof to the family of the deceased Senator. Resolved, That a committee of 17 Members of the House, Nvith such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. The resolutions were agreed to. Mr. Gaines. Mr. Speaker, 1 ask unanimous consent liiat the Speaker be authorized to determine the number of the committee. The Si»EAKER. Is there objection? There was no objection. After adjournment, in pinsuanec of authority hcreto- foi'c granted, the S|)i'akc'r aniioiinei'd the appoinlimiil of the following eonuniltec : Mr. IInbbar- lary of War, and in his achninislralion of the duties of that |)()sili()n he added to his ah'i'ady en\iabK' rej)utali()n as a pnbhe servant. [46] Address of Mr. Hughes, of West Virc.inia In January, 1895, I had the honor of presenting him to the joint legislature after he was elected to the United States Senate by the West Virginia Legislature, and was twice reelected, being the only West Virginian thus hon- ored by three elections to the Senate. He was especially equipped to deal witli questions affecting the business interests of the country, and dur- ing his long service in the Senate his name was con- nected with many acts of legislation of vital importance. His statesmanship was constructive and his mind gave forth sound and original ideas. The weight of his in- fluence was always for the sane, the safe, and the whole- some in public life. He died in Washington on January 4, 1911, during his third term as United States Senator. Elkins the lawj^er showed by his fidelity to the inter- ests he represented and the ability with which he handled his cases that he made no mistake as to his chosen pro- fession. Elkins the financier caused the wilderness to become habitable, made the mountains to give up the riches they concealed, giving to his State a wonderful development, always fighting fair, yet always command- ing the respect of those with whom he came in contact in a business way by his evident ability to take care of himself under all circumstances, finally becoming one of the leaders of the financial world. Elkins the states- man carried into his public life that innate sense of jus- tice and fair dealing that always characterized him, and he viewed all public questions in a broad and patriotic spirit that won the admiration of his associates and the Nation. But it was Elkins the man that those who knew him loved best. His many beautifully tender qualities of mind endeared him beyond measure to his friends, and to have known him intimately was indeed a great privilege. [47] Memorial Addresses: Senator Elkins West Virginians loved Stephen B. Elkins and West Virginia was proud of his achievements, and when for him, surrounded by sorrowing loved ones, came the sun- set of life and " the evening star and the one clear call " he put out on that unknown sea with a feeling that in this life he had " acted well his part." [48] Address of Mr. Davis, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: It is written: Man must endure his going hence even as his coming hitlicr, ripeness is all. On the 4th day of January', 191 1, Stephen B. Elkins went, as must all mortal men, back upon the path by which he came, back to the great unknown. In every such announcement there is a solemnity, which comes not alone from the severing of the ties of love and friend- ship, not alone from a sense of personal or public grief and loss, but also from the knowledge it imports that the book of another life has been closed and another account made up forever. At such times we may with propriety assemble to record our grief at the separation and to enter upon record the salient facts of the ended life. Such, Mr. Speaker, is the purpose of this occasion. Others have spoken, or will speak, of the details of Sen- ator Elkins's life's histor3^ To those whose good for- tune it was to know him better than did I must be left the intimacies of his personal life and conversation, and in better form, no doubt, by others, a summary' of his public achievements will be given. But I desire to record a brief mention of those characteristics which, to the world, stood out most strongly in the man and wliich most contributed to his remarkable career. And his career was one truly remarkable, whether from the standpoint of results obtained or of the broad field of activity it covered. Soldier, la^\yer, banker, business man, railroad executive, political leader, attorney gen- eral of the Territory of New Mexico and United States 87°— 12 4 [49] Ml-Mohial Addhessks: Sknator Elkixs district attorney for tlie same Territory, Delegate to Con- gress, Secretar}'^ of War, Senator of the United States — all these and more he was, and in all his powerful talents and natural gifts made himself i)reeminent. No man can point with certainty to the hidden springs from which flow the actions and the life work of his fellows, and only the holdest will assume to catalogue all the gifts with which another is endowed. But some of the reasons for the power of this man are easily discernihle. First of all, he was in physique a favored child of nature. When he became Secretary of War in 1892 there was written of him a description which might stand, without amendment, to the day of his last illness. It may be entered here as follows: He is one of the biggest men I have ever known. .Standing over G feet in his stockings, his broad shouhiers arc \\v\l padded witli muscular flesh, and his Ijig arms make you think of tliose of Samson, and his legs are firm and strong. lie is not fat, but liis massive frame has no angles, and he is the jn-rsonifica- tion of energetic liealth. He lias a great big round head, which is fastened to his broad slioulders by a big, well-made neck. His clear blue eyes look out froin under broad, open brows. He has a strong jaw, but there are pleasant lines about his mouth, and his short, strong, white teeth are often shown when he laughs. His hair is now white; it is cut short, and you can set' tlie rosy scalp showing through its frosted silver strands. Secretary l-'i, kiss's face is smooth shaven, and its mobility is shown in the change of exjjressions wliicli i)ass ovir it as iiis thou.yht turns from grave to gay as he talks. His face imjjresses you with its cleanliness, and his words are as clean as his skin. He never uses slang or profaiiilx, and he once told me lluil he had never, in all his life, uttered a word which he would be ashaiiud to rejjeat in the i)riscnce of the purest woman he knew. ^^'illlill this p()\\( rliil Ironic lln it \\;is imphinlrd a keen ;iii(l (list rimiii;i ling iiilcllcci, to which he nthhd a lii-clfss iiithislry. lie shr;iiik from no [;isk ;is being Ih;- Ndiid cilhtr his |)hysic;il or menial powci's, and when in [50] Address of Mr. Davis, of West Virginia President Harrison's Cabinet it was said of him in com- parison with his confreres that — The man capable of the greatest amount of work is filling an office where the least is to be done. The statement was accurate in so far as his capacity for labor was concerned. But in that office, and in all others, he proved that only those who shrink from labor complain that the opportunity for it is denied. One might believe that he took as his life motto the lines: No man is born into the world whose work Is not born with him; there is always work To do and tools to work withal for those who will, And blessed are the horny hands of toil. The busy world shoves angrily aside The man who stands with arms akimbo set Lentil occasion tells him what to do. And he who waits to have his task marked out Shall die and leave his errand unfulfilled. His intellect and energy were guided by a courageous determination which never wavered from a goal once fixed upon and was never more steady than at the very time when it might seem to yield. He was a past master of the art of conciliation and of compromise, and knew how, with consummate tact, to harmonize conflicting interests among his followers and associates and weld them all into a compact and efficient body, subservient to his purpose. Perhaps no man of his time in public life possessed to a higher degree the four great gifts of intellect, industry, will power, and tact. These it was which made of him a born leader of men. No higher praise can be or need here be given, for whoever can lead his fellows along the path he wishes them to follow, who- ever can bend to his use that greatest of all forces, the elemental force of human nature, must indeed be great himself. [51] Memorial Addresses : Senator Elkins With these endowments it was hut the working out of natural law in the spiritual world that he should have had an extraordinary capacity for making and for keep- ing friends, and it was equally inevitahle that, like all strong natures, he should encounter opposition in all the spheres of life in which he was engaged. Enemies con- fronted him, and lie overcame them; calumny assailed him, and he outlived it; envy and malice attacked him, and he proudly ignored llu-m. Oltcn did he i)rove that — He who ascends to mountain tops shall find Their loftiest peaks most wrapt in clouds of snow. He who surpasses or subdues mankind Must look down on the hate of those below. Though high above the sun of glory glow, And far beneath the earth and ocean spread, Around him are icy rocks, and loudly blow Contending tempests on his naked head. After a long, wasting, and mysterious illness, he ncared his end; hut though physically weakened hy the struggle his last conscious words were, " 1 do not expect to die." It may have been perhaps the dominating will of the man still asserting itself; it may have been his defiant challenge to the last of earthly foes; but may we not equally believe that it was all this and something more — a declaration of his belief in the final triumj)!! of the soul over (Icalli ilsi'lf. a prophecy evcMi now ruHllKd of an immortality assured. May we not share that faith and believe that somewhere even now that bold and tireless sjjiril is still woi'king oul its (lod-appoinled destiny? He is goni'. I have no disiri' to weaken my tiil)iite to his nu inoi'v by a niei'e ampiilic;ition ol woids, which lu'. of all men, would iiave most (k-eiied. He was a great figure in the Slate of West N'irginia and in the Nation. A stiong man has laileii; it may be long before another conies to till his |)laee. [521 Address of Mr. Mann, of Illinois Mr. Speaker: I rise, sir, to express my appreciation of Stephen B. Elkins ^Yhile he was alive, my respect for the memory of the man and his deeds, my sincere regret at his departure from this life, and my profound sympathy for the family he left behind. It is indeed a melancholy pleasure to pay my sad trib- ute to the worth of his deeds. I knew Senator Elkins in a legislative capacity. I had contact with him in the construction of some of the great legislation wliich has been enacted in recent years in relation to railroads. For a time there was a strong feeling in the countrj^ that the railroads needed additional control, that preferences were being granted by them to great shippers in the way of rebates, and in 1903 Senator Elkins introduced into the Senate a bill, now enacted into law, called the Elkins bill, for the purpose of preventing the granting of rebates b}^ railways. I had the honor, by direction of that other great statesman, William P. Hepburn, of Iowa, to have charge of that bill in the committee and on the floor of the House. It brought me somewhat in contact with Senator Elkins and gave me an insight into his capacity for constructive legislation; but it was in 1910 that I came in closer contact with him. The air w^as filled as it were with electric excitement concerning the bills to increase the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission in the control of railways, their rates, and other matters relating to them. A bill for that purpose was reported from the com- mittee of which I had the honor to be chairman. It passed the House, went to the Senate, and came back [53] Memouial Ai)1)Hi:ssi:s : Sknatoh Klkins here witli all after the enacting clause stricken out and a new bill inserted. Senator Elkins was chairman of the Senate Committee on Interstate Commerce. There were striking differences between the bill as it had passed the House and the bill as it passed the Senate. After some discussion and a decided division of opin- ion in the House it was sent to conference. There were those who believed that it would be impossible for the House and the Senate to come to an agreement. I was the chairman of the House conference committee, and upon that committee were Representative Wanger and, as a minority member, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Adamson. On the Senate conference com- mittee were Senators Elkins and Aldrich and, as a mi- nority member. Senator Newlands, of Nevada. I con- fess that at the time I liad grave doubts wliclhcr we would be able to agree; I had grave doubts when I entered the conference whether the sharp division of opinion might not give rise to decided personal dilVerences and eontlicts. For several weeks, while llic bill was in conference. Senator Elkins and myself were in daily eoniiniinieation. We met at the Capitol, we met at his house, we met at the White House, we met in various other |)laces, we rode and rode, and we sat down and talked and dis- cussed. In llie t 11(1 Ihe dilferences in llu' eoiilVirnct' were reconciled, a conference report was agreed u|)()ii. adopted by both bodies, and the bill became a law. During that time wliile we were having these decided dilferences of opinion and diseussions. Senator Ij kins was always decided hnl good nalnicd. I do not know wliellui" I was always good nalnicd. l»nl 1 i)elie\'ed llial I was nsnally decided. I eanie lo liaxc in llial eoniiei-lion a strong |)ersonal alVeclioii lor the work and llie i-Jiarai-ter of Senator kj.KiNs. I eanie to know llial he was a constriR'tive [54] Addhess oi" Mr. Mann, oi Illinois statesman. During that same period ol' time when this bill was under discussion there w^ere also in conference between the two Houses, where Senator Elkins and I were conferees, two bills, one relating to the reporting of accidents by railroads and the other regarding the stand- ardization of safety appliances on railroads. I learned that Senator Elkins not only had a profound knowledge of the management and operation of railways, but a pro- found sympathy for the enginemen, the brakemen, the trainmen, and all those who work in connection with the operation of railroads. Mr. Speaker, I simply wish to say that, in my judg- ment, the two laws now upon the statute books bearing his name in usual reference to them, the antirebate law and the act to strengthen the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission, themselves establish, without other evidence, the profound constructive statesmanship of this friend of ours who has gone to the other shore. [55] Address of Mr. Si lzer, of New York Mr. Speaker: As a friend lor many years of Senator Elkins I come lo-day to place on record my tribute of respect to his memory. He was my friend and evidenced it in many ways during the time we served together in the Congress of the United States. In his unexpected deatli the State he represented here so long, so intelligently, and so industriously was deprived of one of its foremost citi- zens; the Republic lost a loyal and a patriotic public servant; his bereaved family a loving husband and an indulgent father; and his innumerable friends, from one end of the land to the other, a safe counselor, a sagacious advocate, and a wise and consistent clianii)i()n. One had to know Senator Elkins intimateh'^ to know the real true man. He was warm-hearted, broad-minded, and tolerant. He was alert in lliouglit and quick in speech. He was dignified and sympathetic. He was a man who stood high among the constructive slalisnun of his time; he lived above the commonplace and sought his friends and did his work on llie higher level of pur- pose and of intellectuality, of usefulness, and of strict integrity. He sci'ved his State and his country well, and he served in all things Dial were elevating and lasting. The ster- ling niaMJiood thai was in him recognized l)()lh the duly and llic o|)|)oi-liinily. and liflcd liis sci'vici' into the light of laslinn eonipaiiioiislii|) and I lie n a lily of good (•\ani|)l('. lie was a diligcnl shidcnl of alVairs, and in all mallirs of monicnl lie eai-ciiilly scaiu-hcd I'oi- Ihc Ir'ulh. W'hal he said was based uol on impulse bill on siiieire coiivielioii. [56] Address of Mr. Sulzer, of New York There was no forced attempt at brilliancy in his oratory. He was a direct man and spoke simply and truly and honestly. He was a man of clean thought and of clean speech; his inner life was carefully swept and generously garnished, so that all could quickly tell what sort of man was the distinguished Senator from West Virginia. He was an indefatigable worker, and he fell by the wayside at the zenith of his public service because strength was exhausted and nature demanded her long rest. In many ways it can be truly said of Senator Elkins that he was a brilliant man, a constructive statesman, w^ho took a prominent part in all the great debates of his time. He wrote lasting laws on our statute books, and by his industrj^ and ability, together with his cour- teous manners and his genial ways, won the lifelong respect and the lasting admiration of his colleagues and his fellow citizens. Stephen Benton Elkins was a child of the great West. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, September 26, 1841; he received his early education in the public schools of Missouri and graduated from the university of that State, at Columbia, in the class of 1860; he was admitted to the bar in 1864, and in the same year went to New Mexico, where he acquired a knowledge of the Spanish language and began the practice of the law. He was a member of the Territorial Legislative Assembly of New Mexico in 1864 and 1865, and held the olTices of Territorial district attorney, attornej' general, and United States district at- torney. He was elected to the Forty-third Congress, and while abroad was renominated and elected to the Forty- fourth Congress. During the time he served in Congress he was made a member of the Republican national com- mittee, on which he served for three presidential cam- paigns. After leaving Congress he moved to \W^st Vir- ginia and devoted himself to his business affairs. He [57] Memohial Ai)I)hi:ssi:s : Senator Klkins Nvas appointed Secretary of War December 17, 1891, and served until the close of President Harrison's adminis- tration. In February', 1894, he was elected to the United States Senate to succeed Hon, Johnson X. Camden, and was reelected in 1901 by every vote of the Republican members of the legislature, giving liini a majority of 40 on joint ballot. He was again unanimously reelected in 1907 and served in the Senate until his untimely death. Such, in brief, is the brilliant record of S. B. Elkins, and it demonstrates anew the hope and [he opportunities of the Repuijlic. What a splendid and triumphant career! When Senator Elkins passed away, at the summit of his congressional life, he had made an enviable record for statesmanship and for usefulness, not only for the beneiit of his constituents but for the good of the whole country. We have missed him much here since his long departure, and as the days come and go we who knew him well will miss him more and more. The work he did for the people will live in the history of his Stale and of his country. The good he did will grow brighter and brighter as the years pass away until it becomes his lasting monument, more enduring than marble or brass and forever sacred in the hearts of his grateful countrymen. We mourn and sympathize with his beloved family, but we find words of comfort and of consolation in his noble life, his generous character, his sympathetic nature, and the great work he accomplished for his country. His deeds of kindness, of eliarily. and of gem-rosily will I'ver keej) alive his memoi'y and Ireciuenlly call to reeolleclion the glory of his name. 'I'lu' iiiciii()i\ (if f4<)»' (larkcticd way; .\ iiuisic t(t Ihi- lar on claiiioriiif,' slircl, \ c-ooIiiiK Nvrll amid tlu- noonday lu-al; A scent of grei'ii bouHhs |)l«.wn llirouf^li iiairow walls, A feel of |-i'sl wlnii (|uitl tvi-nin^ falls. [58] Adoress of Mh. SiLZLH, OF Xew Yohk Senator Elkins was a true man, a lover of justice, a believer in the supremacy of law, a friend of every cause that lacked assistance. He stood for eternal principles of right, and believed in the opportunity vouchsafed to everj'one under the dome of the Union sk3\ He was no skeptic, no scoffer, no cynic. He was broad and liberal in his views, had charity for all, trusted the people, and never lost faith in humanity. He knew the world was growing better, and he believed in the greater and the grander destinj"^ of his country. He hated cant and despised hypocrisy. He had a sun- shiny disposition and a forgiving spirit that never har- bored revenge. He was a plain, simple man, who loved his fellow man. He will live in the hearts of those he left behind, and to do this is not to die. He was a great worker, and succeeded in accomplishing what he under- took to do. He met Napoleon's test — he did things. He w^as a true son of our native soil, the friend of the toiler, and the eloquent advocate of the oppressed. He tried to lift his fellow man up to a higher plane and help him for- ward on the highway of progress and of civilization. He w^as a fearless man and ever dared to do w hat he thought was right regardless of the consequences. He was a faith- ful public official, and died in the service of his countr}\ His work here is done. His career on earth is finished. He has run his course; he kept the faith; he fought the good fight; he has reaped his everlasting reward in the great beyond, and we, his friends, can all most truly say. Well done, thou good and faithful servant of a grateful people. [59] Address of Mr. Littlepage, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: I am here as a Representative of a proud people of a great State to raise my voice in proclaiming to the people of this Republic that there dwells within the Commonwealth of West Virginia a people noted for their chivalr}% integrity, loyalty, appreciation, and all that goes to constitute character and good citizenship, and I feel that I bespeak the sentiments of them all when I say that State and this Nation lost a faithful friend when United States Senator Stephen B. Elkins gave up the fight for the greatest boon in life — that of living — and surrendered his spirit to the God of mercy and love, and when that great and good spirit took its flight over the river of time to that home from which no tired and weaiy traveler has ever returned and never will; that all who knew him at home and here in Wash- ington, the scenes of his great labors for the good of man- kind and the upbuilding of this Republic; that the sorrow- ful acclaim should properly go up to llial great wliite throne, before which we shall all appear sooner or later, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Since the great reaper of the ripe sheaves must gatlier you in so early in your useful career, we with one sorrowful accord wish you Godspeed to a position on that great wliite throne where sorrow is no more, llure to (hvcll in ever- lasting peace of mind and joy of heart. Senator Elkins was a self-madr man. Slarliiig from tlic lowest I'ling on life's ladder, he ascended step by stej), by hard work and good judgment, to assume mighty responsibilities and to an exalted public |)osition. Be it said of him that he was a Re|)nblican, i-esiding ;it I^lkins, W. \i\. He was boil) in Pei'i-y ("ounly, Ohio. Sepleniber 21, 1811, attended schools in Missonii, gi'aduating IVoni llie university of that State in ISfiO. lie was a sueicsslul lawyer by profession since l