Anselm J. McLaurin (late a senator from Mississippi)
iiiiiil l'v*r''K!;>*> K^^ i^ XVsy»X^y>\\^X\StiSii^S\\j^'i-^^^ M.MJM15 ^ U.S. ('oIj4- Q^£., 2^(s..ss.; /<jti^_|if,, 61st Congress! 2d Session J SENATE ( Document 1 No. 577 ANSELM J, McLAURIN (Late a Senator from Mississippi) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Sixty-first Congress Second Session SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 2, 1910 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 24, 1910 Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing WASHINGTON : : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : : 1*?H FEB 1 io;i 19. ^Sb' TABLE OF CONTENTS. V Page. Proceedings in the Senate 5 Prayer by Rev. U. G. B. Pierce 7 Memorial addresses g I Address of Mr» Money of Mississippi 9 Address of Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts 16 Address of Mr. Bailey of Texas 21 Address of Mr. Gallinger of New Hampshire 24 Address of Mr. Taylor of Tennessee 27 Address of Mr. Percy of Mississippi 31 Proceedings in the House 35 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden 37 Memorial addresses 39 Address of Mr. Collier of Mississippi 39 Address of Mr. Sherwood of Ohio 45 Address of Mr. Spight of Mississippi 49 Address of Mr. Gardner of Michigan 52 Address of Mr. Candler of Mississippi 55 Address of Mr. Bowers of Mississippi 58 Address of Mr. Burnett of Alabama . 62 Address of Mr. Calderhedd of Kansas 65 Address of Mr. Clark of Missouri ... 70 Address of Mr. Byrd of Mississippi 73 Address of Mr. Sisson of Mississippi 82 Address of Mr. Dickson of Mississippi 88 Address of Mr. Bennet of New York . 95 3 II Death of Senator Anselm J. McLaurin PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE Tuesday, January 4, ipio. The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered the following prayer: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Who art making all things new, as we enter upon the labors of the new year grant unto us, we pray Thee, a new apprehension of Thy divine majesty and a renewed sense of our dependence upon Thee. For the tasks that await us Thy strength alone can prepare us; and in our fresh sorrow Thy grace alone is sufficient for us. Make us glad in Thy salvation, we pray Thee, according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and illuminate with Thy presence the days wherein we have seen trouble; that Thy work may appear unto Thy servants and Thy glory upon their children. And so may our God, who hath loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good word and work. And unto Thee, our Father, Who art the God of all grace and com- fort, be glory and praise on earth and in Heaven, now and forevermore. Amen. ;\Ir. Money. Mr. President, it is my sad duty to announce to the Senate the death of Anselm Joseph McL.\urin, a Sena- tor in this body from the State of Mississippi, who died at his 6 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin home at Brandon, Miss., on the cvL-ning of the 22d of Decem- ber last. At some future time I shall ask the Senate to stop its usual Inisiness and set aside a day that proper tribute of respect may be paid to his life, character, and public services. I now offer the following resolutions, and ask for their adoption. The Vice-President. The Secretary will read the reso- lutions. The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Hon. Anselm Joseph McLaurin, late a Senator from the State of Mississippi. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these resolutions to the House of Representatives. The Vice-President. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions submitted by the Senator from Mississippi. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. Mr. Money. Mr. President, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the distinguished dead, I move that the Sen- ate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 12 o'clock and 8 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Wednesday, January 5, 1910, at 12 o'clock meridian. TuESD.w, March j, igio. Mr. MonEv. Mr. President, I desire to give notice that on the same day (Saturday, April 2, 1910), immediately after the exercises commemorative of the late Senator Johnson, of North Dakota, I will offer resolutions commemorative of the character and life of my late colleague, the Hon. Anselm J. McL.\tRiN. I ask unanimous consent that that order be made. The Vice-President. Is there objection to the request of the Senator from Mississippi? The Chair hears none, and the order is entered. Proceedings in the Senate 7 Saturday, April 2, igio. The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered the following prayer: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who hast loved us with an everlasting love and hast called us to this da}' of tender and reverent memory; hear us, we pray Thee, as we lift to Thee our prayer of grateful adoration. We remember before Thee Thy servants who have labored by our side, and who, having borne the burden and the heat of the day, have now gone to their reward. We thank Thee, our Father, for these who were leaders of the people by their coun- sels, and by their wisdom meet to be rulers. Though their bodies are buried in peace, yet shall not their names be forgotten. We rejoice that the memorial of virtue is immortal; seeing that when it is present men take example of it, and when it is gone they earnestly desire it. With their strength we are strong, and their faithfulness makes us faithful. Unite us, we prav Thee, with the faithful and true, there and here, and join our hearts with theirs in one fellowship of the Spirit, one beauty of holiness, and one repose on Thee. Amen. jNIr. Money. IMr. President, I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk, and ask for their adoption. The Presidi.N'G Officer (Mr. Purcell in the chair). The reso- lutions will be read by the Secretary. The resolutions were read, as follows: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Anselm Joseph McI/AURIN, late a Senator from the State of Mississippi. Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, the business of the Senate be now suspended to enable his associates to pay proper tribute to his high character and distinguished public services. 8 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives and to the family of the deceased. The Presiding Officer. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions. The resolutions were unaniniouslv asrreed to. Address of Mr. Money of Mississippi MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Money of Mississippi Mr. President; Axseum Joseph McLaurin, late a Member of this body, was born on the 26th of March, 1848, at the town of Brandon, Miss. When an infant he was carried by his parents to Smith County and there reared to manhood. Sur- rounded by clear streams and sweet air, perfumed by the odor of the pines, and on a farm he acquired that intellectual and physical stamina which always marked him from boyhood to his death. Studious and anxious to learn, he applied himself assiduously to his books. Possessing a naturally bright and active mind, he advanced rapidly in his studies, and though interrupted by service in the confederate army, he was, before the age of maturity, fully equipped mentally and physically for whatever course he might wish to pursue. I can see with the mind's eye that life with his parents and seven brothers on the Mississippi farm. The two older people with eight robust and high-spirited boys at a time when the farm life in the South possessed its greatest charm and pro- duced the noblest manhood and womanhood the world has seen. There where all the family gathered around the table, again at evening by the fireside in winter, and in the vine-clad porch in summer. Constantly under the advice, precept, and example of a father's pride, close under the ever-watchful eye of the tender, sympathetic mother, with a strong, Scotch clannish feeling of cooperation among the boys — under this influence and in this environment he was reared. When 16 years old, young lo Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin McLaurin' entered the confederate army and served during the remainder of the war. Coming home from the hardships of a soldier's life he began to equip himself for life's battles amid political and economic conditions most threatening to all about him. Large and seri- ous thoughts possessed the minds of the people. In this environment and e.xcitement mental development was rapid, so that, in spite of the difficulties attending, he finished the law course and was especially licensed to practice his pro- fession before he had reached the age of legal manhood. At the age of 23 he won his first political honor by election to the responsible office of district attorney. As prosecuting officer for the several counties included in the judicial district he became rapidly acquainted with the people, learning their needs, their hopes, and wishes. In the discharge of the func- tions of this important office he represented his district with dis- tinguished force and ability and gained the warm approval of his constituents. He was elected to the state legislature. His service in that body was diligent, practical, and useful, display- ing a comprehensive knowledge of the reformed condition of things and a ready apprehension of what was necessarv to be done. In 1890 the State of Mississippi held its constitutional con- vention. It was the first Southern State to make any attempt to change its organic law so as, if possible, to redeem itself from the efi"ects of a too-extended franchise and at the same time to keep within the amendments to the Federal Constitution. All her sister States have followed the example of Mississippi, which from the time of its admission into this Union has led in all judicial reforms. McLaurin was elected a member of that convention, and that itself was a signal honor, because the convention involved such momentous consequences, was full of so many grave dangers Address of Mr. Money of Mississippi 1 1 and so many perplexities, that the people had cast about and selected the men of the State that were most distinguished for their talent, for their courage, for their patriotism, and, above all, for their conservatism. The movement was a popular one, but was not without opposition. Some of the most distin- guished people in the State of Mississippi, holding the highest honors which could be conferred by the people, eminent for their great abilities and for their patriotism, for love of their people and of their State, hesitated to join in the movement. Some of them opposed it with vigor, with energy, and with talent; but the movement of the people prevailed, and they selected those men whom they thought most capable of dealing with the momentous questions that would arise. McLaurin became one of the most active, diligent, practical, and courageous Members. The constructive genius of James Z. George, long an honored Member of this Senate, made him the great protagonist of that civil drama; and bearing down any opposition by the force of his active and virile mind and his undaunted courage, he suc- ceeded in directing the framing by that constitutional conven- tion of an instrument which has stood the test of the courts and has become the model for other States. When, in 1894, Senator Edward Carey Walthall retired for the last part of a term in the Senate the legislature, which had just reelected him for another full term, was in session, and McLaurin was elected to fill the resigned portion of that term over several very popular and powerful candidates. After this, ser\'ing as governor for four years, he met fully the hopes and expectations of those who gave him the honor. Having no opponent in the convention which nominated him for governor, he began his executive work the choice of the whole people and under obligation to no faction. With his usual energy and industry he administered ]3ublic affairs, giving little attention to hostile criticism, which was occasionally 12 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin evoked by his acts. In following the course marked out for him- self he was not indifferent to praise or blame, in fact, he keenly appreciated approbation and was sensitive to hostile opinion, but his determination was too strong to be changed by one or the other. At the expiration of that ser\ace he was elected to the Senate over a strong, resourceful, and popular opposition, and at last he was reelected for the present term without opposi- tion for^ nomination in his party or for election before the legislature. His career here is familiar to those who sat here with him. He was a diligent, industrious, practical, indefatigable, and wise committee man. He never shirked any obligation. He had a heavy assignment of committee work, and there was never any complaint that he shirked or neglected that duty. He was .ready in debate, especially upon legal questions. While here he endeared himself not only to the Members of this body but to all the employees, however humble they might be, by the kindly consideration he always showed them, by his cheerful good humor, which never flagged. His purse — a spare one — was open at all times to the needy, whether friend or stranger. His resources of all kinds were constantly strained to furnish relief to those encouraged to come to him by his well-known disposition to help. He did not talk of these things; he simply gave help and went quietly his way. Senator McL.^I'RIn's noblest virtue was his willingness to forget and his ability to forgive. While he compelled his foes to feel fully that relationship, yet was he always ready to for- give, to fly the flag of truce for purposes of peace. He spoke fewer criticisms of those with whom he disagreed, said fewer evil things of others than any man I ever knew. He was courageous but jiacific, firm but placatory, and I have never heard him use those ordinary expressions of the vindictive Address of Mr. Money of Mississippi 13 man about "getting even" with an enemy, "camping on his trail," or repaying injury. He was remarkably free from bitterness, and never in my long and close association with him have I heard a denuncia- tion from his lips, yet no opportunity was ever lost to give a kindly word of praise for anyone whom he liked. Is, then, there a question as to why this man had so many loyal, affec- tionate friends at home or why so many of us here loved him? As a lawyer he ranked among the first in his State. His particular forte was criminal law, and I have heard it said by the best judges in the State that for the management of a case in court he was without a peer. He had the good fortune, as he thought, always to be defending innocent men, and he was so thoroughlv enlisted in the cause of his client that he could not believe him to be guilty. So he derived a certain satisfaction from that fact, which he was very fond of repeating, and he called it his good luck that he was never called upon to defend a man who was really bad. Senator McL.4.urin married early in life a lady who was very superior in judgment, in her personal charms, in the softness and amiability of her temper. He had a large family, of whom seven survive, one boy and six girls— the girls noted for physical beauty and for intellectual grace, the boy inheriting the talents of his father and pursuing the same profession. He was a member, and a consistent one, as far as human in- firmities will permit a man of his temperament to be, of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal Church. He attended its exercises and implicitly believed in its creed. He never at any time was harassed by metaphysical speculations, never afflicted with con- flicting doubts and baflling inquiries into the unknowable. He never stopped to inquire of the soul whence, whither, or why. He attempted no revival of memory of a past existence, and while we have all at different times, throughout all the ages, 14 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin and in every race of mankind, come to the conclusion that the soul is immortal, some having reasoned it out to a conviction and some having simply relied upon expectation and the ever- recurring hope in what they were taught, he had no doubts upon the matter. He trusted himself to the Bible as a guide for his faith and practice, and relied upon the kindly assistance of his church. His name will long exist as a bright star in the broad firma- ment of American great names, and the people of his State will not forget that kindly nature that sprang from a true democracy. It has been remarked over and over again in his own State that no man within the State had ever so thoroughly possessed the love of the people who met him familiarly. His perfect democ- racy, both in politics and in society; his accessibility, his pla- cability, his generosity to his family and friends, and his ever readiness to sympathize with a neighbor made him the idol of those who knew him best. He was a very devoted and loving husband and a very fond and indulgent father, and the tender- ness with which they clung around and to him marked the depth of their affection which was in response to his own. With his brothers and with his connections by marriage he was the soul of generosity. This man who, from his humble beginning, attained all of the honors during a period of years that his people could give him, trusted in every relation of life, responding fully to the expectations of those who honored him, left the scene of his activities and his energies when he was beginning to think most clearly and to act with most wisdom. I have sometimes wondered, when I thought of this good inan with whom I was so long associated and for whom I held an affectionate friendshi]), why it was that I, so much his senior and always so afilictcd, should have lived when he was taken. Address of Mr. Money of Mississippi 15 But that is one of the mysteries of that Providence which orders all things well. 'Tisonly a moment God chastens with pain, Joy follows on sorrow like sunshine on rain. This the family of this good man can take for their comfort, and — Let them bear what God on their spirit shpU lay. Be dumb; but when tempted to murmur, pray. Mr. President, it is impossible for me to express what I feel when I speak of my late associate. The sympathy that we had in our public official business, the conferences we held, the deference which he, without any merit on my part, was accus- tomed to show to my opinion, the readiness with which he was willing to come to terms on anything in dispute, and that ever- considerate kindness which he showed to me awakened my live- liest appreciation and deserves and has my gratitude. There is nothing I can say about McL.^urin in his official career here that would be new to the Senate, but to say that he was approved at home is merely to say that the people who elected him knew him. l6 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin Address of Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts Mr. President, the formal eulogy, always difficult, seems most unsatisfying and insufficient where the affections are engaged, where the stroke of death has fallen all too soon, where a gap has been made in friendship which may close but can never be filled. In speaking of Senator McLaurin I can think only of the friend and not of the public man. As wide apart in politics as our States are on the map, my relation with him was wholly that of a warm personal friendship. I knew, of course, of his eminence at the bar of his own State, of his power with a jury. I knew that he had been governor of Mississippi — an excellent administrator, popular and beloved. I was familiar with his work here, with his ability in debate, with his care and good sense as a legislator, and with his courage of conviction that never failed. Others will speak of his attri- butes and career as a public man and of the character and quality of his ])ublic service with a more intimate knowledge than I possess and better than I could hope to do. I should like for my part to give, if I can, the impression which he made on me as a friend and as an associate in the work of the Senate, especially on the Immigration Commission, wholly removed from the differences of party politics and policies. I was here when Mr. McI.auri.n entered the .Senate, but dur- ing his first period of service I only knew him slightly. Then he left us to become governor of his State, and it was after his return, and during his second term as Senator, that I came to know him well, to learn what a delightful companion he could be, to appreciate his humor and kindliness, and to understand the qualities which made all his friends regard him with so much afTeclion. .Some of those qualities of mind and heart lay upon the surface, others were deeper and less obvious. Address of Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts 17 In trying to depict him as he seemed to me in hfe and as he seems to me now even more strongly in memory, there is one word which I must use but which I can not employ without ex- planation. Merely to apply it and pass on would only leave upon the record a commonplace and perfunctory phrase, and however inadequately I may speak I can not suffer any words of mine to appear perfunctory when uttered over the grave of a man toward whom I felt as I did to Senator McLaurin. Therefore I musi try to explain what the word I am about to use means to me when I apply it to my dead friend. Among the many excellent words which have been driven into exile, spoiled, discredited, vulgarized by misuse, abuse, and in- discriminate and meaningless application none has fared worse than those fine old words "gentleman" and "lady." They have been flung about as if they merely indicated sex and species, and most people shrink from them because they seem to have lost reality and become a kind of cast-off finery. They have been treated as if they did not possess a deep significance, all the deeper as the idea of rank and artificial distinction has faded from them and been replaced by a conception of charac- ter and conduct, of manners and beliefs which no other phrase conveys. Yet it is sometimes impossible to express one's thought except by using the word "gentleman," although it should never be employed lightly or unadvisedly. Even where it is properly used and justly applied it is too often narrowed by coupling with it qualifications of place or time, like "a fine old English gentleman," or "a gentleman born," or "a gentle- man of the old school." To do this is to confuse the incidental and accidental with the permanent and essential. Manners vary with place and time; they are important, but after all are only "letters commendatory" as Queen Isabella called them. Customs and standards of behavior change, but a gentleman in the highest and truest acceptation must always and everywhere 67675° — S. Doc. 577, 61-2 2 1 8 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin and at all epochs have been the same, for the word could not otherwise fulfill the idea which it conveys and which has been slowly formed through centuries of time. Yet clear as the con- ception is, definition in language is almost hopelessly difficult. None of the many hitherto attempted, and their name is legion — not even the best — is wholly satisfactory. Neverthe- less, every one knows what the word in its highest significance means. "Honor and shame from no condition rise." A plow- boy may be a gentleman and so may an earl, but not because the one happens to be a peer and the other a lad from the fur- row. We know instinctively what we mean when we say "gentleman," even if we can not express it, just as we know without analysis that — .\bsent thee from felicity awhile — is noble and beautiful verse and that — The world's a bubble and the life of man Less than a span — is not. Take two of the greatest of the sons of men, Caesar and Napoleon. Although it would require many pages to tell my reasons, I am none the less sure that the Roman was a gentle- man and that the Corsican, for all his marvelous genius, was not. The greatest soldier and one of the greatest diplomatists produced by the English-speaking race was the first Duke of Marlborough; one of the greatest men of ail lime was George Washington. I am sure that George Washington was also a great gentleman and that John Churchill was not. When Thackeray sought to show that George IV, commonly called in his day "The first gentleman in Europe," was the reverse of evcrvlhing that a gentleman ought to be, he contrasted the King at his coming-out ball as Prince of Wales with Washing- ton resigning his command at Annapolis. It is a very noble Address of Mr. Lodge of Massachusetts 19 passage, and then Thackeray tries to define a gentleman. Per- haps no one has come nearer to the ideal we all have in our minds. WTiat is it to be a gentleman? He asks: Is it to have lofty aims, to lead a pure life, to keep your honor virgin, to have the esteem of your fellow-citizens and the love of your fireside, to bear good fortune meekly, to suffer evil with constancy, and through evil or good to maintain truth always? Show me the happy man whose life exliibits these qualities, and him we will salute as gentleman, whatever his rank may be. With these words on my lips let me now say that what I felt most strongly in Senator McL.'\urin was that he was such a thorough gentleinan. As I saw him he was always a kind, gentle, generous, loyal friend. Thackeray, if I may quote him once more, defined the "snob," whom he made the subject of the most ferocious and most brilliant satire of the last cen- tury, as one "who meanly admires a mean thing." Senator McL.M'Rix was incapable of mean admiration of anything, most of all of a mean thing. He was as free from envy as he was from subserviency. He grudged no man good fortune; he bent the knee neither to place nor power, least of all to mere money, the god of modern idolatry. Some years ago I asked him to do me a favor, to give me an assurance which would enable me to go home on an errand of great importance to me. He probably forgot it all and never thought of it again. I have never forgotten what he said and never can. The words he used as he gave me the assurance I asked revealed to me in a flash a noble, loyal, and generous heart ; a quick and comprehending sympathy only too rarely found. I felt that here was a man to whom I could intrust my honor nr my fortune or the welfare of those I love better far than aught else the world can give. I felt that he would guard a 20 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin trust more sacredly than his own life, as jealously as his own honor, and rather than fail would fall with it as "Good Sir James" of Douglas fell among the Moorish squadrons with the heart of the Bruce locked in its jeweled casket beneath him. The feeling and the faith he then inspired in me have never changed. His death only renders them more vivid and my sorrow more keen as I make record of them here. Address of Mr. Bailey of Texas 21 Address of Mr. Bailey of Texas Mr. President, during the twenty years that I have served in the two Houses of Congress I have never before partici- pated in a memorial service, but my relations with Senator McLaurin were such that 1 am not willing for these exer- cises to close without expressing that affectionate regard in which I cherished him for so many years. We were born in counties which touch each other, and he was the first man of political distinction w-hose personal acquaintance it was my privilege to enjoy. I was then a mere boy, and though he was himself a very young man, he had won a high place in the con- fidence and esteem of the people of Mississippi. It happened that my father helped to secure for him the first nomination which his people ever bestowed upon him, and many years after that he repaid that kindness by helping to secure for me the first nomination which I ever received at the hands of the people. From the first day I knew him until he passed from amongst us there was never a moment that I did not love him. Thrown with him in the most intimate association, which the lawyers can well understand, or at least those of them who have prac- ticed law at the circuit, brought in close contact with him while we were attending court in the interior counties, which were not reached by the railroad, and there for a week at a time, through the dav in the court room and during the night in an old- fashioned country tavern, I learned to know him as men come to know each other under such associations. I have seen him under circumstances that tried a man as by the fire, but I never knew him to do anything or to say any- thing that his friends could not remember with satisfaction. 22 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin He was, as the Senator from Massachusetts [Mr. Lodge] has so well said, preeminently a gentleman, and he was more, if a man can be more than that. He was as loyal a friend as ever breathed the breath of life, and was as unselfish a patriot as ever ser\^ed a country. Gentle as a woman and amiable as any man ought to be, he was yet as firm against those who entreated him to do what his conscience would not permit as any man I have ever known. He never betrayed a trust or deserted a friend, though he did sometimes practice the virtue of forgiving an enem)'. Confiding as a child, I have known his confidence to be abused, but I never heard him utter a complaint against even those who abused it. He lived in that sublime philosophy which teaches us that it is better to have our confidence be- trayed by some men than it is to lose our confidence in all men. Not only, Mr. President, was he all that a man, a neighbor, a friend, a citizen, and a public servant should be, but to all those personal qualities he added an intellectual power which was never fully appreciated in this Chamber. Though he com- manded the respect of every Senator on both sides, and though his opinions were received wdth a certain deference, yet as one who loved him more and more than did anybody who did not bear his blood, I know that highly as he was appreciated by all here, he was still not appreciated as he would have been had God spared his life and his people continued him in their ser\^- ice, because I know the quality of his intellect and I know that it would have elevated him to a still higher place in this body. I have seen him in the court room, where he was almost invincible. Indeed, Mr. President, I say it with affection, but I say it because it is the truth, he was almost an obstruction to the administration of justice. He could come nearer, in his addresses to the jury, "making the worse appear the better Address of Mr. Bailey of Texas 23 reason," than any man whom it has ever been my privilege to hear on frequent occasions. The records of the courts in the State where we were born and where his splendid talents were employed bear ample witness of his power in that respect ; and perhaps the highest tribute that I can pay to him, and when 1 have said that I am done, is to say that he was a great and successful criminal lawyer, who never engaged in criminal practices. 24 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin Address of Mr. Gallinger of New HAMFSfflRE Mr. President, others will speak at length and with particu- larity of the life and services of our departed associate, the Hon. Anselm J. McL.^URIN, of Mississippi. For me a few simple words of regard and appreciation will suffice. I served with Mr. McL-AURI-N for a considerable time on an important committee, and in that way learned to admire his industry and ability and to highly esteem him for qualities of heart and mind that endeared him to all with whom he came in contact. I counted him as my friend, and his death came to me in the nature of a personal bereavement. Mr. President, John Fiske, in his posthumous monograph on Life Everlasting, gives an admirable description of the faith of to-day in immortality; a faith which pictures our indestruct- ible consciousness of a future life. His statement expresses what science hints at, and what philosophy confirms, as to the world beyond. These are his words: That solemn moment in which, for those who have gone before and for us who are to follow, the eye of sense beholds naught save the ending of the world, the entrance upon a black and silent eternity, the eye of faith declares to be the supreme moment of a new birth for the disenthralled soul, the introduction to a new era of life compared with which tlie presetU one is not worthy of the name. Who cati tell but that this which we call life is really deatli, from which what we call death is an awakening? I'rom this vantage ground of thought the human soul comes to look without dread upon the termination of this terrestrial existence. The failure of the bodily powers, the stoppage of the fluttering pulse, the cold stillness upon the features so lately wreathed in smiles of merriment, the corruption of the tomb, the breaking of the tics of love, the loss of all that has given value to existence, the dull blankness of irremediable sorrow, the knell of ever- lasting farewells — all this is seized upon by the sovereign imagination of man and transformed into a scene of transcending gloni", such as in all the Address of Mr. Gallinger of New Hampshire 25 vast career of the universe is reserved for humanity alone. In the highest of creatures the divine immanence has acquired sufficient concentration and steadiness to survive the dissolution of the flesh and assert an individ- uality untrammeled by the limitations which in the present life everywhere persistently surround it. Upon this view death is not a calamity, but a boon; not a punishment inflicted upon man, but the supreme manifestation of his exceptional prerogative as chief among God's creatures. yir. President, as I recall the fact that of the large number of Senators who were here when I became a member of this body only six remain, one of whom is to-day hovering between life and death, I am forcibly reminded that those of us who still remain will soon join our late associate, and the contempla- tion of that thought leads me to quote a verse from a little poem entitled "Sit closer, friends:" Again a parting sail we see, Another boat has left the shore: A kinder soul on board has she Than ever left the land before : And as her outward course she bends. Sit closer, friends. ;\Ir. !McLaurin, whose untimely death we all deeply deplore, belonged to a class of men not too common in this country. He was primarily a gentleman — a gentleman at all times and under all circumstances; a characteristic which the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts so interestingly dwelt upon. His hand grasp was inspiring, and his friendly greeting was con- tagious. There was a heartiness and sincerity in his manne; that endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, and his warmth of heart and manly conduct will never be forgotten by those who were privileged to know him as we knew hini. Men like Senator McLai'rin have accomplished great results and have left their impress on the laws and institutions of our country. A farmer's boy, a soldier, a student, a lawyer, a state official, and a Senator of the United States; what a record 26 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin that is for one to achieve practically unaided and alone! It represents energy, industry, integrity, ambition, and courage. It means that obstacles were met and overcome, and that suc- cess was wrought by patient endurance and a sublime faith. Glancing back over his career, when he had gained the coveted place in the Senate, he might well have looked forward to the accomplishment of still greater things for his State and the Nation. And in this body he did not disappoint those who admired and trusted him. He was a good vSenator, attentive to his duties, courteous to his associates, and sincere and honest in his advocacy of public measures. He was a party man, but not a bigot. He believed in the principles and policies of the Democratic party, but he cheerfully yielded to others the right to differ from the beliefs that he held. He was a man of high ideals and lofty purposes. Full of humor, he was also a man of deep convictions and serious thought. In the death of Senator McLaurin the State of JNIississippi lost a faithful and distinguished servant, and those of us who served with him here cheerfully bear testimony to the fact that the Senate of the United States will long miss his genial per- sonality, his earnest labors, and his devoted service. His death, so sad and unexpected, is another reminder of the inevitable and should serve as an incentive to loftier purposes and nobler deeds on the part of those of us who are left to continue the labors in which he so lately participated. He is gone, but his memory will remain an enduring monument to an honorable, upright, and distinguished life. Address of Mr. Taylor of Tennessee 27 Address of Mr. Taylor of Tennessee ;\Ir. President, to-day the curtain has fallen upon the turbu- lent scenes of political discussion; the swords of contention are sheathed, and this great forum of national hope and glory is turned into a pantheon of memory. Another noble actor has made his final exit from the stage of human life, and we lay aside the cares and responsibiUties of public duty to pay tribute to the blessed dead. AnsElm J. ^McLaurix, who but a little while ago so ably rep- resented his State in this body and who seemed so full of health and hope and energy, in the very noontide of his splendid career has gone from the clamorous councils of men to the peaceful silence of the grave; but he shall not sleep alone there, for — All that tread the globe Are but a handful to The tribes that slumber in Its bosom. And all who breathe to-day, and all the generations yet to come, must feel the sting that stilled his heart, and go hence and make their beds with him. We shall not see our beloved colleague again in this world, but the influence of his beautiful character and charming per- sonality still lingers here, like the fragrance of roses that are faded and gone. History may not write him as great as the greatest states- man of his day, for he did not employ his faculties as the rep- resentative of any special interest on this floor; yet he was great in the superb equilibrium of his intellectual and moral powers, and he towered above the majority. He did not jut out like a monolith, but his sky line was high and even and showed few 28 Memorial Addresses: Senator McLaurin gaps in his journey from the cradle to the grave. He did not aspire to rule the Nation, yet he ruled supreme in the hearts of his own people. He had a long and eventful career, which culminated in his election as governor of Mississippi and then to the United States Senate in 1900. He was reelected in 1906, but in the midst of his service to his people and his country, after answering to the roll call of the Senate for nine years, he was suddenly summoned to answer to the roll call of eternity. Mr. President, I believe in the philosophy which teaches that all things were created for a purpose, and that every child born into the world is intended to play some legitimate and honorable part in the great drama of human destiny, looking to the final perfection and ultimate harmony of all the elements of society •and civilization and the fulfillment of the prophecy that "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess to the glory of God." The noble McL.M'rin played his role, and played it well. He was one of the stars in the national cast of characters. He was a veritable tribune of the people, believing in their sovereignty and their virtue and always ready to defend them with the courage of a lion. He was a lawyer of high attainment and a close student of civic science. He had the faculty of concen- tration, and there was no shield of sophistry that was proof against the shafts of his reason; no helmet of hypocrisy that could withstand the battle-ax of his logic. He knew how to sympathize with the poor, for he himself had suffered the privations that followed in the wake of civil war. He had toiled in the fields for his daily bread. He had fought his own way into prominence in his chosen profession and demonstrated the glorious truth that while poverty may hum- ble the body it can not beggar the intellect nor starve the aspirations of the soul. 