Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1905 — “THE OLD GRAY OWL." [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

“THE OLD GRAY OWL."

Allison, “Most Useful Man of Any Age in Any Legislative Body.” There has never been, writes a Washington correspondent, a more useful man In public life than Hon. William Boyd Allison, who has served longer and done more hard work and accomplished more useful legislation than any other man who ever sat in the United States Senate or any other legislative body in the world. He may not be as big as Alexander; he may not have made as much noise in the world as Julius Caesar or Constantine

the Great, or so much trouble as Napoleon, but none of those men ever passed as many laws or appropriated so much money, or performed more solid, useful, everyday service for his country and mankind, as “The Old Gray Owl" from lowa. If the total of the appropriation bills that have passed through Mr. Allison's hands since he became chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations were to be added up, it would make a bigger sum than all the wealth of the world many times over, and no one has ever suggested or suspected or even dreamed that he was guilty of a dishonest det or thought. They have .dcvarnibpet names for Hon. William Boyd Allison out in the cornfields of lowa. They used to call him “Blue-eyed Billy" before he got so shaggy and so gray; they formerly called him “Old Pussy-Foot,” too, because of the quiet and unobtrusive way be has of doing things. I have also beard the term “Rubber-Tired Statesman" applied to him for the same reason. These nicknames are intended to describe his characteristics. Senator Allison never travels with a

brass band. He never yearned for glory. Early in his career he discovered that “soft words turn away wrath, and grievous words stir up anger.” He learned with Solomon that “in vain doth the hunter spread the net In the sight of any bird,” or words to that effect, and he has worked on that theory for nearly half a century.

HON. WILLIAM B. ALLISON.