Boston Public Library - Electric Scotland

130 WILLIAM B. ALLISON, OF DUBUQUE, IOWA.
part of the history of the times in which he has lived.
Through them Mr. Allison has accurately represented the
sentiments and opinions of his section and of his party. He
has performed the duties imposed upon him with calmness
and caution. He was one of the congressmen depended upon
by the president and secretar}'- of the treasury to devise ways
and means needed for the support of the government. After
the war he continued to be a radical Republican, always acting
with his party, opposed to Johnson, and a believer in the
reconstruction measures which were intended to revolutionize
the political complexion of the conquered South, and to make
the freedman a citizen and a voter.
Senator Allison is one of the safe men of the Republican
party. He is without passion, prejudice, or very strong
friendships. He has not made the mistake, so common of
recent j^ears, of allying himself to a faction. He is not weak,
nor a trimmer, nor a man of undecided views. It is not for
any one of these qualities that he fails to make enemies ;
because he is never carried away by the passions
it is
of the
moment, but is so moved and dominated by his judgment
that the public men who know him and have been associated
with him realize that his action is always the result of his
matured opinion.
There are very few men who have been so long in public
life as he who are so scrupulously devoted to their work.
Men like him are oftener found in the British parliament,
where tenure of place is more secure. Practically, Mr.
Allison's tenure has been as strong as theirs, and his familiar-
ity with the business of legislation is as accurate and thorough
as that of the under-secretaries of the British cabinet. This
is especially true of his acquaintance with fiscal matters. On
his first entrance into congressional life he came to the front
in the consideration of all questions affecting the treasury,
the banks, and taxation. He was a member of the ways and
means committee of the house of representatives very early,
if we take into consideration the very large majority which
his party had in congress at the time, and the number of able
men in both houses. The reputation that he then made for
himself for accurate information and sound judgment has not
been lost. He has not been tempted to endeavor to shine
in the discussion of other questions. He has been content
to be easily the first authority on all bills relating to expenditures.
Some of his short speeches have indicated that he
might have been a leading debater on questions of constitutional
law and on taxation and bank policy. So far as the