"
In speaking of my Committee service, perhaps I ought to say
that I was appointed one of the Regents of the Smithsonian
Institution in the year 1881. I liked the position exceedingly.
I was very much interested in the work of the Institution,
and enjoyed meeting the eminent scholars and men of science
who were its members. After I had been a member a year or
two a very eminent Republican Senator complained that I was
getting more than my share of the prominent places in the
gift of the Senate, and specified the Regency of the Smithsonian
Institution as an instance. I thought there was great justice
in the complaint, and accordingly I resigned and Justin S.
Morrill was put in my place. It was a very fortunate thing.
Mr. Morrill's influence secured the construction of the National
Museum building, which I do not think it likely that I could
have accomplished. That Museum was then in charge of the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.
A somewhat similar thing happened to me later. In the year
1885 the Nominating Committee of the Senate, of which Senator
Allison was then Chairman, proposed my name for the Committee
on Foreign Relations.
Pages:
929
930
931
932
933
934
935
936
937
938
939
940
941
942
943
944
945
946
947
948
949
950
951
952
953