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Davis, Richard Harding, 1864-1916

"Somewhere in France"


That in public life there breathed a man with soul so dead who, were he
offered a chance to serve Hamilton Cutler, would not jump at the chance
was outside the experience of the county chairman. And in so judging his
fellow men, with the exception of one man, the senator was right. The
one man was Hamilton Cutler's brother-in-law. In the national affairs
of his party Hamilton Cutler was one of the four leaders. In two
cabinets he had held office. At a foreign court as an ambassador his
dinners, of which the diplomatic corps still spoke with emotion, had
upheld the dignity of ninety million Americans. He was rich. The history
of his family was the history of the State. When the Albany boats drew
abreast of the old Cutler mansion on the east bank of the Hudson the
passengers pointed at it with deference. Even when the search-lights
pointed at it, it was with deference. And on Fifth Avenue, as the
"Seeing New York" car passed his town house it slowed respectfully to
half speed. When, apparently for no other reason than that she was good
and beautiful, he had married the sister of a then unknown up-State
lawyer, every one felt Hamilton Cutler had made his first mistake.


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