E 
 
 11 
 
62d CongkbssI 
 3d Session i 
 
 SENATE 
 
 fDoCDMENT 
 
 I No. 1148 
 
 '.'5. C 2A Ce>vvJ., 3tfl ic«S., 1«^\Z-\<^V3 
 
 GEORGE STUART NIXON 
 
 (Late a Senator from Nevada) 
 
 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 DELIVERED IN THE SENATE 
 
 AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 
 OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 SIXTY-SECOND CONGRESS 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 
 February 8, 1913 
 
 Proceedings in the House 
 February 16, 1913 
 
 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
 THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 
 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 1913 
 
 .■f>x^ I 
 
tSqUb 
 
 1 
 
 D, OF D. 
 
 0£C IS 1913 
 
i^ 
 
 x 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 rage. 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 5 
 
 Prayer by Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. 1) 5,8 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Newlands, of Nevada 11 
 
 Mr. Dixon, of Montana 17 
 
 Mr. Warren, of Wyoming 19 
 
 Mr. Jones, of Washington 22 
 
 Mr. Thomas, of Colorado 25 
 
 Mr. Townsend, of Michigan 29 
 
 Mr. Myers, of Montana 32 
 
 Mr. Works, of California 35 
 
 Proceedings in the House 39 
 
 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Gouden, D. D 39, 41 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Roberts, of Nevada 45 
 
 Mr. Kahn, of California 50 
 
 Mr. Hayes, of California 52 
 
 V 
 
 [3] 
 
HON. GEORGE S. NIXON 
 
DEATH OF HON. GEORGE STUART NIXON 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 Thursday, June 6, 1912. 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered 
 the following prayer: 
 
 Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Thou art our Shep- 
 herd. Though Thou causest us to walk through the val- 
 ley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil. Thou 
 art, O God, still with us. The rod of Thy faithfulness 
 and the staff of Thy providence, they comfort us. Make 
 us, we humbly pray Thee, to rest in the green pastures of 
 Thy tender mercies and lead us beside the still waters of 
 Thy heavenly grace. Grant that goodness and mercy 
 may follow us all the days of our life and that we may 
 dwell in the house of Thy presence forever. 
 
 Even so, our Father, hear and bless us, as we stand be- 
 fore Thee with bowed heads and with saddened hearts. 
 We know that the way of man is not in himself alone 
 and that it is not in us who walk to direct our steps. We 
 humbly confess our dependence upon Thee. It is Thou 
 who hast made us, and not we ourselves. It is Thou who 
 boldest us in life and who orderest all our steps. There- 
 fore do we put our trust in Thee. We commend to Thy 
 care the soul of him whom Thou hast called from our 
 presence. Be with those, we pray Thee, to whom this 
 sorrow is most near and most sore. Comfort them as 
 Thou alone canst comfort Thy children. Our heart and 
 
 [5] 
 
Memorial Addresses : Senator Nixon 
 
 our flesh faileth, but Thou, O God, art our strength and 
 our portion forevermore. 
 
 And unto Thee, our Father, who has loved us with an 
 everlasting love and has given us comfort and good hope 
 through the Gospel, unto Thee, who art our God and our 
 Savior, be all glory now and forevermore. 
 
 In the name of Him who abolished death and brought 
 life and immortality to light, hear our prayer. Amen. 
 
 The Secretary proceeded to read the Journal of yester- 
 day's proceedings, when, on request of Mr. Newlands and 
 by unanimous consent, the further reading was dispensed 
 with and the Journal was approved. 
 
 Mr. Newlands. Mr. President, it is my sad duty to an- 
 nounce to the Senate the death of my colleague, the Hon. 
 George S. Nixon, held in high esteem and affectionate re- 
 gard by this body. His death occurred at Washington 
 on the 5th day of June, 1912, at 9.55 p. m., after a painful 
 illness following a surgical operation. At some future 
 day I shall propose that the business of the Senate be sus- 
 pended for the purpose of paying a fitting tribute to his 
 memory. 
 
 I offer the resolutions which I send to the desk, and ask 
 for their present consideration. 
 
 The Vice President. The Secretary will read the reso- 
 lutions submitted by the Senator from Nevada. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions (S. Res. 333), as 
 follows : 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of 
 the death of the Hon. George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the 
 State of Nevada. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of 12 Senators be appointed by the 
 Vice President to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
 deceased Senator. 
 
 [6] 
 
i^i 
 
 
 I 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect his remains be re- 
 moved from Washington to Reno, Nev., for burial, in charge of 
 the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, attended by the committee, 
 who shall have full power to carry these resolutions into effect. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to 
 the House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the 
 family of the deceased Senator. 
 
 The resolutions were considered by unanimous consent 
 and unanimously agreed to. 
 
 The Vice President appointed as the committee, under 
 the second resolution, Mr. Newlands, Mr. Bailey, Mr. 
 Works, Mr. Heyburn. Mr. Brown, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Oliver, 
 Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Swanson, Mr. Clark of Wyoming, 
 Mr. Fall, and Mr. Ashurst. 
 
 Mr. Newlands. Mr. President, I wish to announce that 
 the funeral services of the distinguished Senator will be 
 held at 4 o'clock this afternoon at the residence, Belvoir, 
 Woodley Lane, near the Episcopal Cathedral, and that the 
 Sergeant at Arms will provide conveyances for Senators. 
 
 As a further mark of respect to the memory of the de- 
 ceased Senator, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. 
 
 The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 12 
 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
 to-morrow, Friday, June 7, 1912, at 12 o'clock meridian. 
 
 Tuesday, December 17, 1912. 
 Mr. Newlands. I desire to give notice that on Saturday, 
 February 8, 1913, I will ask that the business of the Senate 
 be suspended that fitting tribute may be paid to the 
 memory of my late colleague, Hon. George S. Nixon. 
 
 [7] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 Saturday, February 8, 1913. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D., offered 
 the following prayer: 
 
 Eternal God, our heavenly Father, as we stand before 
 Thee on this day of precious memory we thank Thee that 
 life is not so short that we can not for a time lay aside our 
 customary labors and yield ourselves to the tender and 
 holy influences of this hour. As here we stand in Thy 
 presence, we would take the shoes from off our feet, 
 knowing that where Thy servants have faithfully and 
 truly sought to do Thy will there indeed is holy ground. 
 Here manifest Thyself unto our waiting spirits, we pray 
 Thee, and fulfill unto us Thy promise that where Thy 
 children are gathered together in Thy name there Thou 
 wilt be in their midst. 
 
 O Thou who are God, not of the dead but of the living, 
 seeing that all souls live unto Thee, we thank Thee, not 
 as we would but as we are able, for the blessed privilege 
 of having known and labored with him whom we this 
 day commemorate. Inspire our hearts, quicken our 
 memories, and direct our thoughts, that the life which we 
 would now honor may stand before us with all its power 
 and in all its beauty. That life was Thine, our Father, 
 and Thine it is. We yield Thee all praise, O Holy One, 
 for the priceless heritage of the memory of him whose life 
 is now hid with Christ in Thee. 
 
 We pray Thee to be near to those to whom this life 
 was most dear and to comfort those whose tender sorrow 
 is too great for words and too deep for tears. Uphold 
 them with Thy heavenly power and let Thy grace be suf- 
 ficient for them until we, too, stand in Thy nearer pres- 
 ence, where we shall know even as we have been known. 
 
 And unto Thee, our God, who hast loved us with an 
 everlasting love and hast called us into Thine eternal 
 kingdom in Christ, unto Thee who hast given us eternal 
 
 [8] 
 
Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 comfort and good hope through the Gospel, be all glory 
 and praise on earth and in heaven, now and forevermore. 
 Amen. 
 
 The Secretary proceeded to read the Journal of yester- 
 day's proceedings, when, on request of Mr. Gallinger and 
 by unanimous consent, the further reading was dispensed 
 with, and the Journal was approved. 
 
 Mr. Newlands. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
 for the present consideration of the resolutions which I 
 send to the desk. 
 
 The President pro tempore. The resolutions submitted 
 by the Senator from Nevada will be read. 
 
 The resolutions were read, considered by unanimous 
 consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows: 
 
 Resolved, Tliat the Senate has lieard with deep sorrow of the 
 death of the Hon. George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the State 
 of Nevada. 
 
 Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the de- 
 ceased the business of the Senate be now suspended to enable his 
 associates to pay proper tribute to his high character and dis- 
 tinguished public services. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these 
 resolutions to the House of Representatives and transmit a copy 
 thereof to the family of the deceased. 
 
 [0] 
 
MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 Address of Mr. Newlands, of Nevada 
 
 Mr. President: Senator George S. Nixon was born in 
 Placer County, Cal., April 2, 1860, of pioneer parents 
 from Tennessee who were part of the great migratory 
 movement to the West in the early fifties. They were 
 probably caught, like hundreds of others, by the glamor 
 of tales that opened to their young fancy vast possibilities 
 for the venturesome. The iridescent hopes that lured 
 them so far must have lacked realization or, like many 
 others, they may have won and lost. Be that as it may, 
 Senator Nixon's parents were unable to give their boy the 
 advantages of education usually enjoyed by most of our 
 American boys as a heaven-born right, and his training 
 in the public schools ended at an early age. 
 
 In youth he lived the life of the usual farmer lad. To 
 gain a little money he availed himself of his great skill 
 in shooting, and wandered over the California hills seek- 
 ing game. It was a hard life, but he was strong, young, 
 and happy. He loved nature and had a passion for flow- 
 ers and all growing things — tastes that were stimulated 
 by this roving life. 
 
 I never heard him complain or seek sympathy for any 
 hard luck, and he had his disappointments like other 
 men. It is not unlikely that his youth was colored with 
 much talk of his parents' wanderings, descriptions of all 
 they had endured in their search after fortune, their jour- 
 ney over the Plains, sacrifices made, and possibly good 
 claims lost. In mining one often reaps what another 
 
 [11] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 sows, and it is hard to find any western life in the early 
 fifties free from the wreckage of human hopes. He was 
 proud of his pioneer parents. In an address he made 
 in his last campaign I was impressed by the vibrant 
 quality he put into the simple phrase of " I was nursed 
 at the breast of a pioneer woman." It was like a shout 
 of triumph. 
 
 He made his way through forty-odd years of effort, 
 with the moderate rewards achieved by the average man; 
 but in middle life, at the first whispering of a possible 
 treasure in the desert at Tonopah, the pioneer blood as- 
 serted itself, and Nixon was among the first in the camp. 
 
 He had in his earlier years a varied experience as tele- 
 graph operator, station and express agent in remote sta- 
 tions in Nevada; he entered a bank at Reno and soon 
 made himself indispensable to his employers. Later on 
 he organized a bank at Winnemucca, Nev., and became 
 its cashier, and during this time he was elected to the 
 State legislature as a candidate of the Republican Party- 
 In 1892, like many others, he drifted from the political 
 moorings of a lifetime and identified himself with those 
 who, under various political names, were struggling to 
 relieve the energies of the countiy from the evil effects 
 of the contracting gold volume. Though I belonged to 
 a different party, we drifted politically together during 
 this period, and regardless of party we identified our- 
 selves with the bimetallic movement through which, by 
 the full restoration of silver as a money metal, it was 
 hoped to end the era of diminishing values and contract- 
 ing energies. At that time barely sufficient gold was pro- 
 duced to satisfy the demands of the world's dentistry 
 and the arts, and none understood better than Senator 
 Nixon the quantitative theory of money and the efifeci 
 of the quantity of the circulating medium upon values. 
 
 [12] 
 
Address of Mr. Newlands, of Nevada 
 
 The extraordinary and unanticipated increase in the 
 production of gold put an end to this movement, and we 
 both drifted back to our original parties; but the close 
 intimacy of this association gave me a clear insight into 
 the quickness of his perception and the clearness and 
 vigor of his intellect. I formed a friendship for him 
 which strengthened, notwithstanding our political oppo- 
 sition. I could not feel that we were in antagonism, and 
 felt assured that we would some time drift again together 
 by a mutual process into political accord. 
 
 For many years after this he pursued the active life of 
 a banker, identifying himself with most of the activities 
 of Nevada, until finally, as a result of his helpfulness to 
 others, he became the associate of George Wingfield in a 
 mining enterprise in the desert region of Tonopah. Con- 
 siderable fortune was realized in this, and later on their 
 energies expanded in every form of mining enterprise 
 and embraced the famous Goldfield mine, which was con- 
 ducted by them with extraordinary judgment, skill, and 
 integrity, and from which both realized large fortunes. 
 
 During this period, although the State seemed over- 
 whelmingly Democratic, with characteristic quickness of 
 perception and judgment, he threw himself upon the crest 
 of the wave of Roosevelt's popularity and in a campaign 
 against apparently hopeless odds, supported by an ac- 
 quaintance and popularity that were widespread, he was 
 swept into the United States Senate. There with rare 
 wisdom he concluded to abandon the active pursuit of 
 money-making and to devote himself to his public work 
 and at the same time to secure to himself the pleasures 
 of friendship and of social life which ease of circum- 
 stances presented to him. 
 
 He was able to invest his holdings in some of the State's 
 requirements, and the community in which he lived re- 
 ceived a direct benefit from liis prosperity. He estab- 
 
 [13] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 lished a chain of banks, and in the panic of 1907 main- 
 tained their prestige by his courage and promptitude. He 
 built an opera liouse in Reno and gave a theater to Winne- 
 mucca, controlled more by the desire to put pleasure into 
 the lives of Nevada people than to obtain personal gain. 
 He was one of the few men whose success was shared by 
 many. There was a general satisfaction when he won. 
 His sympathetic kindliness and courage were recognized 
 by all. 
 
 In such radical changes of fortune a man is apt to make 
 enemies; the contrast is too great; old companions are 
 sometimes hurt and slip away, and there are the disap- 
 pointed, envious of one who wins where others fail, but 
 with Nixon it was different. He had a cheerful, sympa- 
 thetic way about him that put all at ease. Though he 
 always spoke to me as " Newlands," I found myself call- 
 ing him again and again " George," for he was George — 
 our George Nixon to all the State of Nevada. He had the 
 rare wisdom of realizing when he had enough and was 
 not willing to allow his faculties to be absorbed in the 
 mere greed of getting. 
 
 He became the devoted supporter of everj' measure 
 that would benefit the State and the section which he 
 loved, and at the same time took a broad and catholic 
 view of all matters tending to the advancement of the 
 entire country. He became chairman of the Committee 
 on Irrigation and a member of the important Committee 
 on Appropriations. His social qualities endeared him to 
 his colleagues, and his acute and accurate judgment, 
 rarely displayed in public speech, was always at the serv- 
 ice of the committees to which he belonged and of his 
 friends, whom he delighted to assist. 
 
 Disdainirrg the crowded life of the city, he purchased an 
 extensive suburban place on one of the most commanding 
 
 [14] 
 
Address of Mr. Newlands, of Nevada 
 
 hills near Washington, from which there stretched an 
 expanding view of the Potomac and of "Washington, and 
 there built a home of rare beauty and taste. He built a 
 similar home on the bank of the Truckee River, near 
 Reno, a sparkling stream, making its way from the in- 
 comparable Lake Tahoe and stretching through a valley 
 surrounded by noble and effort-defying mountains — a 
 scene embracing a view of rare grandeur; and upon the 
 banks of Lake Tahoe he built a modest cottage, in which 
 some of the most satisfactoiy hours were spent. In these 
 several places, which demonstrated the nicety of his taste 
 and the delicacy of his nature, he was glad to share with 
 his friends the delights of his possessions. Only a year 
 or so before his death he was reelected, showing his con- 
 fidence in the strength of his popular support by volun- 
 tarily submitting his election to a direct primary. 
 
 Gratified by his reelection, confident of the affectionate 
 regard of his constituency, he was looking forward to a 
 further realization of satisfaction in a sane, kindly, and 
 philosophic life, unvexed either by ambition or avarice, 
 when a neglected complaint necessitated a surgical op- 
 eration which prematurely ended his life at the age of 52. 
 Having reached the decision that an operation was 
 necessary, he quickly met the issue, at a time when his 
 devoted wife and son were away, and his friends had 
 hardly heard of the crisis when his death was announced. 
 I recall the sadness with which I made my way to the 
 hospital where his spirit had taken flight, and the sympa- 
 thetic consideration with which I found Vice President 
 Sherman attending to every detail of the last sad minis- 
 trations. Mr. Sherman, though then in every appearance 
 3f health, well knew that his own days were numbered, 
 nd yet there was nothing to indicate the exigencies of 
 is own condition in the calmness and considerateness 
 
 [15] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 of his demeanor. Attending witli a sorrowing Senate 
 the final ceremonies, his was the last face that I saw at 
 the railway station as we departed with the remains of 
 our dear friend on the sorrowful journey westward. 
 Bearing to the afflicted wife a tender letter of sympathy 
 from the Chief Magistrate of the Nation, who knew and 
 valued Senator Nixon, the funeral cortege made its way 
 to the mountains of Nevada, and there was met by a re- 
 markable gathering from all parts of the State of men in 
 every class and condition of life, who sought to mark 
 their respect and regard for their Senator; and there the 
 body of our dead friend, seized untimely from a life of 
 serenity and aftection, was consigned to its last resting 
 place. 
 
 [16] 
 
Address of Mr. Dixon of Montana 
 
 Mr. President: 
 
 Whether at Naishapur or Babylon, 
 Whether the cup with sweet or bitter run, 
 The wine of life keeps oozing drop by drop, 
 The flowers of life keep falling one by one. 
 
 The mutations of time work a mighty havoc in the 
 affairs of men. 
 
 Of the 90 men who constituted the Senate of the United 
 States when I entered this body six years ago, 23 have 
 since died, not including the Vice President — more than 
 one-fourth the entire membership. 
 
 Of the 90 men then constituting its membership but 40 
 now remain, and after the 4th day of Marcli there will 
 be left but 26 of the men who made up its membership on 
 March 4, 1907. 
 
 One year ago, looking around this Chamber, the ordi- 
 nary man would have said that George Nixon's hold on 
 life was probably as good as any Member of this body, 
 and in all human probability better than the overwhelm- 
 ing majority of us. I thought so. Then in the very prime 
 of his physical manhood, the picture of robust health, 
 congenial, vivacious, of a most happy disposition, who 
 would have prophesied that he of all of us would not have 
 lived out and beyond the allotted three score years and 
 ten? 
 
 I was not in Washington at the time of his death, and 
 when I read the news of his sudden demise I could 
 scarcely credit its truthfulness. That George Nixon was 
 dead did not seem possible. 
 
 11322°— 13 2 [17] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 We who knew him in the intimate daily association that 
 comes with service in this body — in the open Senate, in 
 the committee, and in the more intimate association of the 
 cloakroom, the office, and the home — will each bear sin- 
 cere testimony of his good-fellowship, integrity, level- 
 headedness, and kindliness of purpose in all his relations 
 with his fellow men. 
 
 George Nixon's life had been a broad life in the best 
 meaning of the term. He had seen and faced life from 
 almost everj' angle. 
 
 He knew men and he knew the conditions under which 
 his fellow men and women live. He himself had felt the 
 depression of poverty and he had known the joy that 
 comes from successful contest with men and affairs of 
 moment. His own success had not estranged him from 
 his less fortunate felows. 
 
 He had after long years of struggle reached the top 
 round of what the world calls success. In his own State, 
 in banking, farming, mining, stock raising, and other 
 forms of business activity he had taken first place and 
 had twice received from the people of Nevada the highest 
 testimonial of their trust and confidence by two succes- 
 sive elections to the Senate of the United States. 
 
 I am glad to have known George Nixon in a somewhat 
 intimate personal relation. 
 
 His overflowing good nature, his cheery laugh, and 
 friendly greeting betokened the kindliness of heart and 
 sincere good-fellowship that permeated his whole life. 
 
 Not with formal words and phrases, but from a genuine 
 appreciation of him and of his friendship, I pause to lay 
 a wreath of real affection upon his bier. 
 
 [18] 
 
Address of Mr. Warren, of Wyoming 
 
 Mr. President: It is upon occasions such as this, when 
 we are called upon to pause in oui* feverish rush and 
 hurry in the active affairs of life and to take note of those 
 things which have passed by forever, that there comes to 
 us a realization of the uncertainty of life and the certainty 
 of death. 
 
 To those of us who have been Members of this body 
 for any extended period the backward-turning thoughts 
 upon these memorial days bring sad visions of many 
 great statesmen — genial companions, firm friends — once 
 here, who passed into the mysteries of another existence. 
 As their forms and faces, their efforts and achievements, 
 their failures and successes, their pleasures and sorrows 
 are recalled to us in these quiet memorial hours we real- 
 ize, with the tent-maker poet — 
 
 Whether the cup with sweet or bitter run. 
 
 The wine of life keeps oozing drop by drop, 
 The leaves of life keep falling one by one. 
 
 Others have ably placed before the Senate the incidents 
 of the useful and successful, but all too short career of 
 our friend and colleague, the late junior Senator from 
 Nevada, George Stuart Nixon; and in joining in these 
 memorial services I wish simply to testify to his sterling 
 worth as a man, his loyalty as a friend, and his success 
 as a useful representative of his State in the Congress of 
 the United States. 
 
 The career of Senator Nixon reads like a page from the 
 Arabian Nights, so rapidly did he rise from the position 
 of a poorly paid telegraph operator at a remote railway 
 station to a successful business man, mine owner, and 
 
 [19] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 banker, and to a place in this body — all of this being ac- 
 complished in a little more than 20 years. He rubbed the 
 lamp of industry and — presto! Success opened her doors 
 to him. His successful career not only is an evidence of 
 his own industry and ability, but typifies the opportunities 
 which our country offers to those who are prepared to 
 grasp them. The same chances which enabled Senator 
 Nixon to achieve success 10 to 15 years ago exist to-day in 
 this country, and particularly in the Western States, 
 where industry, honesty, and ability are as certain to 
 bring rewards now as then. Hidden away in the vast 
 mountain ranges of the West there are more Comstocks, 
 more Leadvilles, more Cripple Creeks, more Goldfields to 
 be discovered, and in plainer sight there are rich returns 
 awaiting those who have the industry and the patience to 
 seek them. 
 
 George S. Nixon was preeminently the business man in 
 politics in the best sense of the term. Those who served 
 with him in committees and were closely associated with 
 him in his senatorial duties could well understand why 
 he was a successful man. His word was as good as his 
 bond. He came of that type of western man who would 
 make bargains running into hundreds of thousands of 
 dollars without the scratch of a pen and would then live 
 up to them as religiously as if they were signed, sealed, 
 and delivered. 
 
 He was genial and affable in his dealings with all who 
 came in contact with him, whether below or aboye him 
 in political rank. He was known to all his friends as the 
 embodiment of good cheer, sunshine, and optimism. His 
 jovial, bright smile has put out of the mind of many a 
 man some trivial and vexatious thing, such as comes so 
 often in our busy lives to harry or, possibly, to dis- 
 cipline us. 
 
 [20] 
 
Address of Mr. Warren, of Wyoming 
 
 The fact that Mr. Nixon was a successful man in the 
 financial affairs of the day made him none the less demo- 
 cratic in his dealings with his fellow men. He was ex- 
 tremely popular in his own State; and those interested in 
 the political affairs of Nevada, of his own and of other 
 political parties, have freely predicted that, had he lived, 
 he would have been again returned to his seat in the 
 Senate — Nevada following her custom of many years of 
 retaining in office for long periods those who serve her. 
 
 Senator Nixon in a way was a representative of Wyo- 
 ming, because for some years he held financial interests 
 in that State. He was active in the support of every 
 measure tending toward the welfare of Wyoming, as well 
 as that of other far western States. 
 
 He has gone from us and we have left only the sweet 
 memory of a loyal, powerful, and big-hearted friend; a 
 gracious and beloved comrade. 
 
 r21] 
 
Address of Mr. Jones, of Washington 
 
 Mr. President: The popular impression of the work of 
 a Member of the Senate does an injustice to many a valu- 
 able Senator. To be able to speak eloquently is a splen- 
 did qualification, but it is not a fundamental or essen- 
 tial qualification of a good and valuable legislator. The 
 eloquent man may attract attention, he may gain the 
 popular applause, he may get the credit for efficient work 
 on behalf of the people, and yet the real legislative work 
 is done in the seclusion of a committee room, where the 
 quiet abilities are brought into play in the construction 
 of legislation for the people's benefit. Hours of work 
 and study in the office are spent in preparation for the 
 consideration of measures in the committee and many of 
 our most industrious, able, and faithful Senators seldom 
 speak on this floor. The people may never really know 
 their worth or their work, but their colleagues do. 
 
 Such a Senator was George Nixon. Seldom heard on 
 this floor, his influence was potent in committee work. 
 He was regular and prompt in attendance and his knowl- 
 edge of the subjects under consideration showed the 
 painstaking care he had given them. His judgment was 
 excellent, his experience varied, and his honesty of 
 thought and purpose evident to all. His counsel was wise 
 and conservative. He was a modest man and courageous. 
 His biography in the Congressional Directory was char- 
 acteristic of his modesty and his action upon all public 
 questions in committee and on the floor of the Senate 
 showed his courage. He was a safe, honest, wise, careful, 
 industrious legislator and guarded with scrupulous 
 fidelity the interests of his State and Nation. 
 
 [22] 
 
Address of Mr. Jones, of Washington 
 
 His life and success are another inspiration to our 
 youth to aspire to great things. No greater opportunities 
 came to him than come to the boys of to-day. He had no 
 asset when he began life's battle that any young man may 
 not have now. Industry, energj', frugality, honesty, and 
 faithfulness brought him success as they will to the young 
 men of to-day. 
 
 I had the good fortune a short time ago to talk with one 
 who knew him years ago, when he was a telegraph op- 
 erator, and it was good to hear him tell of his early 
 struggles and triumphs. The same qualities that made 
 him a good, Avise, and faithful legislator made him a 
 valued employee. He did his work as a telegraph op- 
 erator well and faithfully. His employer's interest was 
 his interest and as a result he passed from one position 
 of trust to another, and by the judicious investment of 
 his savings he soon became a most successful business 
 man. With all his successes he was the same true, loyal 
 friend as of old. Neither wealth nor position caused him 
 to shun or forget the friends of his early struggles, and 
 many of them bless him for his kindly aid to them or 
 theirs when prosperity blessed him with its abundance. 
 We admire his success in business, are proud of his 
 achievements as a legislator, but our sweetest memory 
 comes from our personal association and contact with 
 those personal qualities which endeared him to all who 
 knew him. He was kind, sympathetic, and considerate. 
 He had a bright and cheery smile for everyone. His daily 
 greetings reminded me of a few lines like these : 
 
 He always said, " Good morning," 
 
 And emphasized the " good," 
 As if he'd make it happy 
 
 For each one, if he could. 
 
 [23] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nkon 
 
 I often think and say, 
 
 That one of his "Good mornings" 
 
 Clung to you all the day, 
 
 And made you always cheerful 
 
 Just thinking of the sound; 
 
 It was always " Good morning " 
 
 'Long as he was around. 
 
 This little poem — not a classic but the simple expres- 
 sion of a feeling that comes to us from a kindly greeting — 
 illustrates something of his beautiful inner nature which 
 he expressed in action toward all those who came in con- 
 tact with him. He saw and emphasized the good in all 
 things; he tried to fill life with sweetness; he spoke ap- 
 proving, cheering words to the humblest as well as to the 
 greatest. Nature gave him much of strength and those 
 fair qualities of heart and mind which make a man be- 
 loved by his fellow men. 
 
 His life's work is ended. It was well done. Whether 
 at humble tasks or lofty endeavor he was faithful and 
 put forth his utmost ability. We treasure his memory 
 as a precious heritage and his successes stimulate us to 
 higher and loftier aims. 
 
 [24] 
 
Address of Mr. Thomas, of Colorado 
 
 Mr. President: By the irony of fate, at once strange and 
 inscrutable, it seems to have been ordained that my first 
 words upon the floor of this Chamber shall be uttered 
 in eulogy of George S. Nixon. This is perhaps the more 
 remarkable in that the last words he said to me on the 
 occasion of our last meeting breathed the hope that at 
 some time I might occupj' a seat in this exalted body. 
 
 I do not shirk the task. On the contrary, I regard it as 
 a duty that I owe to the memory of my departed friend, 
 for I am conscious of the fact that he would gladly, if 
 there can be joy in such a task, have spoken in my behalf 
 had our conditions been reversed. 
 
 I can speak of Senator Nixon only as I knew him. My 
 acquaintance with him was occasional, and yet very close. 
 He was my friend. The currents of our lives flowed in 
 the same channel once or twice, and again became widely 
 divergent. 
 
 The Senator from Nevada [Mr. Newlands] has given a 
 brief account of Senator Nixon's identification with what 
 was generally known as the free-silver movement — the 
 cause of bimetallism, as it was called by its friends. It 
 was the activity of that great movement which first 
 brought us in conjunction during the earlier period of 
 the nineties, at which time the entire West, as one man, 
 and regardless of party lines, entertained the abiding con- 
 viction that the cause was the embodiment of much that 
 was absolutely essential to the welfare and permanent 
 prosperity' of this great Nation. I was one of the apostles 
 of that movement, in the integrity of which I have be- 
 lieved as firmly in the days of its defeat as when it was 
 
 [25] 
 
Memorial Addresses : Senator Nixon 
 
 a militant question in American politics. I speak of this 
 because his convictions were the same, and they were 
 always expressed with that earnestness and vigor which 
 always characterizes sincerity and candor. 
 
 I met Senator Nixon in conventions and in conference 
 rooms during what I may call the crisis of this great 
 movement, and during all the stages of it which led up 
 to that crisis. He was always at the front, a crusader in 
 the cause, contributing to it of his time and of his means 
 as freely as though it concerned him merely as an indi- 
 vidual. But with the defeat of that movement, and its 
 acceptance as an accomplished condition by those who 
 advocated it, our lines of life were no longer identical. 
 
 Then arose the great mining excitment in southern 
 Nevada, beginning with Tonopah, and still continuing its 
 activities in several portions of the State. In 1896 I was 
 summoned, in the capacity of counsel, by Senator Nixon 
 and by his associate, to look after some of their legal 
 affairs in the great camp of Goldfield. This employment 
 again brought me into close and intimate contact with 
 Senator Nixon, a relation which continued until the close 
 of the year 1908. It was during these years that I learned 
 to know him well and to respect and love him more as a 
 friend than a client. 
 
 Mr. President, there is no more severe test of a man's 
 capacities or the lack of them than that which is applied 
 by the rough-and-tumble civilization of a frontier mining 
 camp. What a man is, whence he comes, whether he can 
 boast a long line of ancestors, or is a mere waif upon the 
 tides of humanity, all these count for nothing. Every 
 man, indeed every human being, in these suddenly sum- 
 moned aggregations of people is inspired by the desire 
 to take advantage of the immediate occasion to secure as 
 much as possible of that hidden wealth which has called 
 them together. In that mad struggle every man stands 
 
 [26] 
 
Address of Mr. Thomas, of Colorado 
 
 for himself. Wealth counts only as it may give to its 
 possessor an advantage over those who have it not; and 
 the man who emerges successfully from these turbulent, 
 exciting, exacting but just conditions must be a man 
 indeed. 
 
 Senator Nixon stood that test, was tried by the crucible 
 fires of that experience, not once but many, many times, 
 and rose triumphant upon the crest of each successive 
 occasion. He was fortunate in that he was allied with a 
 man — Mr. George Wingfield — destitute of the ordinary 
 advantages which come to the American boy, but pos- 
 sessed of a native genius and talent that easily made him 
 a master of men, a man of action as well as a man of 
 affairs; a man of resolute determination and indomitable 
 courage, whose characteristics so dovetailed into those of 
 Senator Nixon as to make them an invincible team in the 
 development of the mining affairs of the great State of 
 Nevada. Such a copartnership should be sundered only 
 by the hand of death. 
 
 I need mention only one incident in the career of Mr. 
 Wingfield to indicate how truly he was entitled to the 
 confidence and affection of Senator Nixon, whose long- 
 time partner and associate he was. He was tendered the 
 position of United States Senator as the successor of Sena- 
 tor NixoN by the governor of Nevada, but declined it be- 
 cause of his allegiance to those interests and business 
 which had been confided to his keeping by friends and 
 associates, and which might have been neglected had 
 he accepted an appointment to that exalted position. 
 Together they accumulated a great fortune, but they 
 used it as great fortunes should be used, largely in the 
 development of their native State, largely in assisting 
 their local communities, and privately in extending aid 
 to those needing and deserving it. 
 
 [27] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 If it be true, Mr. President, that he who makes two 
 blades of grass grow where but one grew before is a bene- 
 factor of humanity, then it must indeed be true that Sena- 
 tor Nixon was such a benefactor, for he performed this 
 task manyfold, and the multiplied blades of grass that 
 have sprung behind his pathway from obscuritj' to promi- 
 nence and material success are many times multiplied 
 beyond the accepted standards of man's experience. 
 
 His directness in matters of business always appealed 
 to me. On one occasion he requested an opinion upon 
 a matter involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. I 
 spent much time and labor in preparing the opinion 
 which he desired, but when presented he merely glanced 
 at its conclusion. " That alone is what I am interested 
 in," he said; " you are concerned with the reasons leading 
 up to it; I accept the responsibility because you tell me 
 that I am safe in doing so. If it should transpire that 
 this is not true or that its truth should be challenged, 
 yours then becomes the responsibility. I am too busy a 
 man to concern myself with your reasons." That was 
 a type of George S. Nixon. 
 
 In very truth a self-made man, born ainong the humbler 
 ranks of the people, and rising through his own unaided 
 efforts, step by step, to a seat in the Senate of the United 
 States, he presents a most inspiring example, Mr. Presi- 
 dent, to the youth of this country. 
 
 I know nothing of the deceased Senator's domestic 
 affairs except that his life in all things was clean and 
 above reproach. On earth he was enlisted in the army 
 of the industrial militants. To-day he is enrolled with 
 the hosts triumphant. 
 
 [28] 
 
Address of Mr. Townsend, of Michigan 
 
 Mr. President: It is a pleasure for me to add a brief 
 but sincere tribute of respect and esteem to the memorj' 
 of our late colleague, the Hon. George S. Nixon. 
 
 I was not acquainted with him prior to my entering the 
 Senate in March, 1911, but upon coming here I was as- 
 signed to the Committee on Interstate Commerce, of 
 which he was a member. In the work of that committee 
 I came into quite close and intimate relations with him. 
 I also saw much of him in this Capitol on the floor and in 
 the lobbies. 
 
 Association with a member in committee gives a fairly 
 just and correct idea of his ability and character as a 
 legislator. It is there that his business qualities are 
 demonstrated. His point of view, his insight into the 
 nature and effect of proposed measures are discovered. 
 There he is unembarrassed by the public gaze and unin- 
 fluenced by the thought of reporters or of criticizing col- 
 leagues. He is himself, and in the semiprivacy of the 
 committee room he speaks and acts with freedom. 
 
 In the lobby we see the social and human side of Sena- 
 tors. There the student of human nature can discover 
 the secret springs which move to action. Generosity, 
 kindness, magnanimity, littleness, selfishness, envy, and 
 the other characteristics of humans show forth in all 
 their beauty or ugliness, and a lounging room is necessary 
 to a right understanding of public men. 
 
 In the committe room I found Senator Nixon a clear- 
 headed, far-sighted man. His varied and phenomenal 
 business career gave him an experience which enabled 
 him to comprehend broadly and quickly some of the 
 
 [29] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 great questions which were presented for consideration, 
 and though diffident on the floor of the Senate, he did 
 not hesitate in expressing his views before the committee, 
 and his colleagues gave him careful attention. 
 
 In the lobby he radiated friendliness and good cheer. 
 He despised hypocrisy and could vigorously express his 
 disapproval. Modest himself, he could not endure the 
 Pharisee, but he was always willing to award just credit 
 where it was due. He was not envious. 
 
 I do not recall that I was ever formally introduce*! to 
 him, but it seems to me that I knew him and felt his 
 friendship from the very beginning of my service in the 
 Senate. 
 
 The life of Senator Nixon shows the possibilities of the 
 American boy. His short and modest biography in the 
 Congressional Directory indicates that he lived and 
 worked upon a farm in California until he was 19 years 
 of age. His schooling was confined to the public schools 
 near his home. At the age of 19 he entered the employ 
 of a railroad company, where he learned telegraphy. In 
 1881 his company transferred him to Nevada, where he 
 served as agent and telegraph operator for three years, 
 at the end of which time he accepted a position as clerk 
 in a Reno bank. In 1891 he was chosen a member of 
 the Nevada Legislature, in 1905 he was elected to the 
 United States Senate from that State, and in 1911 he was 
 reelected under the Oregon plan for another term of six 
 years. 
 
 I know but little of his early life, but I assume that he 
 was a poor boy and that his school education was limited, 
 but I know his knowledge of men and affairs was great 
 and that his varied experience fitted him to win the suc- 
 cess, financial and political, which he achieved. 
 
 [30] 
 
Address of Mr. Townsend, of Michigan 
 
 If I were called upon to give in detail a definition of a 
 superior Senator I would be troubled to frame it. I could 
 not say that it was the most eloquent one, neither would 
 it be he who makes the most copy for the Record, nor 
 would it always or generally be the man whose picture 
 appears oftenest in the columns of the public press. On 
 the other hand, silence and reticence are not unmistak- 
 able evidence either of wisdom or goodness, but it seems 
 to me that the best legislator is the honest, pi-actically in- 
 telligent man who is deeply impressed with the great 
 responsibilities of service resting upon him and who fear- 
 lessly and conscientiously goes about his work having in 
 mind his country's good and careless of his own. 
 
 I do not claim for Senator Nixon what he would not 
 claim for himself, viz, that he was a great Senator. There 
 are very few of such, fewer than some Senators will 
 admit. But he was a useful legislator, a true friend, and 
 an honest man. His environment shut out some of the 
 modern notions of political reforms, but according to his 
 lights he performed his duty well, and his death took 
 from this body a good Senator and from its Members a 
 loyal friend. 
 
 [31] 
 
Address of Mr. Myers, of Montana 
 
 Mr. President: We meet to honor the memory of a 
 departed associate, and in so doing we honor ourselves. 
 Death is the most momentous of all earthly affairs. 
 Birth, marriage, riches, fame, eminence, domestic affairs, 
 business success, wordly honors, all the splendor, pomp, 
 and glory of the world pale into utter insignificance be- 
 side the one short second when death lays hold on the 
 mortal frame. 
 
 Alexander the Great conquered the world. Napoleon 
 Bonaparte devastated nations. Julius Caesar crossed the 
 Rubicon. Christopher Columbus discovered a continent. 
 The greatest of these achievements was as naught to the 
 moment when the achiever's life fled. Xerxes at Ther- 
 mopylse, seated upon an eminence, viewing his glittering 
 legions of infantry and chariots, forming in array of 
 battle on the plain below, wept at the thought that all the 
 glory and power there represented must so soon pass 
 away and he and his ambition for conquest sink forever 
 into oblivion. 
 
 Therefore great as was our departed associate, the late 
 Senator Nixon, in generosity of heart, nobility of impulse, 
 integrity of purpose, strength of character, devotion to 
 principle; great as were his achievements in the commer- 
 cial world and political circles; splendid as are the heights 
 he attained; lovely as he was in all that goes to make a 
 manly man; we are assembled here to-day on account of 
 the most momentous phase of his physical existence — its 
 termination. Death is always a grave matter, but the 
 gravity thereof is brought to bear upon us with more 
 impending weight and sterner reality than ever when we 
 
 [32] 
 
Address of Mr. Myers, oe Montana 
 
 lose one whom we love and honor as friend and associate. 
 I believe we do not fully realize the worth of those with 
 whom we associate until they are gone. 
 
 In the short time that I was favored with the personal 
 acquaintance of Senator Nixon I did not have the honor 
 of becoming an intimate friend and associate of his, but 
 I learned greatlj' to admire and respect him. He was a 
 most kindly disposed man. The generosity of his heart 
 was striking. The kindliness of his disposition was un- 
 usual. The benevolence of his character was extrai)rdi- 
 nary. He was full of sympathy for his fellow beings. 
 Ever ready to assist another, he always lent a kindly ear 
 to those who appealed to him. Accommodating and 
 affable, his store of help for human kind was inexhausti- 
 ble. My association with him was most pleasant to me, 
 and I feel that I am a better man for having known him. 
 His temperament was typical of the broad and boundless 
 West, of which he was an honored resident. Early in life 
 identified with the West, he was imbued with lavish en- 
 dowments of the heart analogous to the lavish endow- 
 ments that favored section enjoys at the hands of 
 nature. His rugged character was typified by the solid 
 mountains based on the everlasting rocks. His loftiness 
 of purpose was analogous to the towering peaks that 
 pierce the clouds. His generosity of heart was as free 
 as the dashing waterfall that coui'ses down the mountain 
 side. His greeting was as cordial as the kiss with which 
 the morning sunbeam greets the smiling vale. His 
 breadth of mind was like unto the broad and sweeping 
 plains of his beloved West. We miss him here, but this 
 body is better for his service in it. I enjoyed courtesies 
 at his hands, and, while I probably did not during his 
 lifetime as fully acknowledge them as they deserved, I 
 take this occasion to pay a tribute, to the extent of my 
 humble ability, to him and his worth. 
 
 11322°— 13 3 [33] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 The great French soldier. La Tour D'Auvergnc, was the 
 hero of many battles, but of his own choice he remained 
 in the ranks. Napoleon Bonaparte gave him a sword and 
 the official title of " first among the grenadiers of France." 
 When he was killed the Emperor of France ordered that 
 his heart be intrusted to the keeping of his regiment; that 
 his name be called at eveiy roll call, and that his next 
 comrade each time answer : " Dead upon the field of 
 honor." Thus we may regard our departed associate. 
 His name will no more be called on the roll call of this 
 body, but whenever it is called in our hearts we can an- 
 swer : 
 
 Dead upon the field of honor. 
 
 [34] 
 
Address of Mr. Works, of California 
 
 Mr. President: I have not prepared any foniial eulogy 
 upon the hfe and character of Senator Nixon, but I feel 
 moved to express in unstudied words my appreciation 
 of him as a man and a public servant, and in simple 
 terms to pay the tribute to his memory that he deserves. 
 
 My personal acquaintance with Senator Nixon was 
 comparatively brief; but I had known him for a long 
 time, not only as a man in the public eye, but through 
 mutual friends. When I came into the Senate I had the 
 good fortune to be given a seat next to him in this Cham- 
 ber. We had many things in common. He was a native 
 of my adopted State. He loved California. He was in- 
 terested in everything that was done in the interest of his 
 native State. He was ready always to assist me as a new 
 Senator in my efforts to repi*esent the interests of the 
 State that we both loved so much. 
 
 Shortly before his death 1 had the pleasure of visiting 
 his home, and in that splendid home of his, furnished 
 with all the luxuries that money could provide, and sur- 
 rounded by the transcendent beauties of nature, he told 
 us on that day the simple story of his early life. It was 
 a life of privation and toil. It was an experience that 
 taught him the valuable lessons of frugality, energy, and 
 perseverance, which later on brought him fortune and 
 fame. 
 
 One morning, very soon after that occurrence, he came 
 into the Senate and said to me, " I am going to the hos- 
 pital tomorrow." I expressed my surprise, for I re- 
 garded him as a man in perfect health, and I inquired 
 what was the trouble. " Oh," he said, laughingly, " it is 
 
 [35] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 only a slight operation that I have to undergo." A very 
 few days after that time I stood at his bedside in a little 
 room in one of the hospitals of this city. He was un- 
 conscious and dying. His beloved wife was speeding to 
 his bedside from their far western home; but she was too 
 late. She met the remains of her husband at Chicago, 
 and returned with them to deposit liis body in his adopted 
 State and among his friends. 
 
 His was a useful life. It was a life that might furnish 
 a worthy example to every young man in this country. 
 He was successful as a business man. He came into the 
 Senate of the United States with a trained business mind. 
 He was a capable, earnest, and sincere public servant. 
 He was possessed of a genial, sunny, happj' disposition 
 that carried good cheer wherever he went. 
 
 Mr. President, a life like that is worth more to human- 
 ity than the ability to make and accumulate money. I 
 believe that no one realized that fact more fully than 
 Senator Nixon himself. With all his wealth he was a 
 simple, kindly, loving man. I think he cared much less 
 for the money that he had been able to accumulate 
 through his energy, perseverance, and wisdom than he 
 did for the good will and love of his fellow men. 
 
 He was a man who had accomplished much in a mate- 
 rial way. His services here in the Senate were intelligent, 
 wise, and honest. We may very well say in memory of 
 him that he was a good citizen, a kind and loving husband 
 and father, and an honest and capable public servant. 
 
 [36] 
 
Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 Mr. Curtis. Mr. President, I offer the resolution whicli 
 I send to the desk. 
 
 The Presiding Officer. The resohition will be read. 
 
 The Secretai-y read the resolution (S. Res. 461), as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
 the deceased Senators Robert Love Tayloh and George S. Nixon 
 and deceased Representatives Edmond H. Madison and Alexander 
 C. Mitchell the Senate do now adjourn. 
 
 The resolution was unanimously agreed to; and (at 2 
 o'clock and 47 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
 Monday, February 10, 1913, at 12 o'clock meridian. 
 
 Monday, February 17, 1913. 
 A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
 South, its Chief Clerk, transmitted to the Senate resolu- 
 tions of the House on the life and public services of Hon. 
 George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the State of Nevada. 
 
 [37] 
 
Proceedings in the House 
 
 Thursday, June 6, 1012. 
 The House met at 11 o'clock a. ni. 
 
 Tlie Chaplain, Rev. Henn,' N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
 following prayer: 
 
 Our Father in heaven, renew our faith and confidence 
 in Thee; continue Thy favors unto us; quicken all our 
 faculties and make us strong to do Thy will that we may 
 be faithful servants unto Thee and unto our fellow men. 
 Let Thy blessing be upon the stricken wife and son of the 
 Senator who has been called suddenly to the higher life, 
 that they may put their trust in the God of the living and 
 the dead, whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting. 
 Prepare us for whatever awaits us in the dispensation of 
 Thy providence, and Thine be the praise, through Jesus 
 Christ, our Lord. Amen. 
 
 MESS.AGE FROM THE SEN.\TE. 
 
 The committee informally rose; and Mr. Sims having 
 taken the chair as Speaker pro tempore, a message from 
 the Senate, by Mr. Crockett, one of its clerks, announced 
 that the Senate had passed the following resolutions: 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow of 
 the death of the Hon. George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the 
 State of Nevada. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of 12 Senators be appointed by the 
 Vice President to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
 deceased Senator. 
 
 [39] 
 
Memorial Addresses : Senator Nixon 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect his remains be re- 
 moved from Washington to Reno, Nev., for burial, in charge of 
 the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, attended by the committee, 
 who shall have full power to carry these resolutions into effect. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions 
 to the House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to 
 the family of the deceased Senator. 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
 the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. 
 
 In compliance with the foregoing, the Vice President 
 appointed as said committee Mr. Newlands, Mr. Bailey, 
 Mr. Works, Mr. Heylnirn, Mr. Brown, Mr. Curtis, Mr. 
 Oliver, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Swanson, Mr. Clark of Wyo- 
 ming, Mr. Fall, and Mr. Ashurst. 
 
 Mr. Roberts of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, it is my solemn 
 and painful duty to announce to the House the death of 
 the Hon. George S. Nixon, a United States Senator from 
 the State of Nevada. Thus has ended the life of an hon- 
 ored and useful servant and one who w as universally re- 
 spected. At some future time I shall ask that a date be 
 set apart to pay proper tribute to his memory. I now 
 offer the following resolutions, which I send to the Clerk's 
 desk. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 House resolution ,575. 
 
 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
 the death of Hon. George S. Nixon, a Senator of the'United States 
 from the State of Nevada. 
 
 Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
 Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased 
 Senator. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of 12 Members be appointed on the 
 part of the House to join the committee appointed on the part of 
 the Senate to attend the funeral. 
 
 The resolutions were agreed to. 
 
 [40] 
 
Proceedings in the House 
 
 The Speaker announced the committee of Members to 
 attend the funeral as follows: Mr. Roberts of Nevada, Mr. 
 Langham of Pennsylvania, Mr. Bowman of Pennsylvania, 
 Mr. Raker of California, Mr. Hamilton of West Virginia, 
 Mr. Dyer of Missouri, Mr. Gould of Maine. Mr. Murray of 
 Massachusetts, Mr. Rubey of Missouri. Mr. Langley of 
 Kentucky, Mr. Young of Kansas, and Mr. Greene of Massa- 
 chusetts. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will read the next resolution. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows : 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect the House do now 
 adjourn. 
 
 The resolution was agreed to; accordingly (at 3 o'clock 
 and 47 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-mor- 
 row, Friday, June 7, 1912, at 11 o'clock a. m. 
 
 Friday, January 17, 1!H3. 
 
 Mr. Roberts of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous 
 consent for the present consideration of the order which 
 I send to the Clerk's desk. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will report the order. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Ordered, That Sunday, February 16, 1913, be set apart for ad- 
 dresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. GEonoE 
 S. Nixon, late a United Slates Senator from the State of Nevada. 
 
 The Speaker. The question is on agreeing to the order. 
 The order was agreed to. 
 
 Sunday, February 16, 1913. 
 
 The House met at 12 o'clock noon, and was called to 
 ordered by Mr. Doremus as Speaker pro tempore. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Henrj' N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
 following prajer : 
 
 Our God and our Father, our life and our hope, for in 
 Thy keeping is the destiny of men, we gather here to-day 
 
 [ir 
 
Memorial Addresses : Senator Nlxon 
 
 in memon' of men who by dint of industry and faithful 
 service proved themselves worthy of the confidence re- 
 posed in them, and have passed on to the rewai'd of the 
 faithful. It is well thus to commemorate their service 
 and record their history as an ensample to those who 
 shall follow them. Strengthen our faith, encourage our 
 hope, and inspire us to noble endeavors, that we may 
 merit the confidence of our fellow men and Thy loving 
 kindness. Help us and their dear ones to say in all faith, 
 Thy will be done. 
 
 So long Thy power has blest us, sure it still 
 
 Will lead us on 
 O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till 
 
 The night is gone, 
 And with the morn those angel faces smile 
 Which we have loved long since, and lost awhile. 
 
 In the spirit of Him who brought to light life and im- 
 mortalitj'. Amen. 
 
 The Clerk began the reading of the Journal of the pro- 
 ceedings of yesterday. 
 
 Mr. Hamilton of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- 
 mous consent that the reading of the Journal be dis- 
 pensed with. 
 
 The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection. 
 
 There was no objection. 
 
 The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will read the next 
 special order. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 On motion of Mr. Roberts, of Nevada, by unanimous consent, 
 
 Ordered, That Sunday, February IC, 1913, be set apart for ad- 
 dresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
 George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the State of Nevada. 
 
 Mr. Roberts of Nevada. Mr. Speaker, I present the fol- 
 lowing resolutions, which I send to the Clerk's desk. 
 
 [42] 
 
Proceedings in the Hoise 
 
 The Clerk read as follows : 
 
 House resolution 841. 
 
 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended in 
 order that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory 
 of Hon. George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the State of Nevada. 
 
 Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of 
 the deceased and in recognition of his distinguished public career 
 the House, at the conclusion of these memorial exercises to-day, 
 shall stand adjourned. 
 
 Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
 Senate. 
 
 The resolution was agreed to. 
 
 [43] 
 
MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 Address of Mr. Roberts, of Nevada 
 
 Mr. Speaker: We have assembled here to-day in an 
 humble waj' to pay our respects to the memory and ster- 
 ling character of the late Senator from Nevada, the Hon. 
 George S. Nixon. 
 
 I knew him well. He was my friend and yours. He 
 was cut down in the midday of life, at a time when he 
 had become a most important factor in the upbuilding 
 of his beloved State. 
 
 His life's work here is ended. The death angel has 
 called him home. The friends he left behind will see 
 him here on earth no more. The voice is hushed, and in 
 the silent confines of a lonely tomb beside the crystal 
 waters of the Truckee he sleeps the sleep that knows no 
 waking — a fitting resting place for one who loved his 
 native heath. 
 
 Warbling songsters in the trees, 
 
 Wild flowers waving in the breeze; 
 
 Sagebrush perfumes — God's behest^ 
 
 A fitting place for one to rest. 
 
 His life was one worthy of emulation and shows what 
 can be accomplished by one who starts out in the race of 
 life under the most adverse circumstances but who car- 
 ries with him a mental and a moral compass the needle of 
 which points to the north pole of all that is fair, upright, 
 and honorable in life. And yet he is not gone. He is 
 among us, and in our every walk of life we feel liis very 
 presence. His life was so closely interwoven with the 
 social, moral, political, and business fiber of our State 
 and Nation that his death was a severe blow. 
 
 [45] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 He was a plain, blunt, business man, quick, decisive, 
 and possessed of wonderful energy. He received his 
 early education in the stern school of adversity, and 
 though possessed of millions at his death was ever mind- 
 ful of the lowly rounds of life's ladder by which he did 
 ascend. He was charitable, but his charity was of that 
 healthy sort so seldom seen. What he did for others was 
 never known. His left hand knew not what his right 
 hand did. 
 
 His vast wealth was honestly acquired from the various 
 industries of Nevada, and every dollar represented an 
 honest endeavor to build up and husband the resources of 
 an undeveloped State. His name was ever a guaranty 
 that the many enterprises in which he was engaged were 
 sound, stable, and legitimate; and when the panic of 1907 
 struck Nevada and many of the fianancial institutions 
 began to close their doors, it was the Hon. George S. 
 Nixon, directing a well-planned policy of endeavor, that 
 saved countless millions of dollars to the people of 
 Nevada and averted what seemed to be a death blow to 
 Nevada and her industries. His banks, with his name 
 and personal fortune behind them, stood as solid as the 
 granite base of the high Sierras. 
 
 Born of humble parentage and nurtured in the wide 
 and open fields of the western frontier, it was but natural 
 that his pulse should beat in harmony with the common 
 people and that he should ever be democratic in all 
 things. 
 
 As a judge of men he had few equals. He was quick 
 to see and quick to act. He had a wonderful grasp of 
 national problems and was recognized as one of the safest 
 men in the United States Senate. He was no orator and 
 made no pretenses to being such. He was simply a plain, 
 blunt, business man, who studied political questions and 
 applied to them the same rules that guided him in busi- 
 
 [46] 
 
Address ok Mr. Roberts, of Nevada 
 
 ness affairs. He faced the problems of life as he met 
 them. He knew no such word as fail. He never whim- 
 pered or complained. He went through lif^ an optimist, 
 spreading sunshine along his pathway. He rejoiced with 
 those whose fortunes brightened up their lives and sor- 
 rowed with those whose lives were veiled in sadness. 
 
 Loyal as a husband and father, true to the interests of 
 his family, proud of his home and its surroundings, proud 
 of the State he represented and which he did more toward 
 advancing and developing than any other man, living or 
 dead, he has passed on through life a respected, honored 
 man among men, whose good works will live long after 
 the foot of Time has trodden down his marble tombstone. 
 
 Senator Nixon was born in Placer County, Cal., in 1860. 
 While a mere boy he took up the study of telegraphy in 
 an office at Newcastle, near his home, and mastered it. 
 He was soon recognized as apt, honest, and trustworthy, 
 and was offered the position of operator at a small station 
 on the C. & C. Railroad in Esmeralda County, Nev., which 
 he accepted. From that time on his rise was rapid. His 
 work was of such a character that in 1881 he was pro- 
 moted to a higher position as operator at the Humboldt 
 House, on the main line of the Southern Pacific. While 
 in that position he made many influential friends who, 
 recognizing his ability, offered him various positions of 
 trust. He finally accepted a clerkship in the Washoe 
 County Bank. He remained with that institution two 
 years, thoroughly mastering the banking business. In 
 1886 he opened the First National Bank of Winnemucca, 
 Nev., and although he personally had but $2,500 in cash 
 at the time, the bank soon became known as one of the 
 strongest financial institutions in the State. 
 
 In 1890 he was elected a member of the State legisla- 
 ture, and in 1905 he was elected United States Senator 
 to succeed Hon. William M. Stewart. He was renomi- 
 
 [47] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 nated without opposition and reelected in 1911. His 
 stand upon public questions was open and aboveboard. 
 He shrank from no duty, but met all opposition with char- 
 acteristic frontier determination. 
 
 He was a State builder and a governmental mainstay. 
 Whatever he engaged in, be it mining, farming, or poli- 
 tics, he applied to it the strict cardinal principles of hon- 
 esty, sincerity, and determination, which crowned every 
 effort with success. 
 
 He was a leader among men and an organizer of rare 
 tact and constructive ability. He was practical in all 
 things and scorned the theoretical. The true qualities 
 and attributes of American manhood were developed in 
 him in his early youth, and throughout an active life in 
 private and public affairs he always took the lead. Inde- 
 pendent, broadgauged, determined, and bent on accom- 
 plishing results, he was a potent factor in the upbuilding 
 of the State and Nation. 
 
 Shortly after the great Tonopah mining excitement, at 
 the solicitation of George Wingfield, he went to Tonopah, 
 and while there associated himself with others in the 
 establishment of a bank. He also invested in mining 
 properties, which in a short space of time put him in the 
 millionaire class. Subsequently he and Mr. Wingfield se- 
 cured control of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Co., 
 of which he became president. This last investment 
 added millions to his fortune. He afterwards disposed 
 of all liis mining interests to Mr. Wingfield and devoted 
 himself almost exclusively to banking, farming, and stock 
 raising. 
 
 He was ever true and loyal to his friends, which to a 
 great extent made of him the admirable character that 
 he was. Honest, big hearted, firm, and substantial, he 
 commanded the respect and confidence of all who knew 
 him. Ever at the front of the procession in all things 
 
 [48] 
 
Address of Mr. Roberts, of Nevada 
 
 which tended to the advancement of State and National 
 affairs; ever bending his energies to do something worth 
 while, he stood out preeminently as Nevada's foremost 
 citizen. 
 
 He had in himself a continent of undiscovered charac- 
 ter, and true to himself, true to his family, true to his 
 constituency, true to his country, he acted the Columbus 
 of his own soul. 
 
 The dark clouds of sorrow have hovered low over the 
 homes of friends throughout the Nation, who realize that 
 in his death one of the strong pillars of stable government 
 has been removed and that those engaged in life's battle 
 will see him on the firing line no more. Such is life. 
 Such is death. It comes to all. It is inevitable. 
 
 And after all, what is it? A journey to an unknown 
 land, from whose shores no traveler has ever yet returned. 
 
 A little while and those of us who now do mourn will 
 take the selfsame journey. Season after season will 
 come and go. Unborn mountain peaks will rear their 
 heads above the deep blue waters of old ocean. Historic 
 facts well known to-day will fade to dim tradition. Em- 
 pires that flourish now will crumble and decay. All, all 
 will pass away. Naught will remain more inspiring, 
 more enduring, than the priceless legacy of a good name. 
 Such a heritage has the late Senator left to his family 
 and his countrj'. 
 
 The memory of his good deeds will ever stay, 
 
 A lamp to light us on the darkened way; 
 
 A music to the ear on clamoring street, 
 
 A cooling well amid the noonday heat; 
 
 A scent of green boughs blown through narrow walls, 
 
 A feel of rest when quiet evening falls. 
 
 11322-— 13 4 [49] 
 
Address of Mb. Kahn, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Practically every Sunday during the pres- 
 ent session of Congress has been devoted to memorial 
 services in honor of some departed Member of the Sen- 
 ate or the House. It has been said " Death loves a 
 shining mark." Surely he has hurled his shafts in the 
 Congress of the United States with terrific effect upon 
 the membership of the two Houses during the past year. 
 
 Among those who have fallen in the good fight for the 
 advancement of the welfare of the citizens of this Repub- 
 lic is George S. Nixon, a Senator from the State of Ne- 
 vada. He was only 52 years old at the time of his death, 
 and yet during the brief span of years that he was per- 
 mitted to walk upon this earth he arose from poverty to 
 affluence; from a lowly station in private life to an ex- 
 alted position in the affairs of the Nation. He was able 
 to perform these things because he had innate ability. 
 His life fully exemplifies the latent possibilities that dwell 
 within the frame of every American citizen. 
 
 He was born on April 2, 1860, in Placer County, Cal. 
 His parents were pioneers who had journeyed from Ten- 
 nessee to the Golden State. His early life was spent upon 
 the hillsides that encircle the town in which he first saw 
 the light of day. As a farmer's boy he roamed at will 
 over the foothills of the Sierras. His opportunities for 
 education were limited; he was taught by experience, and 
 his knowledge was practical rather than academic. The 
 outdoor life to which he became inured in his youth gave 
 him a rugged constitution, and his communings with na- 
 ture prepared him for those larger activities to which 
 he was called after he had attained man's estate. He 
 
 [50] 
 
Address of Mr. Kahn, of California 
 
 was of a most cheerful disposition. He was possessed of 
 that quality which men call " personal magnetism," and 
 he drew others toward himself in every walk of life into 
 which he entered. His kindliness of manner and his 
 readiness to extend a helping hand to those who were 
 less fortunate than himself endeared him to all who were 
 privileged to know him. In the Senate of the United 
 States he was always active in advancing the interests of 
 the far West, that section of our country which he knew 
 so well and whose needs he endeavored most assiduously 
 to supply. He had just been elected to a second term 
 when the hand of death was laid upon him. The people 
 of the State of Nevada recognized his true worth. He 
 had contributed liberally from his store for their enter- 
 tainment and their creature comforts, and when the news 
 was flashed to them that George S. Nixon had answered 
 his last roll call they felt that they had lost a true bene- 
 factor, a faithful public servant, and a public-spirited and 
 kind-hearted fellow citizen. He had been faithful to 
 them in his lifetime; they mourned his untimely death. 
 
 [51] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: I am very glad to be present on this occa- 
 sion to pay my simple tribute of respect to the memory 
 of George S. Nixon, late a Senator from the State of 
 Nevada. As has already been stated. Senator Nixon was 
 born within the confines of my State and grew to man- 
 hood among the glories of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 
 He was a splendid example of what the youth of this 
 land may accomplish by industry, temperance, energy, 
 and perseverance. Coming from the smallest begin- 
 nings, a farmer's boy, he rose to be one of the great finan- 
 ciers of the West, and finally to fill the exalted position 
 of Senator of the United States for his State. 
 
 I did not know Senator Nixon until I came to Wash- 
 ington as a Member of the Fifty-ninth Congress in 1905. 
 I afterwards came to know him as one of the hardest 
 working Members of the Senate, though not one of the 
 noisy ones. He toiled as hard in the interest of his State 
 and people as the hardest-worked Member of either 
 House and gave to the discharge of his official duties 
 the full measure of his manly devotion. A less manly 
 man would have chosen a life of ease and enjoyment, 
 which his ample means would have enabled him to do, 
 instead of cheerfully and faithfully taking up the grind- 
 ing task which we here know is the lot of the man who 
 is chosen to represent his State in either branch of the 
 Congress of the United States. Faithful to every duty, 
 he merited and received the full measure of confidence 
 of the people of his State, as he did of his colleagues and 
 of the Members of this House. In 1910 he was nomi- 
 nated by the people of Nevada by an overwhelming ma- 
 
 [52] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 jority, and afterwards unanimously elected by the leg- 
 islature of his State to succeed himself, an honor that is 
 given to but few men in the history of tliis country. 
 
 George S. Nixon was not only an honest, conscientious, 
 and faithful legislator, he was a faithful, generous, and 
 loyal friend, as I can testify from personal experience. 
 His warm, generous heart prompted him to many unself- 
 ish and kindly acts that others than the recipients knew 
 not of, but these flowers of affection will be always cher- 
 ished and preserved in memory by those who knew liim 
 well as the brightest ornaments in the life of a most 
 successful and much-honored man. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, life is full of tragedies, many of them 
 unseen, although enacted before our eyes. Few of them 
 have the dramatic setting of the tragedy that accom- 
 panied the decease of our late colleague from Michigan, 
 Mr. Wedemeyer, who has been spoken of here this after- 
 noon; but in the death of Senator Nixon one of these 
 tragedies was enacted. The circumstances surrounding 
 his taking off were particularly distressing. A man just 
 in the prime of life, marvelously successful in business, 
 happy in all his family and social relations, honored by 
 his State as few men are honored, loved and respected 
 by the distinguished men of the Nation, prepared by 
 seven years of experience to render to the people of his 
 State and his country a service in the Senate of the 
 United States more valuable by reason of that experi- 
 ence, he was snatched away from it all by the hand of 
 death and translated to other scenes and activities. To 
 our short vision it looks as if such a result was all wrong, 
 as though evil or chance had come in to destroy, so far 
 as this man is concerned, the perfect and beneficent plan 
 that an all-wise and loving Creator is supposed to have 
 for each one of his children. Our limited judgment 
 
 [53] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Senator Nixon 
 
 would lead us to think that this man should have been 
 left in his position of honor and service until, full of 
 years, like ripened fruit, he dropped to the earth when 
 all men would say, " It is well; he has finished his work; 
 now let him rest." 
 
 But a larger knowledge possibly, a more enlightened 
 faith perhaps, has made many of us fervently believe 
 that human life reaches not from the cradle to the grave 
 but from the cradle beyond the grave to the furthest 
 stretches of eternity; that death is not the end, but only 
 a step, an epoch in the continuous life of man, only 
 changing the outer garments and stepping into another 
 room, larger and more beautiful than the one we left, 
 where the sunshine streams in brighter, where love is 
 fuller and truer, where opportunity is broader and larger, 
 and where, if we have here done well our part, the spurs 
 to effort and achievement may be less selfish and nobler 
 and larger than here. This earth life is but the primary 
 grade of that human school whose curriculum is not 
 bounded by our years here, but reaches far into the great 
 beyond. To those who have come to know this it will 
 seem certain that, although unknown to him and to us, 
 our brother and friend had finished the lessons of the 
 primary school, and that therefore the Father has called 
 him to a higher department, where larger development 
 and wider knowledge await him, where not rest and in- 
 action will claim him, but larger opportunity and wider 
 usefulness will call into full activity every faculty of his 
 manly and earnest nature. This thought should bring 
 some consolation to those to whom he was near and dear 
 as well as to us, his fellows, who knew him in the halls 
 of legislation. 
 
 To most of us the death of Senator Nixon was most 
 sudden and unexpected — probably not so to him. But, 
 in any case, a man engaged in the faithful discharge of 
 
 [54] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 the duties that life brings to him, and who is living and 
 doing day by day the best that is in him, needs no warn- 
 ing, no preparation for death. He is always ready. So 
 was it with our friend. I am persuaded that he entered 
 the life beyond as he lived in this — calmly, confidently, 
 hopefully — and that all is now well with him. As we 
 remember his generosity and manly virtues, as we think 
 of the success and the honors to which he came from 
 humble beginnings and an apparently unpromising en- 
 vironment, let us not forget that success for most men is 
 only the result of intelligent, continuous, and earnest 
 effort, and that the highest possible honor that can come 
 to a man is a useful, well-spent life. 
 
 Honor anrt .sbaiiie from no eondition rise. 
 Act well your part ; there all the honor lies. 
 
 Then, in accordance with the resolution heretofore 
 agreed to (at 4 o'clock and 6 minutes p. m.), the House 
 adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 17, 1913, 
 at 12 o'clock noon. 
 
 [55]