THE LIFE OF A SENATOR BY HENRY CABOT LODGE, SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS T used to be said that every intelligent IT American boy expected to be President of the United States, and perhaps some of them hope to fill the less exalted office of Senator. Such ambitions are wholesome, and the boys who cherish them are very apt to grow up to be good citizens and perform the highest duty of a citizen, which is to take a thoughtful, active, conscientious interest in the public affairs of his country. Whether these hopes of great political distinction are or are not as common as they are supposed to be, it is cer tain that American boys ought to know about the government of their country and the manner in which it is carried on. Probably for this reason I have been asked to write about the life of a Senator. In so doing I desire, if I can, to give some idea of what the daily life of a Senator really is. I could tell stories of the Senate and of the famous men who have been there, and of the historic scenes in which they have taken part. But these things are all written down in many books, and although they are very interesting, they tell what is exceptional and do not describe the everyday life and work of a Senator, which, although less exciting, is what after all you need to understand. Let me begin by telling you very briefly what the Senate is. It is the upper branch of Congress and one of the most important of all the branches of the government. No one can be a Senator before he is thirty years old, and the |