Nelson Aldrich (1841-1915) rose from a grocery store clerk in a mill town to become one of the most powerful and influential senators in the early 20th century. Elected to the Senate as a Republican in 1881, he joined the Senate Finance Committee, which set tariff rates, the principal means of raising federal revenue in the era before income taxes. As chairman of that committee, Aldrich studied financial matters closely and became the leading expert on tariff policy.  He rarely spoke on the Senate floor and operated mostly in the committee rooms.  During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, Aldrich opposed many of Roosevelt's proposed reforms, particularly for railroad regulation. His intransigence helped spur the movement to establish direct election of U.S. senators.