Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-01-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
What Congressman LatImer Is Doing for the
People Whom he Represents.

Editors Courier: Your newsy paper
of each week is looked for and read
with the greatest interest, especially
80, as / hail from the mountainous
section of our dear old State-Oco-
nee 7county-and it is quite probable
the citizens of this District would be
glad to know something of the do
ings of their friends in the nations
capital. My attention has more than
once been called to the work of our
Representative in Congress, the Hon.
A. @. Latimer, and it is in reference
to his work wish to make few
remarks.
had the pleasure of calling on
the distinguished gentleman repre-
senting the Third Congressional Dis
trict of South Carolina one evening
last week, and found him "head over
ears" transacting the daily routine
of business which falls to the lot of
each and every public official con-
nected with the halls of Congress
answering letters, petitions, etc., and
keeping up with the general news of
the State, afforded him through the
medium of the press. Mr.. Latimer
was just recovering from severe
attack Of. la grippe, and though feel
ing somewhat debilitated. from the
effects of it, he nevertheless took
great pleasure in enlightening us on
the important questions of the day
and their probable outcome as they
are presented before the national
body of makers.
1t is well-known fact in Wash
ington that Mr.. Latimer is hard
fighter for any bill he may wish to
become a law, and in a "dead open and
shut game" Especially to bis brother
members) he will not lay down until
every vestige of hope is gone. With
this determination of spirit he has
secured the passage of any number
of bills which would otherwise have
been lost to the people of his Con-
gressional District. Only the other
day he was petitioned from a mem
Der of the Republican side of the
House to withdraw an amendment
he had offered to his bill in regard
to post offices, when Mr.. Latimer
Immediately replied 81 have a bill
now before your committee, and if
you will do me the kindness to make
favorable report thereon I will
withdraw my amendment to your
bill" When told that the members
of the committee were not in favor
Of his bill Mr.. Latimer forthwith
informed the Republican member
that his amendment would still hang
fire until his committee reported fa-
vorably on his Natimer's) bill.
Mr.. Latimer numbers his friends
by tho score, not only in the House
of Representatives and the Senate,
but among the heads of the different
departments throughout the city,
and especially so by Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson, who not long
since was heard to remark that "Mr.
Latimer was one of the most wide
awake Congressman in the House of
Representatives, and while he repre-
sented the minority side of the
House he far surpassed many of
those on the majority side as to busi-
ness capabilities and the wants of
the people in general, and while he
remained Secretary of Agriculture
and it was in his power to grant Mr..
Latimer favor, he would most will
lingly do 3d."
Our "ever-ready and always there"
Hon. b. r. Tillman is often seen in
and around the capital building, as
is also tho polished parsonage OF the
junior Senator from South Carolina,
the Hon. John T.. McLaurin. Other
members from our State are also
here and no doubt are doing their
best to further the interests of their
sections of the State.
There has been some talk of an
extra session of Congress, but we
hardly expect it, as the members
will begin to get tired out by the 4th
of March and will want to get home.
The Inauguration of President
Mckinley promises to be big affair,
and / would advise those who can,
/ II -