Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-05-15
Congressman w. E. Brown Gaining an Excel-
ent Reputation for New Member.

ent Reputation for New Member.
From Washington Correspondent 20 Milwaukee
Sentinel.
Representative Webster E. Brown
Of the Ninth district is the youngest
| member in point Of service OH the
| Wisconsin delegation. lie is d stand
| ing example. as ne would be perfectly
| willing to admit. Of one who has been
through ihe handicap Of being Il new
member" Now that he is we'll started
on the highway Of service in the house,
| however, it would be loss to the
| district and TO the state if he were not
returned.
1t can be easily demonstrated, also,
that it is not alone on account Of the
| fact that Mr. Brown is we'll known
through his probationary period in the
house that he should be returned by
the new district in which the appOr-
tiOnment places him. He is of the
material from which good and infiuen-
tial representatives. are made. He is
a practical business man. That means
much among legislators. Especially
does it mean much when added to
that point in his favor one can truth
fully say that he is gentleman of
education, excellent address, hard
working and painStaking. and who
will surely acquire the influence and
standing in the house that is pri-
marily requisite tOuSeful and efficient
public service.
Mr.. Webster q. Brown is not law
yer, nor will he take high rank as
speaker in the Debates of congress.
He rs u modest, painStaking, working
member. He brings to the cOnSidera
tiOn Of public legislation a clear we'll
trained mind and valuable experience
gained through active business life.
1t may be set down as certain that
when Mr.. Brown enters upon his next
term in the bOuse he will take front
rank in the legislation which comes
before the business committees of
which he will always be u member so
long us be remains in the house. His
most important assignment is that of
the committee on Indian affairs. He
is also member of the mines and
mining committee which has had two
or three bills of important character
before it during the present session. =
BROWN WANTS RESERVATIONS AL
LOTTED.
Mr.. Brown takes an active interest
in the Indian question. He believes
that the lands embraced in the various
reservations should be allotted and
that it is only by imposing the duties
Of citizenship upon the Indian that he
ca be lifted out of SemibarbariSm in
to enlightenment and civilization.
Mr.. Brown has carried out this idea
with reference to the Wisconsin In
dians and has offered two or three bills
for the allotment of lands to the
Indians in the state. In the Indian
committee Mr.. Brown has paid special
attention to the Morris bill, which
proposes to sell the large tracts of
Indian pine embraced in the Mime
sofa Chippewa reservations. Through
his efforts notifications were made in
the measure which will. if carried
into effect, give advantages to outside
bidders Of which they were deprived
by the bill as originally introduced.
In the mining committee Mr.. Brown
has paid attention to the bill prOvid-
ing for support of schools of mines to
be operated in conjunction with the
various state universities and also to
a bill proposing to establish u depart
ment of mines.
When Mr.. Brown entered the pre-
sent congress, his first term. he aSpired
to be a member Of the important
committee on public buildings. He
soon aScertained that such favOrS are
not handed out to the new members"
He was especially interested in Secur-
ing a public building for WauSau, one
Of the best towns in his district. He
failed to get On the committee. The
fact that Wisconsin secured place on
hn mi RI lnG
obtaining for the state the WauSau
building appropriation, so nothing
was really lost by the failure of Mr..
Brown to gain a place on the commit
tee. If all the members from the
state had been new members, or even
half of them, and those who might be
entitled to recognition were already
we'll placed on other committees. it
would have been impossible for the
state TO secure this valuable assign
m6nt. This is d striking illustration
of the value of long service in the
house. and point which should not
be lost on the people Of the various
districts in Wisconsin.
ATTENDS TO HIS CORRESPONDENCE.
Being a careful and efficient busi-
ness man Webster Brown pays close
attention to the details CT legislation
and to the wants Of his constituents.
He is the kind of man who attends
carefully to his correspondence, one of
| the best characteristics Of a successful
member Of congress.
There is demand for such men in
public life as is Representative Brown.
| He has proved to the members of the
committees on Indian affairs and
mines and mining, as he has to his
colleagues in the house, that he is a
| thorough business man. He brought
to the details of legislation regarding
| the proposed sales of vast tracts of
| Minnesota Indian timber the training
! of lumberman, and he contributed
| to the interests Of the Indians and
safeguarded the public interests by
proposing and securing the adoption
of valuable amendments. It would be
| a lamentable fact if Mr. Brown should
decide to retire, or if the people of his
district should determine to begin
anew by sending here another ''new
member" just at the time when Mr..
Brown is getting in shane to be Of real
value and service to the people Of bis
1 =