Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-05-20
Smiths Speech as Chairman.
TO PROVE THEORIES.

uOSIS dI COufGuIlOu
Frank J. Stillman.
TO PROVE THEORIES.
Southern Congressman to Put Himself
to Test.
Washington, May 16.
Quite part of the Iowans in Wash
ington will depart for Alabama Sun
day evening, as the special guests of
Congressman Charles w. Thompson,
who resides upon large plantation il
Alabama contiguous to the Tuskogee
Institute, of which the famous color.
ed man, Booker T. Washington, is pres
ident.
The members of the Iowa colony
booked for the trip include Secretary
of the Treasury Shaw and Mrs. Shaw.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, Con-
gresham Rumple, Judge Smith, Judge
Conner, Assistant Attorney General
William E. Fuller, and others will like
ly be added to the party between
this time and Sunday evening.
To Observe Conditions.
Congressman Thompson is a new
member in the house. He has been
passing the winter at the Hamilton no.
tel, where number of Iowa congress-
men and officials reside. In the course
of many conversations touching race
conditions in the south, notably in
connection with the Crumpacker propo-
sition to reduce representation from
the south in congress, Mr.. Thompson
has advanced certain theories and
statements relating to conditions in the
home state, but has been unable to
impress the northern congressman
with the logic and soundness of his
proposition, owing, he claimed, to lack
of knowledge of existing conditions in
the southland. Finally he made a
proposition to put congressman and
leading officials next" to the rea!
facts in a most practical manner; he
proposed to take them all down to
Alabama and personally point out to
the congressman facts and conditions
which could not be made fofceful upon
paper The offer was accepted and ar
rangements made for the trip. An in
Shaw and Secretary Wilson, both OF
whom accepted, which will give the
party distinctively an administration
status.
A number of other congressman
have been invited and accepted, among
them Congressman Crumpacker, of
Indiana, the leading spirit in the
southern investigation scheme, and
Congressman Littlefield, the hard-hit
ter, of Maine. Mr.. Thompson asserts
that when these gentlemen have had
even passing glimpse of the south
as it is, their views concerning what
ought to be done will suffer some
change.
Visit Thompson's Plantation.
The party will first visit the planta.
ton of Congressman Thompson, then
inspect the Tuskogee Institute under
chaperonage of President Booker T.
Washington, then visit the leading cit.
les of Alabama, the trip taking up
three or four days Great prepare.
tions are being made by the citizens
of the towns to be visited by. the party
and innumerable invitations from 9th.
er cities and towns to ''call" have
been received.
Shaw May Make Some Remarks.
Secretary Wilson is the only north
CluCl VI IAlC pally wiz lldo Fi0iltu luS
south, he haYing accompanied Presi
dent Mckinley upon one of his trips
1t is not unlikely that Secretary Shaw
will make some remarks at some of the
points upon the itinerary, and Secre
tary Wilson may be expected to call
attention to some agricultural points
of interest and profit to southerners.
Rare Volume in Congressional Library
The congressional library possesses
volume of which work there is not
another copy in, EXISTENCE volume
by Thomas Jefferson upon the "Mor
ais Of Jesus" All the other works OF
Jefferson have been reprinted by order
of Congress save this one, which was
| not at that time known to be in exis
tence. Congressman Lacey introduced
a bill to have $500 copies printed, and
in explaining the matter to the House
| told the story of the famous volume
as follows:
.Jefferson's Bible in Museum.
There is little volume of 1874 pages
in the library of the national museum
| mound in red morocco, which is one
of the most curious things in Wash
| ington and is rarely seen. Thomas
Jefferson's library was purchased by
| the government as is now contained ir
1.-THE Congressional Library. Sometime
ago in giving the Jefferson collection
| a careful examination. | found that
the Jefferson bible as it is sometimes
called, was not there. No one could
| tell me where it was until asked A
R. Spofford, who knows everything
about books, and he told me it was
in the National Museum Library: II
| appears that the volume was not in
| cluded in the sale of Jefferson's Ii
brary, but was afterward purchased
for $500 from Miss Randolph. This
book is too valuable to be kept upor
the shelves of the museum library, but