Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-31

ing constituents "way down in Maine of
Congressman Charles e. Littleheld, who has
swung into prominence through the an
nouncement that he is to enter the legis-
lature lists as administration champion in
the contest with the trusts.
This hunter and challenger Of the "octo-
pus," as Jerry Simpson and the ~latter's old
associates were wont to term combinations
OF capital, is a characteristic product Of
the Pine Tree state. He has helped to keep
his native state prominent in the public
mind as have others of its celebrated sons
like Blaine and Dingley and Frye and MILL
Zen and Boutelle and a goodly company of
dead and gone statesmen. He has done II
in his own way, without the fault OF imita-
tion and by presenting new phases Of the
rugged New England character. Those who
know him we'll would hesitate to call him a
demagogue, although some Of his perform
ances have been almost as bizarre as those
Of men in congress and other public posi-
lions who are usually thought of as be-
longing to that class.
The Maine mans home admirer did not
wish by comparing him with the products
Of the forest to imply that Mr.. Littlefeld is
a wooden man. He merely wished to con-
vey in woodlands smile his idea Of the
physical moral proportions Of his favorite
congressman. Mr.. Littlefeld stands six feet
and over in his stocking feet. He carries no
superfuous flesh, like his friend ex-Speaker
Reed, and is as quick and supple as a forest
guide or a down east sailor man. He has
been in congress only three years, yet his
figure is as familiar and he is as much Of a
public celebrity as many men who have sat
in the house for a decade. The fact that he
succeeded the late Nelson Dingley, author of
the present tariff law. gave Mr.. Littleheld
o-u1 49,. A. q-A H., - ,.z,,,aad
his congressional duties.
Mr.. Littlefeld does not practice any &C.
centricities or oddities of dress that would
attract attention to him, yet he is ind!Her=
ent to personal appearance. He dresses to
suit his own comfort, his own convenience,
but he does not eschew the dress prescribed
by custom and good breeding and is seen
in immaculate linen and evening dress or
with silk hat and frock coat when such
garments are expected or required. The
picture that dwells in the eye of his asso-
c!ates and those who have watched him
daily in the house of representatives how
ever, is that of a carelessly clad man. When
delivering his most famous speech Of the
last session his attire was suggestive more
OF the lumberman in his Sunday clothes
or a farmland on an outing than a states
man in the greatest forum on earth.
He wore a loose-htting sack coat and
trousers that hung about his hips and
wrinkled from the knees to his shoe tops.
The responsibility Of keeping these neither
garments in their proper place hung upon
a black leather belt that was kept around
his waist line by the projection of his hip
bones. The duty which this strip Of leather
performed recalled the wondrous belly
band Of another great statesman from
Maine-as the Tom Reed sash was as ia
nous in the Fifty-frst congress as were
Tom Reeds rules. A negligee shirt Of a
color and texture reminiscent of the "hick>
ory'' shirt Of boyhood days on the farm, a
rundown collar and a limp wash tie COM
pleted the costume Of the orator who led
the fight against the leaders of the house
and won a victory that shook the prestige
of Speaker Henderson and his coterie of
counselors.
Mr.. Littleheld has his own style of ora
tory, which is a terror to the nimble-1ng-
cred stenographers who must record the
proceedings Of the house. He speaks rap
idly and almost without pause. He utters
a sentence In a rasping monotone and ends
the last word with either a rising or falling
infexion. This seems to give him rest and
he dashes into a new sentence almost with
out stop. His voice is rather harsh, but
the distinctness with which he utters his
words and the beautiful diction he employs
makes his delivery interesting, IL not pleas
ant. He has few gestures and his face II
immobile. His face would be characterize
as hard were it not lighted up by a pair o.
~good-humored gray eyes. He has a square
set jaw, firm chin, thin lips and Tight!
closed mouth. His features are as clean
lined as though carved from granite.
Congressman Littlefeld is just 81 year
of age and bears the impress OF one VIII
has fought through his half century of ex
istence. He is a fighter by nature an
training. 1t is this strenuous element Il
his character that has him t
President Roosevelt. 1t was not until Lit
tleheld dealt the administration a sofa
plexus blow in the Cuban reciprocity hgh
that the presidents attention was thor
oughly riveted on the man from Maine. ]
was then that Roosevelt remarked to
friend: THAT man Littlefeld, why, he
an OF OK, but an of OK that must be reek