The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-03-26
KE|FER TO CRAM :
ON LEG|SLAT ION
Here to Study Up for Com
ing Congress.
BACK AFTER TWENTY YEARS
Ex-Speaker Chosen Again to Repre-
sent Kis District in House of
representatives.

Gen. j. Warren Keifer, of Ohio, for
mer Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives and lately elected a member of
that body again after an interlude of
twenty years, is here at the Ebbitt
House on visit to the Capital.
General Keifer was a member of the
House from 1877 to 1885, and was Speak
er from 1881 to 1888. During the twenty
years intervening between 1885 and the
time of his late election he has been en-
gagged in law practice in his State and
tending TO private business affairs ex-
cept for the period of the Spanish war
when he commanded division in Gen.
F1tzhugh Lees Corps
Civil War Veteran.
He is a civil war veteran as well.
He comes to Washington at this time
more for the visit than to look after POI
litical matters, but while here will visit
the President, and look after some of
the interests of his constituents
General Keifer's election to Congress
this time was case in which the Of
fee sought the man. He had, he stated
no particular desire to come to Congress
again, but found that all the members
of his party had united upon him and
would not take mo- for an answer.
Interest Sustained.
He had never lost his interest In pol
itics, however. as is manifest from the
work he has always done for the Re.
publican party in every political cam
| pafgn, but rather preferred that ths
active part of the work at this end be
| done by others.
THE work in Congress is hard" said
General Keifer, and have SO many
other important things on hand.
! -Of course some men get along IL
| Congress without a great deal of work
| but 1 never could. My constituents ex
pect me to work. and / shall work.
| 4 have much TO do to inform mysel
or the affairs that will come up in III,
House next session, and 1 mean 10 de
! vote the summer to study OF them y
Stories of His Time.
General Keifer has many interesting
stories to tell of his former period IL
Congress At the time he was chosen
Speaker of, the House he had as oppo
nents Thomas 3. Reed, Frank Hiscock
| Kasson. and Ortiz
| During the whole of his former perio'
in Congress the House was Democratic
excepting the two years in which he wa
Speaker: and for two years the Senat
was Democratic.
Many bitter fights to get none
enough even to run the Administrative
were fought on the floor of the House
General keifer was several times tn
opponent of Garfield in hotly conteste
debates.
, OF the members in Congress now VIII
served during the eight years Genera
Keifer was in the House are Represents
tives Pete" Hepburn, Bingham {
Pennsylvania. Hit of Illinois, an
Ketcham of New York, and Senator
Blackburn, Burrows, Hale. Frye. an
Nelson.
General Keifer is an optimist. He b.
lieves the affairs of government are ru
5 very well now, and he has little to sa
: in criticism of them. He believes in tt
President and In the regulation of II
trusts, and when he has fully digeste
the facts will have something 10 propos
. in this direction His hobby just now
J the reduction of Southern represent;
ton.