The Ladysmith news and Ingram news. [volume] (Ladysmith, Wis.) 1905-1906, 1906-01-06
RECOLLECTIONS OF The EDI TOR
8 ONE Experiences of Other
days that Linner i'm them e rnory

Making congressman is not always
SO difficult as might appear at first
thought. The writer hereof has had
some experience along this line The
difficulty or ease of success in such eff
fort depends largely upon the material
you have to work upon. 1t was back
in the last century and at the begin
ming Of the last decade thereof that I
was editing a paper in Mississippi
river town. The district was normally
quite heavily republican-but things
hadn't been normal there for some
time-only at times. Two years be-
fore, the old congressman had won
back his place from an Irish lawyer
who had been the cause of distress
ingly abnormal condition that of caus-
ing heavily republican district TO be
represented in congress by demo-
crat.
Now had notion that the then
congressman, now celebrating the clos
ing of his sixth term, between and
betwixt which there had been some
democratic victories ought to step
down and make way for vigorous
young lawyer whom I had selected as
the coming man. steamed up to 200
pounds to the square inch and made
the suggestion. | was laughed at
actually laughed at and by many Of
those who recently sat at banquet
given in honor of my mans elevation
to the craftsmanship of the most i'm
portant committee in congress. The
old war horse was again nominated
land defeated) and my prospective
congressman went to the state senate
and II went at work grooming him
for congress. He took a prominent
part in the legislature, we were con-
stantly in consultation and-well, how
the thing was done we will leave I'm
told-it was fair and square both of
us had only 80 cents, SO there was no
graft-but when the next congression-
al convention was called there was
I opposition. There were two other
candidates and some dark horses.
They all settled on one candidate in an
effort to beat us. There were 1O1
delegates in the convention. A can
vass assured us 81 votes, but the act
ual vote in convention gave US more.
My man made splendid ifnpromptu
speech Il know it was impromptu be-
cause the typewriter text was sub
mitted to me some days before for
criticism) and all went well. He is
now serving his seventh term and if he
doesn't go back miss q guess in which
/ have great confidence.
This congressmas was made of the
right stuff He was worker. He
4 never went to school enough, as the
fellow said, ito put in tea" He was
a blacksmith, then a machinist, then a
lawyer. He was "a diamond in the
rough when | first knew hin-but he
was Of the right material. Those fell
lows don't laugh at him any more.
| They take off their hats to him-and
SO do to any man who has ideas, and
conviction, and courage, and energy,
and amb. ton, and can fight shy of
graft whether it be in shoe factory
fake or an electric light leak, a loan
agency or a watch the county didn t
get
am glad my old friend has secured
such signal honors. If I get the city
printing next year at rate somewhat
better than the 96 per cent discount
now prevailing / am going down to
Washington and talk over old times.
If the grafters will attack us twice
more, III go even without the city
printing.
And | want to add that this man
whom ] chose for congress when his
friends and mine all laughed at the
idea, is the same fellow he used to be.
I'm going to get him up here some
time and show him to you.