Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-23
Pen Picture of the Vice Presi-
dent That Gives the Lie to
the Cartoonists
HAS HABIT OF MAKING FRIENDS
Auditing Committee to Probe E:nor-
nous Expenditures in Agricultural
pepartment-sci Conceded to
Be Poor Business Men-consress-
men Enjoy Novelty of Mileage Books.

Washington, Jan. 2S.-About half the
newspaper cartoonists, whenever they
are short on ideas, draw an icicle or
q snow man, label it Fairbanks" and
J. let it go at that. As a result half the
visitors to the capitol when conducted
into the room Of Vice President Fair
banks expect to run into sudden fall
OF temperature-they expect q chilly
reception. Under such circumstances
1t is not surprising that visitors to
that same vice presidential room are
somewhat dazed as they leave II, for
instead of freezing. chilly atmosphere
they find a warmth and cordially sur
rounding Charles Warren Fairbanks
which they have been led to believe
never existed. The truth is no one
ever had cause to complain Of the re-
ception given him by Mr.. Fairbanks
since the first day he entered public
life in Washington. It is not within
the power Of humanity to fathom the
motives which underlie the actions OF
public men, and It Is of course possible
there Is nothing sincere In the greeting
which Charles w. Fairbanks always
extends to those who are presented to
him. He must be a consummate actor
indeed IL that cordially is put on"
and he must also possess a greater
stock Of 1t than any other man in pub
! lie life, for whether 1t be the page. boy
or the statesman who greets him the
result Is alwayA a cordial bow and a
hearty handshake.
Nj. Fairbanks wins friends every
day, and this winning streak is no new
thing with him. He first came. to
Washington as q senator ten years ago.
II his veins had been filed with ice
water, as the cartoonists try to make
out, he would scarcely have been Chos-
en- to make the race with Theodore
Roosevelt. II any cause existed for
clubbing him an iceberg" he would not
have enjoyed the real esteem Of his
colleagues which he certainly possess
es to marked degree.
The truth is, Charles Warren Fair
banks is an able man, a safe man and
q popular man among those who know
him, and 1t is perhaps because OF these
qualities that other less able and
equally ambitious statesmen take pains
to create the impression that the blood
Of the. vice president is composed of
white corpuscles and that his normal
temperature is only degree or two
above 80 Fahrenheit.
Ordinarily g. bill introduced in either
house of congress seven weeks before
the date of final adjournment would be
considered as having no chance what
ever of enactment into law. But Rep
resentative Perkins of New York has
prepared and has introduced meas
5ure of great Importance which will
probably be placed on the statute
books before the end Of the ses sion.
The bin is in line with the report made
to Secretary Root by commission, ap-
pointed by that official, which is de-
signed to prevent many abuses which
have grown up In connection with the
issuance Of passports to foreign born
citizens and especially those growing
out OF the habit OF certain OF these
citizens who after naturalization i'll the
United States return to the country of
their birth and claim exemption from
local laws because of their American
citizenship.
{ The first session Of the bill authorizes
the issue Of passports to persons not
citizens OF the United States, wherl the
applicant has declared his intention to
become a citizen and has resided III the
United States for three years, provided
that such passport shall not be valid
more than six months; that 1t shall be
renewed and that it shall not be valid
In the country Of which the holder was
citizen prior to making his declara-
ton Of intention.
The second section regulates the. is
suance of passports to native born As1-
serican residents.
There are ten committees of the
house of representatives which are ap-
parently important bodies. They are
the committees on expenditures in the
executive departments and upon public
buildings. About twenty years ago
when William NJ. Springer Of Illinois
was chairman OF the committee on ex-
penditures in the postoffice DEPART
ment he called his committee toge Their
and made an investigation. Some inn
proper expenditures were discovered
and Mr.. Springer gathered a great deal
Of campaign thunder and then the COM
mittee adjourned sine die.
II there has been formal action by
any like body in the past twenty years
it would be difficult to find a record of
the fact. These committees on expen-
diture We're originally formed to- act
as auditing committees, with the idea
of keeping congress posted upon the
methods in vogue in the bookkeeping
divisions of the various branches of
the executive service. But like audit
Ing committees generally they have
shown no disposition to perform their
duties This year, however, marks an
exception to the general rule. Mr.. Lit
tlefield, of Maine, as chairman Of the
committee on expenditures in the de-
partment of agriculture, has begun a
thorough and exhaustive inquiry into
the manner in which the funds Of that
department are disbursed. The fact is
noteworthy that the annual appropri-
atoms for Mr.. Wilson'S department
have been increased from $2,5OO,00O to
$4,000, 900 since he first accepted the
agricultural portfolio. No one expects
the inquiry will develop anything like
crookedness, but scientists are seldom
business men, and they usually ignore
formaitties when aiming N achievo ra