Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-29
New Senator From oklahoma
Escapes Experience Accorded
to LaFolIette and Others
"RED MEN" IN THE SENATE
Owen, Curtis and Powers All Have In
dian BIood-Prospects Favorable to
PASSAGE of Bill to Pension Govern
ment Employees - Governments In
consistent Attitude on Liability Law.

washington, Feb. 29--'Thc speech of
in opposition to the Aldrioh financial
bill may be written down as one of
the leading features of the present
session of congress. 1t has been many
years since a new senator. at the very
beginning of his first term has sprung
into such wide and Favorable renoWn.
1t is to be noted that there has been
manifested in the senate no DISPOSE
ton to "dscipine" Senator Owen be-
cause he had the tenerity to make a
speech during his first session. his case
in this respect differing from that of
Toilette. of Wisconsin.
1t is probable that Senator owens
able speech attracted more attention
than it otherwise would from the fact
that Indian blood flows in his veins. 1t
is true that he is but one-eighth Cher
ollee, but his features are strongly
marked by his indian descent and he
Indian affairs than have Senator Cur
It's, of Kansas. or Representative
Powers of Maine. the two other mem
bers of congress who boast of Indian
blood.
When owen was elected to the sem
ate the event was hailed as the red
man coming into his own, and the
press of Europe devoted many columns
of space to commenting on the fact
that an American aborigine had been
chosen a member of Americas highest
Legislative body. Yet when Mr. Cur
It's was promoted TO the senate from
the house. where he had served for
several years, there was only passing
mention of the fact that he was one
eighth kaw, the same proportion OF
Indian blood as is possessed by Sena-
tor Owen. And relatively few people
know that Representative Powers, one
time governor of Maine. is part Indian,
tho he has more of the Indian IN MS
arpearance than either Curtis or
owen.
The Kaws think so much of Curtis,
despite his preponderance of white
blood that when their chief died re-
Gently they wanted the commissioner
of Indian affairs to appoint the KAN
sas senator as their ruler They were
only dissuaded from their determine
ton when Senator Curtis diplomatic
ally insisted that so high a tribal honor
should go to a full-blooded Indian
If government employees who enjoy
the protection of the civil service laws
Will unite in support of the pension
bill introduced by Representative Goul-
den of New York. it is probable that
congress will pass the measure and
that in the course of few years the
aged government clerk or laborer will
be enabled to retire from active serv-
ice on life annuity.
To call the measure introduced by
MIR. Goulden a pension bill is a ms
homer: it properly should be called an
insurance bill for it differs radically
from the ordinary pension plan
based upon reductions from the salar-
les of the future pensioners. In other
plans it has been proposed to raise
general fund for pension purposes. but
under the Owen bill each employees ac-
count would be kept separately and ms
would be based upon what ne
himself had paid in. without regard to
the payments of his fellow employees.
If the retiring clerk doesn't care for
an annuity, the bill provides that he
shall be paid the whole sum due from
the assessments on his salary and also
the earnings of those assessments,
which are to be invested, under the di-
rection of the secretary of the treas
ury. in state. municipal railroad or
other approved bonds.
The president is to designate which
classes of employees shall be included
in the pension plan. and the ages for
retirement are fixed as follows: For
those whose labors require great physi-
cal exertion, 60 years; for those whose