The Washington herald., 1908-05-03

HLfhtSLHtftfFL fvNaJLfV Eighteen years att
er. IN 1890. he was admitted to the bar.
and has practiced law in Jackson since
then. He was register Of deeds for Jack
son County for eleven years. was dele
/ gate 20 the Republican national conven-
/ tion OF 1855, and a member Of the Re
/ publican State central committee for four
years.
Mr.. Townsend had for some time cast
longing eyes on Washington and the Con-
gress of the United States. At last his
nerve got the better Of him, and he
| chanced a nomination for the Fifty
/ eighth Congress. He was elected, and
again he vas successful Tor the Fifty
ninth.
The taste for national fame Just suited
| him, and his acts evidently suited his
constituents, for the Democrats did not
dare nominate any candidate against him
I for the SiXtieth Congress. Nine hundred
/ and twenty-four residents Of his district
cast their votes for the Prohibition can
/ oidate- Townsend got all the rest,
! Representative Townsend's name Is en-
/ blazoned on the scroll of recent legisla-
ton The Esch-Townsend railroad rate
bill has been a by-word since 1906.
Again the son Of Michigan has sprung
/ into the limeligh! He prepared a petit
! ton, regularly signed and about to be
/ delivered to Speaker Cannon, asking for
! a conference of the majority TO consider
/ necessary legislation. The mighty Speak
/ er didn't receive il. and the chance for
/ Townsend's name going down in history
as an insurgent is lost, perhaps forever.
Representative Mann, the watch dog
Of the Treasury, aud one Of the best
informed men in the House, yesterday took
a shot at Secretary Garfield. and again
upheld the cause of civil service reform.
Mr.. Mann has on several occasions ex-
pressed his opinions OF provisions in ap-
preparation bills authorizing the Secre-
tary OF the Interior to make appointments
outside OF the civil service Usually he
/ has succeeded in getting what he wants,
/ too.
During consideration Of the sundry civil
appropriation bill yesterday, Mr.. Mann
again encountered a paragraph per
mitting the employment Of persons in
the General Land Office by the Secretary
of the Interior-no civil service examina-
ton being mentioned.
After giving his views on the subject,
Mr.. Mann wound up by saying that it
was simply rotten" that Congress should
make appropriations permitting govern
ment officials 90 employ persons outside
the civil service when these same officers
were ranting about civil service reform.
| Representative Hammond, OF Minnesota,
has a vivid Imagination and is conse-
quently a good story teller. Sitting in the
Democratic cloak room yesterday, sur
rounded only by tobacco smoke and Rep
lresentative Burleson, Mr.. Hammond told
about the boyhood days Of Gov. Johnson.
when Johnson was supporting his
mother and the other children Of the
family" he said, he found enough time
to learn the game Of baseball from A TO
g. He was a bird on the bases and he
never was afflicted with a glass arm.
Like every other American youth. his
greatest ambition was 10 be first baseman
for a professional team. He was offered
a place on team in one Of the big
leagues, and the salary was tempting"
And what did he do?'' asked Repre-
/ sentative BuTleson, of Texas.
He sighed and turned down the offer. =
said Hammond. IF he hadn't turned II
down. he might now be president Of the
National Baseball League instead Of gov
ernor Of Minnesota and the next Presi-
dent OF the United States"
People visiting Washington, and Incl
dentally the halls of Congress, have queer
ideas as to certain things and places. OF
late the city has been oyerrun with Wis
itors, the great majority OF whom visit
the Senate. Things are kind of tame in
the House, not much doing but roll calls.
but in the Senate one gets his or her
moneys worth. The past week a great
many ladies were seen in the galleries.
The press gallery Of the Senate doesn't
look unlike band stand. with its elab-
orately decorated front, and IT is never
occupied by the scribes prior to the OPEN
ing of the proceedings.
a young lady seated in the gallery op-
pOsite the press gallery had been look
ing intently at the empty seats for quite
a while. Her curiosity got the better of
her. and going to the doorkeeper, she said
Mister, will you please tell me when the
band begins TO play?' The dooTkeeper
was amazed. "No band viii play. miss, -
said that gentleman; there is no band;
why do you ask 2"
The young lady looked disappointed and
embarrassed when she said. with heslta-
ton. 'Isz't that the band stand?" point
ing to Tho press gallery.