The Washington times., 1909-04-11
VT THEN Robert La Toilette first
NM came to Congress. as mem
" " Der of the House from Wis
consfn Sena+or ph51a+,,- san

" " Der OF the House from Wis
consin, Senator Philetus Saw
yer was the head of the wisconsin del
egation- The Senator took the brilliant
young lawyer aside and whispered in
his ear;
Now, Bob, 1 think as much Of you
as if you were my son. I'm going 10
do anything I can for you. What do
you want?"
The young member opined he wanted
to get on the Public Lands Committee,
where his knowledge of law would do
some good. I'm see what I can do,
softly said Uncle PhiIetus. who was
commonly looked on as being pretty
deeply immersed in the land business
himself. When the time came. La Fol-
lette got on Indian Affairs, which was
looked on as a berth where there were
no large possibilities Senator Sawyer
was sorry. but he'd done the best he
could. La Toilette went to work on
Indian Affairs and things ran along
smoothly until one day bill came up
Cor a bridge for certain big railroad
cCmpany over the Missouri river. It
was not merely a bridge bill. but II
contained Joker that gave the rail-
road company an enormous land grant
II didn't look good to Bob" He went
to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
who said II was steal La Toilette
went back to the Capitol prepared TO
fight Senator Sawyer had q heart-to-
heart talk with him and begged him not
to do it. Land out there isn't worth
much anyhow" said Uncle Philetus.
INT going i E 10 eit It, f'a He Ia di Eoe The
bill didn't get through as the railroad
company wanted it. And that was the
beginning of the war between the rail-
roads and La Toilette. i has been go
ing en- ever since
SEM II Stephen Ben1o EIkins is one
Of he few members of Congress who
knows Spanish. He acquired it In New
Mexico in early da%s and can still
talk it.
Postmaster General Hitchcock has
been criticised as being hard to find
in his office. This is because Presi-
dent Taft, when he has something at
the Capitol that he takes a special
interest in. is pretty apt to get Hitch
cock to give ii attention. MoreOTeT4
the Postmaster General has the habit
of doing great deal Of work at
night He remains at his Office IN
til all sorts Of night hours, Just as
he used to when he was Assistant
| Postmaster General
~ HE happiest pt2n in the House
when the tariff oil was passed
was Representative Joseph War
rem Fordney of Michigan, who
has led the struggle tc prevent lumber
| from going on the free list. Fordney,
/ who is in the lumber business himself
ana Is on the Ways and Means Commit
| tee fer the especial purpose of lookins
after lumber and who makes no apollo
/ gies for it, was gleefuI when tl.S various
I free lumber amendments had been
I voted down and exchanged cOngratGla-
/ tions and fluctuations with d number
| of the members of tie House VINO also
/ had been fsEnting against free lumber
Whatever Fordpey'S enemies say OF
him, they all admit he is a scrapper
He got the habit when he started life in
/ the Michigan logging camps. In the
I lumber woods around Saginaw twenty
/ i've or thirty years ago. JOE EOrdney
used to be known as the champion
lumber jack of tn region and came
off Sictor in many fight with his fists
Such a training as that makes II Ger
/ tain that a man is no mollycoddle-
/ Fordney is still an athlete. He has a
powerful muscle. stu hard, despite his
years. Some OF his friends say that
/ probably Representative Byrd OF Mis-
sissippi didn't know this when in the
/ course of the debate the other day he
| Jumped from his seat and started for
/ Fordney. Lucky fer Byrd that some
/ of the boys stopped him., said one Of
| Fordney'S friends.