The Washington herald., 1909-04-18

1855. three months altogether. Up 10 that
time laws attempting the control OF rail-
way transportation had not been enacted.
John II Reagan. OF Texas. was chairman
% the House Committee on Commerce
I had received letters and literature from
him. and he had received sundry com
munications from me bearing on the QUes-
tons of monopoly and me regulation ot
corporations.
Two or three days after taking the
oath Of Office Reagan requested me 70 ad-
dress the House. No Democrat was
ready Just at that time TO make a set
speech ] hesitated understanding the
traditions which hedge in a new member
but Reagan was urgent and 1 yielded.
( Ten minutes later l was On ms feet.
spoke without notes or any special prep
aration The questions then as now. were
rates. rebates. and determinations. 7 re-
member saying that the charge on general
freight from Omaha 20 San Francisco
was $500 a car. as against $500 a car be-
tween ogden and San Francisco, although
the haul was 6o0 miles shorter. The rate
on walnut lumber was more from the
town OF Bourbon. in my district. 10
Philadelphia than from Chicago 20 Fhiia-
delphia. even though Chicago was ninety
miles vest OF Bourbon.
When did you study law"
'On my return to South Bend. at the
end of my short service in Congress. I
entered the law department of the Uni
veTsity OF Michigan, and by working
day and night was graduated in a year.
Immediately after being graduated I was
again nominated for Congress. Z served
three terms in the House OF Representa-
tives. and then engaged in the practice
OF my profession at South Bend. Gus
tom in my case. you see, was completely
reversed. Ordinarily a lawyer practices
before he goes 10 Congress. The fervor
o. youth and the discipline Of small
things are Of great advantage to him
professionally.
For six years I had been making
speeches on the great subjects which
deeply concerned and interested the
whole country. Suddenly took up the
inconspicuous details Of a wholly differ
ent kind Of labor. It seemed TO me that
would have prOhted personally had my
service in Congress followed an early
and proper training at the bar However.
hoped | was done with politics But
friends came 10 me for help from year
10 year. They had cheerfully worked
when I was a candidate for Office. and I
could not be selfish or ungrateful Cen
sequently I never did succeed In getting
entirely out Of politics Still. with all
my disadvantages. 7 made good headway
in my profession. Ny first fee was in
case against the Grand Trunk Railway
fol damages. which I settled out Of
court and amounted 10 S50d %
Under what circumstances did your
famous friendship with william J.
Bryan begin?"
NJ. Bryan had come as a new men,
Der 10 the Fifty-second Congress, and
Speaker Crisp. Ignoring precedent had
given him n place on the Mays and
Means Committee. He was slender and
dark, resembling Samuel J. Randall 10
striking degree. and very attractive
had heard Of his power as an orator. and
so when the TilGen club. OF South Bend.
of which I was president. wanted a
speaker for Jackson Day in January 1892,
took him 10 Indiana. He captured
South Bend almost 10 man. and we
have since been the best Of friends"
= = =
What must the Democrats do II they
seriously hope TO elect a President in
1922"
Il have strong convictions on that par
ticular subject" Senator ShiyeIy an
swered. but / should want to write
them down with much deliberation rather
than TO put them into a hapllazard inter