The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-31
Washington Wonders About
Those Insurgent Receptions.
Fear They Indicate a Rebellion
Against Congress.
LOOK TO MURDOCH.
Has Attracted Attention By
Method of Doing Things.
Held But One Committee Assign
ment During His Service.

Washington, Aug. 31.-OficiaI wash
ington looks with special interest upon
the public ovations which are being
rendered at home to the Republican in
surgent element of the senate and
house These demonstrations are taken
to indicate growing sentiment amonE
the masses against high-handed rule
in congress and unqualified approval OF
real and earnest insurgency.
In practically every instance the in
surgents have made good" at home.
They seem stronger intrenched in their
Jobs than ever before This conditions
of affairs appeals to many members
who have aligned themselves with the
regulars because they were compelled
/ by rear to break loose from the shack
les OF organization control For their
own preservation they feel il would be
better to lose their influence in the
house temporarily rather than be
| oltcned IN the next campaign AS 4.
consequence. the insurgent body. which
IS now but a slight minority OF Repub-
/ hcans, viii be strengthened materially
during the next session of congress The
! insurgents also expect to regain unto
/ their fold number of "backsliders''
who made campaign promises, but got
| cold feet" when 1t come TO a show
down in the election of the speaker and
adoption of the rules. They too. see
the necessity OF getting right with
their constituencies in carrying cut pre-
election promises.
The insurgents are not only being
lauded at home in their efforts for a
| square deal" bu. they are being con-
stantly put to the fore by the daily and
weekly press, and magazines as well
Favorable publicity is the moss profit-
able asset public servant can posi-
bly, enjoy 1t means everything to him
Without it his term of service is meas
ured.
Keen interest is shown here in Wash
L inc -
at Wichita in honor of Congressman
Victor Murdock recently Mr.. NurdociS
has fnSurged since the first session he
entered congress. 1t did not take him
long to find out that the average in
divldual in the house was a. nonentity,
and that II vas only under extraordi-
nary. circumstance that a member
could gain sufficient power to legislats
out being shackled. cast aside. and
compelled to lineup with the organi-
zation under the lash of the whip. He
wanted to exercise the prerogatives
of his office written in the statutes,
but he found he couldn't do it.
Then the young Kansan began to in
surge. He commenced to oppose pro-
grams of the organization in matters
before the postal committee of which he
Is member Here he was rebuked BY
Chairman Overstreet time and time
again None the less perturbed ''vic''
carried his hSh-- to the floor of the
house, where he made vicious attacks
on the rules and the ruling of tho
speaker Getting little or no satisfac-
ton In these quarters he took his fight
to the White House and told President
Roosevelt he could not stand for exist
ing conditions in the house of repre-
sentatives- This fight was mainly over
the proposition Of overpaying the rail-
roads for carrying the mails.
Finally, after enlisttng the aid OF
the president and Postmaster Gen
eral CorteIyou. an order was issued
the latter official eEfa ahffehfrr a
new plan of weighing the mails which
now saves the government annually
between $4.0O0.000 and $5.000,O00
The saving of this amount Of the peo-
pIe's money each year IS directly due
to Murdock's persistent efforts ex-
tending over four or five years.
spurred on By the success attend
ing these efforts. Mr.. Nurdock made
it his business to look into other
matters Of legislation that did not
appeal to his judgment in the sense
of being entirely proper and square.
His continued probing and exploita-
ton of affairs. together with con-
tinued arraignment OF the "machine"
of the house finally placed him in the
list of "undesirables'' in that body
The final climax of his standing in
the house was expected to come when
the committees were named at the
end of the recent session. He was
considered the leader OF insurgency.
particularly in the fight TO defeat
"Unc1e Joe" for reelection as
speaker
Mr.. Murdock has held but ono
committee assignment since entering
the house-that being postal affairs.
1t was confidently expected by his
colleagues that he would be relieved
of membership on this committee and
placed on ventilation and acoustics.
or some other committee OF equal
insignificance- However. the speaker
reappointed him on postal affairs. but
LITERALLY Kicked him down stairs
to the bottom of the Republican list
He dropped four notches in standing
But this act does not perturb the
Kansan in the least He just smiled
when he heard the announcement.
and told his friends that he proposed
to carry on his fight against the
speaker and the rules with re-
neWed vigor at the next session In
this fight he will be a factor and in
cidentaIIy grow in strength at home
SeIfshness'' the Washington Post
comments editorially on the life OF
General Hugh Cameron. Of Kansas;
The following tale comes cut Of
Kansas and is of more or less
moment to romantic YOUTH
Gen. Hugh Cameron. the Kansas
hermit led a lonely life on the Kaw
river bluffs. miles west OF Law
renee for so years. Cameron died
about year ago. and 1t was thought
that the secret OF his strange life had
been buried with him But a short
time ago a packet OF old love letters
was found secreted in a crack OF the
wall of the Cameron dug-out: these
letters explain the reason for the her
r1it's half-century of solitary exist
ence 1t was case Of disappointed