The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1909-08-12

justified for the reason that man
receiving 100000 per year can better
afford to part with 10 per cent Of it. or
$4,000. than a man receiving 81 900
can afford to part with per cent or
$40, for the one with the large income
would still have left $4,000, while he
with the smaller income would have
only 5000. The old notion that men
spend according to their incomes is
largely exploded. There are certain
fixed amounts that each being has to
pay for the necessities Of life, and
above this the amount expended grad
ually lessons according to the tempera-
ment of the spender.
A Senator Of the New School.
The man who introduced the income
tax amendment which is now going
to the various states for ratification is
new member of the upper house, Sen
ator Norris Brown of Nebraska About
all the general public knows Of Sena-
tor Brown is that he is an anti-monop-
olist, that he ran for the senate on an
anti-railroad platform, that he beat
Edward Rosewater Of the Omaha Bee
for the place, shortly after which poor
Rosewater, like Horace Greeley, died,
and that when attorney general of
Nebraska Brown beat the railroads on
bunch OF tax suits that Immediately
made him the idol of the other tax
payers. This, I repeat, is the general
knowledge of the man. By looking
at the congressional directory or
"Who's Who or some other publica-
ton, read chiefly by those whose
names appear therein, the reader
might also learn that Mr.. Brown was
born in Iowa and graduated from the
Iowa State university in 1883, that
he afterWard practiced law at Kear-
ney, Neb.. that he was twice county
attorney, that he ran for congress and
was defeated, that he was assistant at
torney general and afterward attorney
general of Nebraska, that he is forty.
six years old and some other biograph-
zeal dictionary facts in kind.
SO much for statistics. 1t just hap
pens that used to know Norris Brown
when I was trying to run country
paper at Kearney and he was trying
to be a lawyer. I hope he made
better out of his effort than 1 did at
mine and believe he did. He must
have done so or he would not now be
in the senate
A Personal Touch.
There is nothing like the democracy
Of young fellows in western town,
and even though we did belong to
different parties think knew Norris
Brown in those days and believe I
know him yet, and if he is as I sized
him up you should keep your eye on
him, for he will go far. A capital
campaigner, with a fund of happy
humor and telling anecdotes, he is yet
a man with stuff in him, one who will
dare much for principle, one who in
tensely admires the La Toilette brand
of politics and one who belongs dis
tinctively to the new. school. He is a
chap of rclly poly physique, but with
good, strong face, rather luminous
brown eye, in which plays almost al
ways kindly twinkle; a square mouth,
with rather whimsical upper lip, and
head and face that denote sturdi-
ness, readiness and strength-natural-
~ ikable man and editatedly
so, one who can say keen and cutting
things with a smile, fighter with the
face of a cherub, one who is not
afraid to meet anybody or any situa-
ton, man ambitious, tactful, win
ming and with the ''smile that never
comes off," 1 hope I have not over
drawn the picture. There is always
danger Of that with one we have
known and liked. And l confess that
I like Brown more now since reading
his career than did in the days when
knew him. That was nearly twenty
years ago, and his whole upward path
has been Travelled since.
Here are three incidents of his life
that give some index to his character.
The first was as boy, when he rode
for several years to school, a distance
of eight miles, on one of the farm
horses.
The second was when the farm boy
had become attorney general Of his
state. It was a state that the rail-
roads had run for years until there
was an uprising and the legislature
passed a law forcing the railroads to
pay their just portion Of the taxes.
The roads got out an injunction in the
federal courts, and all their high priced
legal talent appeared to fight the suit.
On the other side was the young at
torney general practically alone. For
nearly year the case was contested,
and Brown won the victory.
The third event is in the United
States senate, where the same figure,
though new in that august chamber,
has the courage to appear against
all the older members in a fight for
the publishers Of America in behalf of
a lower duty on wood pulp and print
paper. The young man won his spurs
and before he was through had all the
high priests Of standpatism trying to
answer him,