The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-28
OLD MEN TAKE
THINGS EASY
Aged Senators Not So
Easily Tired.
MANY WELL UP In YEARS
Two Senator's at the Age Of Four
Score.
-
Senator Frye at 70 Is Longing for HIS
Fishing Trips-Congressman
Lafean Is Hard HIT by
Tsrin Bill.
ALFRED ]. sToFER

times weary SeSSlOnS OF tndL august
body do not seem to tire them as much
as they do the younger statesmen, who
fume and fret because Congress did
not dispose of the tariff bill as early
as was generally predicted. The most
aged Senators are Mr.. Stephenson, of
Wisconsin, and Mr.. Cullom, of Illinois.
The former was so this month, and
the latter will be so in November.
Senator Frye will be rs years Of age
In September, and Senator Hale Is 70.
Senator Depew was IS In April last,
and Senator Gailinger is ~. There are
several others who are grazing 20. but
they are all well preserved men and
look much younger than they really
are.
The ages of nearly half of the Sem
ators range from so to 20 years.
Senators Cullom and Stephenson have
taken no part so far in the tariff dis
cussions, but they are most regular at
tendants upon the sessions. Senator
Frye has dipped into the debate at
times but has not attempted to make
set speech. He looks more bored
than any of those who have TO wait
day after day for votes upon items In
the bill. This Maine statesman Is pas
sionately fond of fishing. He makes
trips around the lakes of his State ev-
cry summer and INDUCES in the sport.
cessful angler. For the past ten years
1t has been his good fortune to get
away from Washington rather early In
the season, and his legislative asso-
ciates cannot help smiling as they see
him in his seat, with his hands some
time folded, as If he were praying
that the session might soon end, so
that he could go to Maine and engage
in his favorlte pastime.
A Congressman Hard Hit.
Representative Daniel Lafean, of the
York District of Pennsylvania, goes
much further than did the late General
Winfield Scott Hancock who wrote a
letter in the memorable Presidential
campaign of 1880 in which he said that
the tariff was a local issue. Just af-
ter the Payne bill was reported to the
House, Mr.. Lafean looked over several
of the schedules which he thought hit
him pretty hard in his business and is
reported to have made up his mind
that the tariff was an individual issue
Now it happens that the Congress-
man from the Keystone State Is a man
of varied business interests. He makes
candy on d large scale. In the Payne
bill the duty on cocoa had been heav
lily Increased over the Dingley rates.
That enters into the manufacture of
chocolates. Then there was glucose.
That is used in the making of the
cheaper grades OF candy. Mr.. Payne
and his associates on the House Ways
and Means Committee had sharply ad-
yanced the duty on glucose, and there
were several other things in which Mr..
Lafean was personally interested and
which had been put up On him.
He did not have the slightest hesi-
fancy in telling his fellow Republicans
in the House that he did not see why
his line of trade should be whacked so
hard, and 1t almost shook his Republi-
canism when he made a fight In the
lower branch of Congress to have the
Dingley rates restored. Chairman
Payne was obdurate, and Lafean was
not able to change the Committees
figures so he tried his luck with the
Senate Finance Committee where re-
auctions were secured. They were
not exactly what the York member
asked for, but they Sacified him In a
measure.
Senators Stone, of Missouri, and
Clarke, of Arkansas. have rooms in
the same hotel not far from each other.
During the recent rainy spell in Wash
ington the Arkansas statesman left his
rubber shoes at the Capitol, and hav-
ing to go out that evening borrowed
those OF Senator Stone. Now 1t is
well known over the country that they
call Senator Stone Gum Shoe Bill. i"
After senator CldTko ndu worn Lne
latter's shoes and returned them to the
owner he said to him; II have been
very anxious to spend a couple OF
weeks In Arkansas, but did not think
ii exactly right to leave, while the
tariff bill was being considered; but
really, Stone, l think II 1 had slipped
of home with your shoes on 1 could
have gone all over the State and no
body would have known that had
been there"
Wilson to Quit.
A persistent rumor is afloat that Sec
rotary Wilson Is going to quit the Taft
cabinet about the end of the present
year The gossips also have 1t that
Representative Scott, Of Kansas, who
is Chairman OF the House Committee
on Agriculture, will become the new
Secretary of Agriculture The state
ment Is likewise made that as Farmer
Wilson has broken the record for con-
tinuous service in the cabinet he is
perfectly willing to step aside and let
another man take up the work which
has been SO dear to his heart during
the past twelve years.
Under the administration of Mr.. Will
son the Department has grown amaz-
ingly. He has been a very popular
cabinet officer, having relatively as
many friends among the Democrats in
Congress as among his own party as
sociates. 1t is the opinion of most of
the Democrats that Mr.. Wilson in his
dealings with the minority members of
the Senate and House has been uni
formly obliging, and this is why the
Democrats have as rule voted for the
appropriations asked for by him to en-
large the scope of the principal bu-
reaus in his Department
Mr.. Wilson Is a practical farmer,
having followed that occupation nearly
all his life, and he has also been iden-
titled with agricultural colleges. He
was engaged in farming many years
ago whens elected to Congress from
one of the Iowa districts, and was run
ming his farm when the late President
Mckinley, in 1897. at the suggestion of
the late Senator Allison, invited him
to a seat in his cabinet.
The first Secretary of Agriculture
was Norman J. Colman of st. Louis
who was the editor and publisher of a
paper devoted to the cause of agricul-
ture. He was only a short time in the
cabinet. having during the first Cleve-
land administration been promoted
from Commissioner to Secretary of Ag-
riculture after the late Representative
Hatch, of Missouri, put through the
bill which created the Department.
Then in the Harrison administration
famous old Jerry Rusk, of Wisconsin.
was the Secretary of Agriculture. He
was a farmer also. His successor was
the late j. Sterling Morton. of Ne
braska, who owned and operated one
of the largest and finest farms In his
State, and who was the means of hav-
ing "Arbor Day" observed throughout
the country On all OF his stationery
Mr. Morton, who was Secretary of Ag-
riculture in the cabinet of President