Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-09

stYe6 who are struEglng 10 upset ~ PS
lection program Of extremists are known
as the busy BIS OF the senste-Beveridge,
Borah. Bourne. Burkett, Bristow and
Brown. They sit punched together at the
right hand OF the vice president. They are
all from the west, a rugged-loohing lot OF
men, says the Washington correspondent
OF the BROOKLYN Eagle. in a letter describ-
ing the progress Of the tariff battle. All
Of them save Beveridge, have seats on the
firsA and second rows on the extreme right
hand side of the senate. They are seated
among the democrats. because there Is no
room for them on TIE republican side. So"
ator LaFollette Is also quartered there. I'll
wisconsin man is blamed by the senat.
leaders for organising the mutinous Busy
BIS. They have a fresh, breezy business
like way Of speaking and doing things,
which is fast robbing the senate OF it's title
of the most dignified deliberatlve body in
the world. None Of them thought It neces-
sary to wait a year or two after taking
the oath to make a speech. They plunged
right in before their chairs had become
warm. The folks back home are with
them and they know IT. That's the rea-
son they are Drawing the dangers OF being
thrown outside the party breastworks, by
fighting Aldrich tooth and nail on prac-
tically every section OF the tariff bill"
Regarding the Busy BIS of Nebraska and
nearby states, the correspondent INDUCES
in these reflections: Another lieutenant
OF LaFollette's is Norris Brown Of Ne
braska. He is a round, chunky man with
a smooth, smiling. boyish face. Seen on the
street he would never be picked out as a
United States senator. Good nature shine
from every feature. He doesn't look like
a man who would be stubborn enough to
trouble anybody. Brown was born in Iowa,
but fell a victim TO the great Kearney land
boom.
A sharp real estate man figured It out
some twenty years ago that Kearney, Nebr
was exactly midway between Boston and
San Francisco. This was sufficient, In
his mind, to launch a real estate boom.
In short order he had built up a town O
20, 900 people out Of nothing. Brown was one
Of the 10000. When the boom flattened out,
Brown nearly starved to death as a poor
lawyer, having been drawn in from Iowa.
HI hung on and when the political move
men was started to break the grip Of the
railroads on the state. Brown took a hand
in the game. Eventually he was made
states attorney general and in a great
legal battle compelled the railroads to pay
50, 900, 900 in back taxes. This paid off the
state debt, and in appreciation of his work
the people sent Brown to the senate.
" The best thing about Brown is that he
always votes right said an admiring
westerner. This means that the Nebraskan
stands with LaFollette, or Cummins, or
Deliver, or any other so-called progress
sive who strives to take a fall out Of the
existing order of things. especially IL 1t
aims a blow at a protected interest"
THE other senator from Nebraska, Elmer
]. Burkett, also belongs to the industrious
and wicked Busy BIS. He was born on a
farm and followed the honest, IL unevent-
full pursuits OF agriculture until about
twelve years ago. Then he became a law
yer and a politician. Burkett has the
marks of the farm on him yet, but when
he dons a senatorial frock coat he looks
like a Methodist minister. He Is OF me-
dunn height and thick set. What hair he
has is jet black. Like most present day
politicians his face is smooth shaver.
Burkett has a big voice, is a ready de-
batter and was promoted to the senate after
several years OF service in the house. He
has wobbled lately in his devotion to the
principles OF the Busy BIS. He voted
against repeating the clause "16 Dutch
standard" in the sugar schedule,
which is claimed to be the Joker
which annually nets millions 10 the Sugar
trust. The fact has been sent broadcast
over Nebraska and may make trouble for
Burkett. He comes up for reelection in
1911 and they say that Bryan would not
object to- occupying Burketts seat.
Just a few seats beyond Burkett is JON
athan Bourne of oregon. Bourne is one Of
the puzzles of the senate. He has had a
varied career and his appearance indicates
1t. He is Of average height with a
physique thin and wiry. His youthful look
ing coal black hair contrasts strongly with
an old face which shows many traces Of a
strenuous life. He inherited one fortune,
spent it and made another. He was born in
Massachusetts, and after two years at Har-
yard left that institution {" learning for a
trip around the world, when he settled in
Portland. He has large interests in mining
and timber properties in Oregon and in
cotton mills In Massachusetts,.
Bourne is the man who started the third
term boom for Roosevelt. He stuck to Il
that Roosevelt would be renominated until
one hour before Taft was chosen by the
Chicago convention. Then he said the
whole secret program of the insiders was
changed at the last minute when they
threw dow Roosevelt and took Taft in
stead. Bourne has a trick Of being on in
innate terms with our presidents. His
visits to Mr.. Roosevelt were as numerous
as those OF Mr.. Beveridge, and Mr.. Taft
now plays golf with him more often than
with Vice President Sherman.
Another born fighter among the Busy
BIS is William Edgar Borah of Idaho.
Borah is. a striking looking man, Just the
kind you would expect from the mining
camps Of Idaho. He is tall and nodded on
heavy lines. He has a great shock of
black, stiff. unruly hair. Borah's face is
broad and scanned with deep lines. He has
steel gray, cold eyes. They have a fashion
Of gazing straight ahead, with a calm In
tensity, which leaves no doubt OF his de-
termination and the risidity Of his back
bone.
''Borah's speciality is an income tax. He
delivered a fine legal argument on the
subject which commanded the attention
and respect Of his auditors. Everything
about Borah indicates the self-made man
and a triumph over hardshlps. He tried
the government case agaist the dynamiters