New-York tribune., 1910-04-03
Letting the People Settle Ii

Letting the People Settle It
DURING his third term in Congress he easily
- secured favorable reports the bills for
public buildings at Burlington and Winona.
because the original favorable reports We're used
as precedentS. Then came the announcement
that only one public building would be allowed
for his district That fact he sent out through
the newspapers, and he wrote that the Bur
lingtOn and WinOna people should get together
and agree on which should have the political
pie.
Old Bill offered no suggestions this time. He
wanted the two towns to Squabble and quarrel
and disagree They did so. Old Bill wrote
frantic letters to them to reach an agreement
but he hoping that they would continue 10
disagree. He finally wrote letter which was
published in which he said
1t is a pity that my hands should be tied in
this manner by my own people. Here am
hard at work. and successfully. No other men-
Der of Congress has secured such success. and
| am promised that of my bills shall be
passed Time is rapidly passing. and in few
more weeks it will be too late. | shall be
ashamed to come back to Congress. if my peo-
pie leave me thus in the lurch. For Heavens
sake YOU people agree on which town shall have
this building The appropriations are exactly
alike one hundred and twenty-five thousand
dollars each. If you do not let me pass one of
these bills. shall not only be ashamed 10 come
back to Congress. but shall absolutely refuse
to be a candidate
Bold bluff that But shrewd Old Bill knew
that the people would not want any other man
for Congress for he was the only man that had
secured any success at all. They could see
plainly that If no public building bill was passed
1T would be because the people at home could
not agree and that not his fault.
Well the sQuabbe went on. No agreement
was reached, and Old Bill came home furiouSlv
angry. TO all appearances. He told everybody
that he had been deeply Inundated. that the
other Congressman had laughed at him. Sneered
at HIM. on account of his people They were
all getting appropriations. but he could not
get any, because his own people were a crazy
lot He almost wept with modification as he
he told these stories.
RenOminatedp OF courSei Reelected? Well,
by the biggest majority ever
Then. IN his fifth term. the people agreed on
Burlington for the appropriation. because Bur
lington had about five hundred more votes than
Winona. Then Old Bill secured the passage of
that public building bill Thus. he had been IN
Congress for ten wears issue Of ms own
making and 10y shrewdly fostering that issue.
Until this day nobody has suspected that Old
Bill originated that idea of public buildings for
the three towns.
In his sixth term he secured a favorable
report for Winona: but did not secure the
passage of the bill He seemed To- have made
tremendous efforts. but in reality he did moth
ing. He wanted that issue kept alive. Thus.
after fourteen years IN Congress he finally
secured the passage of the third bill for a public
building and the people were proud of his
record. So was Old Bill.
Trimmine Young AsprAnt
RUr the Congressman was now well on
~ toward seventy-fve years old. Several
Vo,inp men Of snerpV and ambition were anx-