The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1910-09-02
SENATOR BURROWS
KINDLY CHARACTER
SHOWN ON LONG TRIP
BY Jack Francis cremer.

ShSoAS "a transportation were open.
One was to catch the Anchor Line
boat out after the meeting and the
other was to make the journey by rail
the next day. The boat trip would
be comfortable one, with good
nights rest on the water, no dirt, no
heat, nothing disagreeable. The rail
journey would mean getting up at 5
q. m. and making an eight-hour ride on
local train over positively the worst
piece of track in Michigan.
The senator's party was, of course,
anxious to make the boat and the
meeting was hurried in consequence.
When the hall was left theVe was but
few minutes to catch the boat, and
the driver was urged to make time.
He whipped up the horses but was
promptly checked by the senator.
Don't whip those horses" he COM
manded
But we may not make it If / don't
SENATOR" answered the driver.
"Then we'll miss it," was the ulti.
matum OF Senator Burrows, I'll not
not have the horses abused If we never
get there"
That one little incident gives an in
dication of the nature and character
of the senior senator from Michigan
who aspires to be reelected.
Kindly, lovable, with heart as big
as all outdoors for everyone, no man
In Michigan has ever been more mis-.
represented than has Senator Bur-
rows.
The opposition to him, both directly
and by innuendo, has endeavored to
create the impression that he is dis
tant in manner, snob in his treat
ment of people he meets, an aristo-
crat of aristocrats. But he is the. OPP
posite exactly of what he is pictured.
This his friends know; 1t is due the
people of Michigan that they all know.
During the last three weeks of the
campaign Senator Burrows was sub
jected to a strain such as few men of
his age have ever undergone. Only
those who were with the senator on
his tour of the upper peninsula and
down through the wilds Of the Tenth
congressional district will ever know
just the amount of work placed on his
shoulders, what he had to endure to
keep up the schedules arranged for
him.
But there was never complaint;
never an objection to the program.
With the courage that has marked his
whole career, he met each task as 1t
was presented to him unfalteringly.
When the younger members of his
encourage were swearing at the hotels
and the railroad jumps which necessi-
tated getting up In the middle of the
night to change trains, he joked and
laughed and rallied his companions.
Boys, boys, the old man will have
to carry you under his arms yet" was
one of his sallies and one which gave
him unlimited pleasure.
Human? He is as human as human
can be. He decided at one time that
smoking was not good for him and
that he would forego his cigar. Relig
iously he avoided one after breakfast,
and luncheon saw him without his
smoke. But during the afternoon he
looked longingly in the direction of
the smoking car and gazed with a
frown at those about him.
At last he spoke.
do you remember the fellow in
the Rivals who had the courage of a
lion until it was time for the duel and
then he felt his courage oozing away? |
Well, / feel like that fellow. I'm |
afraid I'm going to fall from grace"
He drew a laugh from his hearers,
but he said nothing further.
Ten minutes went by and then he |
heaved long sigh.
II knew it," he said; my courage is |
all gone. Someone give me cigar"
And forward he went to enjoy his |
smoke.
One thing which particularly i'm |
pressed itself on those around him was |
the calm, rather sorrowful way in |
which he regarded the misrepresenta- |
ton which his opponent and friends
have INDUCED in.
When told of some glazing misstate- |
ment or charge made against him he |
would not give way to anger but would |
merely remark:
You wouldn't think that men would |
go so far in trying to get office, would |
your"
For weeks his advisers attempted to
have him take the aggressive on the
stump and fight fire with fire. But he |
steadily refused.
II will not go down into the gutter
with him." was all THAT could be got
ten out of the senator.
He even refused to take up the
charge that as chairman of the COM
'nittee on privileges and elections he
had \smothered the constitutional
amendment for the direct election of
senator for several weeks, although he
knew very well that Congressman
Townsend was thoroughly familiar
with the fact that the resolution had
never gone to his committee but had
been referred to the committee on
judiciary.
II was not until the last week that
he found he could no longer hold him.
self back and opened with the broad
side in Shiawassee county which put
Mr.. Townsend on the defensive and
sent his cohorts apologizing in Sec