Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-07
S;deHghts
on Congress
Especial Correspondents. ]

Washington. Feb. 5.-The cleverest
advertising men to be found in con-
gress are those who make the improve
ment of the rivers and harbors their
hobby. Once member of congress be-
comes enthusiastic on that subject he
never loses an opportunity to get the
subject, before the public.
Representative Joseph e. Ransdell.
Of Mississippi. is president of the
National Rivers and Harbors Congress.
He has made hundred speeches ex-
planning the PURPOSES of the organiza-
ton. He has sent out tons of litera-
ture on the subject.
Mr.. Ransdell has finally hit upon a
scheme which is calculated to keep his
views constantly before members of
congress and thousands of citizens
turnout the country. The congressional
directory is probably the most
"thumbed" book issued by the govern
ment printing office. In that section
Of the book which is devoted to care
fully prepared reading notices Of mem
bers Of the house and senate, always
written by the members themselves.
Mr.. Ransdell, has sacrificed detailed
statement of the history OF his life in
order that he may tell Of the virtues of
the river and llarbor advocates. He
includes in his obituary neatly COM
pressed speech, never delivered on the
floor of the house.
Its purpose" says Mr.. Ransdell,
writing Of the organization of which
he is president, sis to arouse such a
ont ha
shall be induced to adopt broad, lib
eral. comprehensive policy towards all
the nations waterways. 1t stands for
policy. not project, and its slogan
| is AN annual rivers and harbors bill
carrying not less that 5O,O00. 00o.'"
! A member Of the house organization
was reading the Ransdell silent speech
with interest.
1.-THE first thing we know" he said.
''ttose insurgents will be following the
example Of RansdeIl and printing anti
Cannon speeches in their obits and
franking thousands of congressional
directories into their districts. When
/ it comes to getting stuff into print
/ RansdelI ranks with up-to-date the
atrical press agents"
It requires an intimate knowledge Of
fractions to figure out the nationality
| of Representative Charles D. Carter
Of Oklahoma
Mr.. Carter is authority for the state
ment that he is seven sixteenths
| Chickasaw and Cherokee Indian, and
nine-sixteenths Scotch-Irish. Mr.. Car
/ ter's history reads like a vivid descrip-
| ton of the wild and woody west. He Is
a descendant OF Nathan Carter who
| was captured when a small boy by the
! Shawnee Indians at the Wyoming VAL
ley massacre, and afterwards traded to
the Cherokees and married full
blooded Cherokee woman. His father
was captain in the confederate army
who married one-fourth blood Chick
asaw woman.
1--WE seen some real life in the west, "
says Mr.. Carter. when only a boy
I moved with my father to the Mil
Creek postoffice and stage stand on the
western frontier Of the Chickasaw ma
ton in 1875. AS boy worked on my
fathers ranch as a farm hand, cowboy
and bronco buster, and began life fol
myself as a COW puncher and bronco
buster on the Diamond q ranch"
What Mr. Carter doesn't know about
cowboy life is not worth knowing
When debate lacks interest in the
house Carter retires to the democratic
cloak room, lights up a cigar. and leans
back in a leather upholstered chair.
.That reminds me of one day or
the Diamond q ranch observed Car
ter, looking over some Of his demo
cratic colleagues. Political discussion!
are dropped, Champ Clark and Johnny
Fitzgerald, Of Brooklyn. forget theil
quarrel about the rules temporarily
and all hands crowd around Carter t.
listen to wild west tales that would
make some Of the dime novel writer!
look like ultra-conservatives.