The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-05-22
Px LANES n. MORROW.

agitation in Congress that resulted in the
enactment OF the great Hepburn law
regulating railroads.
The slip OF paper was taken from hat
by Charles Elroy Townsend. new Rep
resentative from the city of Jackson, in
Michigan. Thus, by the ancient practice
OF drawing lots-see Proverbs. 18th chap
ter. 18th verse-Townsend became a mem
Der of the Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce.
1T was fate, I suppose" ne remarked
10 me, as he sat I'm lis Office smoking
pipe and answering my questions. Twice
during my life" he went on 20 say, "a
seeming accident has brought me unex-
pected opportunity and good fortune"
Yet. oddly enough and unjustly. Town
sends name, even though he introduced
President Taft's rate bill in the present
House OF Representatives, will not be
linked officially with any law bearing
upon transportation. a pioneer. finding
and marking the hard and hostile way
through a wilderness OF uncertainty and
opposition, he has been denied the honor
nomenclature of railroad legislation. Still.
he will endure in the modern debates of
Congress and will long be remembered
as the expert counselor OF two Presi
dents-Taft and Roosevelt.
VIII Oppose Burrows.
This summer he will return in long.
hurying strides to Michigan and take
the stump against julius Caesar Burrows.
who has spent many sagacious years in
the Senate. Force. eloquence. likable-
ness. and a heavy voice will be matched
against adroit. cautious. and resourceful
leadership and a trusty guard OF vet
Grams carrying short knives and wearing
. rubber boots. The battle is 10 be one Of
the bloody political entertainments Of the
Middle West.
For a revuiutionist-high finance, in
anger and contempt. might call him
something else-Townsend is dangerously
temperate and reserved in demeanor and
language. He has no quarrel with the
multi-millionaire. Still I dare say. he
thinks man Of more value than money
or property. As he tersely said on the
floor of the House, Il am a Roosevelt
Republican" Nor viii he exclude Taft.
but embrace him cordially. With re-
spect TO Cannonism, he might be called
an orderly reconstructionist.
We would be drowned in our own
debate" he observed. III there were not
drastic rules to hold back the floods OF
wise and moving talk"
Tell me- I asked. about the first
seeming accident that came into your
life?"
Il was superintendent Of schools at
Parma, village along the western Dor
der Of Jackson County. Ny salary had
been increased 70 $500 a year. when I
heard that an able superintendent was
wanted at Jonesville. in the county Just
south OF where I lived. Driving to Jones'
vile one Saturday morning. ] saw three
Of the five directors. The talk that I
heard was so favorable that the fields
looked particularly green and the birds
sang very melodiOuSly all the way back.
Mrs. Townsend Immediately began put
ting up huge castles in Spain. and 1 car
ried the mortar and bricks and otherwise
made myself imaginatively and vocaIy
useful
Letter Late in Coming.
we were TO get letter early in the
week, and that OF course. meant Tues
day. You must understand that Jones'
Vile was three times the size OF Parma.
and by fair count Of its enemies had
as many as 400 inhabitants Moreover.
the salary was $1,000 year. To us. as
We tore down a castle and built one
that was larger and more beautiful. S25
a month included all the Injuries then
available. even in a center OF population
so generally important as Jonesville.
But no letter came on Tuesday. It's a
weighty matter I said to Mrs Town
send, and we must give the directors
time TO deliberate We heard nothing
on Wednesday. and the public announce
ment we meant to give out was with
held temporarily. Thursday passed.
dragged, in fact, and Friday disappeared
into the dreary shadows of silent and
embarrassing mystery. On Saturday.
polite but blunt line informed US officially
that the directors had hired some one
else. However, we had $500 a year left.
with steady work. rain or shine. and
were rather philosophical under all the
circumstances. We cleared the rubbish
out Of our dreams. and where our castles
once stood we found the solid ground of
contentment and good old reality.
'The next week, was a delegate from
Sandstone Township 10 the Republican
county convention. My father coming
from Concord. was elected Temporary
chairman. In the afternoon, the com
mittee on permanent organization re-
OrfF
been chosen 10 act as permanent chair
man. They have mixed my initials with
my fathers I thought and the Joke is
on the old man. When the rest Of the
permanent officers went forward. I sat
still. Charley my father called from
the edge Of the platform, arise and as
sumo your functions. So the joke was
on me. and the delegates laughed at my
confusion.
sounds Keynote.
"Bowlng-and blushins. too, I suppose
Il delivered a speech OF thanks. Like
wise. I undertook to sound a keynote.
as was traditional on such occasions.
Then we took up the task OF making a
-, ticket Jackson County was reliably
Democratic. Volunteers. therefore. were
pretty scarce at our conventions, and we
usually constructed our tickets with the
help OF a lasso. Getting down to the
office Of register Of deeds, which is the
same as county recorder. was amazed
70 hear my own name loudly mentioned
in that connection. But I am under
contract 10 teach at Parma, I said.
backing away from the honor.
convention take a recess TO give Charles
l.