Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-12-15
Tale OF TUo Great Democrats

White House end of Pennsylvania ave
nue. very early today"
The man who was destined two
years later to become nationally IA
nous as the originator of the horizon
tai tariff bill, smiled. well, / am
usually an early riser, but l must con-
fess that it is some me since l have
been in front Of the treasury depart
ment earlier than ten o'clock in the
morning.
you see," he confided, as he looked
carefully at every person who passed
through the lobby, and particularly at
every one who got out of the eleva-
tors, 81 am waiting for Carlisle. He
has a little suite on the top floor of
the hotel at the rear, where he can be
very quiet. In there he has been at
work for two or three weeks upon a
speech which he is going to deliver
in the house in a few days, and in
which he will attack the Republican
policy of protection and defend the
principle Of tariff for revenue only.
1t is a speech that, l am sure, will
make him speaker of the house, if
the Democracy carries it, and it ought
to make him president"
For a moment Colonel Morrison
peered sharply in the direction of the
elevators, and then continued:
Have you ever seen Carlisle at
work on a speech? He is not a bril-
liant man, in the ordinary meaning
Of the term, but l think his industry
and capacity for prolonged labor are
unsurpassed by any man in congress.
He has a very clear mind. His logical
faculties are unusually strong. He
can get at the real meaning of figures
and assimilate a mass of statistics
that would sorely puzzle the average
man. This capacity, combined with
his industry, explains his genius
But there is a peculiar thing about
his work Once he has got through
with a prolonged mental task he is al
most Immediately seized with a queer
numbness or vacuity of mind; | sup
pose it is sort of violent reaction.
With most men recuperation from
severe mental strain comes by means
of sleep, but it is not so with Carlisle.
l have discovered that at such times
he needs diversion and friendly COM
partnership for a few hours, then his
mind becomes normal once more
Richard is himself again.
Some time early this morning Car
Isle finished his speech. was with
him till midnight-he was still work
ing then-and I got up at five o'clock
this morning so that l might be here
by six. l am going to have him IN
der my wing today. / am going to
divert his mind as far as possible
know how to do it, for I have done
so beforehand l am satisfied that by
night he will have been completely re
stored to mental yigor and will be
able to go to his bed early and sleep
the sleep of the just. Then"
But just then the door of an eleva-
tor banged open and out stepped John
G.. Carlisle. Colonel Morrison walked
quickly over to him, took his arm, led
him from the hotel into Pennsylvania
avenue and in the direction of the
White House lot, and later in the day
accompanied him to the house, where
he watched over him with the solicit
tude of a parent. And it was as Colonel
Morrison predicted in two matters:
that night Carlisle was himself again,
and within few days thereafter his
tariff speech, delivered, had marked
him as the new Democratic leader in
the house, distinction that gained for
him the speakership the following
year.
Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)