The National tribune., 1911-04-13
ATHLETIC OFFICIALS.
Everybody Going in For Physical
sExercise-Power Passes From
the West to the South.


Our two, last Presidents, of athletic
propensities, have set an example that
impels lesser officials. 1t is the thing
in Washington to exercise, daily If that
be possible and otherwise as often as
may be. 1.-THE new members of Congress
from thesr9bust West have come under
the influence of such superior Repub-
licans. There is the new and supple A.
w, Lafferty, of Portland. Ore, for in
stance. Nearly every afternoon, rain
or shine. Lafferty steps out into the big
court of the House office building, base
ball bat in hand He drags his young
secretary along. While Lafferty lines
'em out for an hour, the Secretary
catches 'em. Lafferty contends. how
ever. that the exercise is also fine for
the Secretary and that it has been fully
demonstrated how good daily exercise
is for everybody since President RoOse-
welt took long hikes into the country
adjoining Washington.
Up to the time of going to press, Bat
ter Lafferty has broken one pane OF
glass in windows of the House Office
Building. He regards the exercise
worth all that it cost to repair DAM
ages. However. the Democratic Com
lnittee in charge of the House Office
Building is looking askance at Lafferty,
Republican, of Portland, Ore, and just
|
ming a little more smoothly. will prob
ably snuff him out.
Senators at Hard Work.
Several Western Senators spent the
vacation month of March upon farms
back east and entered the august Sem
atoriai chamber with ca1loused hands.
1t was thus with Senator L. Jones, of
Washington State. Senator Jones
mother lives on an Illinois farm and,
during two weeks visit to her, he took
full advantage of the opportunity for
outdoor exercise in the most useful
form known to mankind. He donned
working clothes, went out into the fields
with the farm hands, did some plowing
and sowed a big acreage of spring oats.
and it is four years. too. before Senator
Jones comes up for reelection.
Another Senatorial farmer during
March was Weldon B. Hepburn, who
wears one of the idaho tOgas. His wife's
people have farm in Pennsylvania and
the Senator recuperated there during
March. He is not very long on farming.
AS a matter of fact his style of arch
lecture is not suited to that sort of
work. But the Idaho Senator absorbed
the rural ozone and, as q radical stand
patter. is lustier than ever and reader
than ever to raise several varieties of
Cain when the Democrats try to pull
some bricks off the tariff Wi.
Western Senators have hemes a.
plenty for the session of Congress. Most
of them are preparing to start Some
thing. When the session gets under
way Western Regulars and Western In
surgents will be found cooperating to
prevent its becoming do-nothing affair.
While Senator Hepburn is piling up
reams of arguments against reducing
the duties. on wool and woolens, for in
stance, his more progressive colleague
Senator Rorah, will open at the first
favorable opportunity with an exhaust
i've speech in favor Of accepting the
Constitutions of the two prospective
states of Arizona ard New Mexico Both
Senators are. thus more or less in con-
fiict0 with the administration. Senator
Borah does not believe altogether in
the judicial recall. which makes the
Arizona constitution especially offensive
to President Taft, but, as Arizona wants
to fry the experiment. Senator Borah
wojiid give her the opportunity.
Senatof Jonathan Bourne, of Oregon,
is also planning things. It seems to
be all arranged that he will be chair
mar of the Committee on POstofiices
and Postroads. In that position Senator
Bottrne, viii Hardly be persona grata to-
Postmaster General Hitchcock and
President Taft. The Oregon Senator dis
likes; both officials very cordially in a
political way, If not otherwise, and,
when it comes TO the enactment of pos
tai legislation of any kind he will oc-
cupy strategical position where the
administration must reckon with him.
The Western Insurgent Senators.
The major coterie5 of Western Insur-
gents will have, of course. a more inn
poPtnant program for the session.
They arrange this all with the precision
and thoughtfulness of a House Demo-
cratic, caucus, preparing to make the
hop up" Senator La
Toilette has already sprung his open
ing number in a resolution for a fur
ther investigation of Senator Lorimer's
election. Senator CGmmins will ask for
a little attention from the country in
caustic criticisms and suggestions about
the Civil Service. Then there comes
the tariff and on. that, for every little
schedule, each Western Insurgent has
some program all his own.
As matters stand now, the West DOM
mates affairs at Washington much less
than for number of years The Re-
publican House of Representatives has
been distinctly a Western House for the
last ten years. The West grasped the
scepter when the late Speaker Reed
resigned. OF course, the West has been
its grip upon the Senate,
it has never before been able
to do. r~
Power Passes TO The South.
However, the Western Senators find
their ranks thinned by Democrats and
by Insurgents. just as is the
case with Western Representatives in
the House The West has not been CO.
operating as solidly in either branch
Of Congress as it used TO do. TheNWest- |
srn Insurgents and the Western Regu
lars have mighty little use for one
another They are almost as far apart
politically as are the Democrats and
the Republicans.
Power in the House, of course, has !
passed to the South. The dominating |
there are distinctly Southern |
There is less outcry about this in the |
East, because feeling has grown up in |
The East that the West was getting a |
little "uppish" and has been disposed |
10 exercise its power a little too des- |
Moreover, the East gets more |
Df show in the Democratic House |
than 1t has been getting from a Repub- |
lean House. The Southern Democrats |
know that, they cannot afford to hog"
or be too demonstrative with
heir anthorityo They have given East |
ern Representatives of their own party |
goodt committee assignments,
or example ,Iwhen ii is remembered that
most ebf. these Eastern men are new to
he House, New England New York,
ohio odhd Indiana furnish a goodly
,oterie of Democratic Representatives.
his Congress.
Consequenaysit may be that there will
De more, harmony among the divers sec
ions 5pf theIcoHntry for a while. The
,elfislY interests of different localities
nay be, held, in more check. By the