The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-02
SOME NEWS AND GOSSIP
 FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL
BY WALTER HARPER

Washington September 1.-(Special.)- Congressman Victor L. Berger of Wiscon- sin can afford to stand aside and smile at the internal contentious that tear the re-
 publican party and at times disturb the
 peace of the democratic party in Con- gress.
 There is never any split in the party he represents on the floors of Congress. Whatever contentious may come in the party at home or over the country there Is never any quarrel in the hall of leg islation.
 If a quarrel were possible, Victor is not
 the man that would participate He loves a joke too well. He adores a smile and
 gets a great deal of amusement out of
 the spats that come up between the fac tons of the other parties.
 He is all of his party in Congress. He is the whole thing. But the only repre- sentative of the socialist party in the United States Congress does not seem to be burdened with the great responsi- bility of his position.
 He was i'll Washington few hours last Wednesday afternoon on his way from Milwaukee to New York, where he is to deliver a lecture. From there he will continue on lecture tour of few weeks through New England. I met him in one of the corridors of the House or fee building He was swathed in long. liberal rancoat and his jovial face was almost hid under the caves or broad slouch hat. But he could not hide the twinkle in his eye.
 It was the rainiest. gloomiest day l have vet experienced in Washington but victor Berger. the socialist, was happy and cheerful.
 say, but I have something great to sprjng at the next session. he said | grasping the dimple on the point of my l chin between his thumb and forefinger and leading me to where beam of light came in from the street "I have been
 making some figures since adjournment, and I am going to spring them on my | friends Oscar Underwood and Sereno Payne when the next session meets. They are both my friends l like them. ''.t l they are wasting whole lot of valuable time haggling over an issue that is no | issue at all.
 l "Why. look here, young man, my l friends Underwood and Payne and the others of the dominating parties are mak-
 ing big bugaboo over the tariH. ihey | are contending for and against imaginary burdens that they say are grinding the neople to poverty on one hand or that are l hnilsine LID great monopolies on the | ottip I have figured 1t all out All the i tariff reveuue collected by this country amounts to but 35 cents per capita per | ann,,in. Now. what do you think of that. vounr man?" And the jolly socialist from Milwaukee pinched my chin and wiggled my face from side to side while he chuckled exultantly. it | 1 The large number of Alabama people 1 who have gone abroad this summer and l fall. or who are planning to cross the l Atlantic. is an indication of the great
 prosperity that is coming to the people 1 of that favored state. Senator John ston.s office in Washington has received | three or four requests this week from Alabama people for letters of introduction | 10 representatives of the United States in l, foreign countries. They have been com ing steadily for several weeks. Tn the absence of Senator Johnston the | proper letters and other credentials are i being prepared and forwarded by Thomas B. Stallings. secretary to Senator John-
 ston, who is keeping the senator's office
 open for business during the latters ab- | sence.
 | Congressman Ben Johnson chairman of the House committee on the District of Columbia. who is spending the recess al
 his office preparing for the next ses-