Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1911-12-22


longer Is his biography. It may be let
ting 9 secret out OF the bag. but these
biographies are written BY the mem
bers themselves. In short. they are
autobiographies.
Oscar w. Underwood supplied Tor
use in the Congressional directory
four and half lines Of material. he
said absolutely nothing about his rise
to leadership In the house OF repre-
sentatives and absolutely nothing
about what he had accomplished IN
life. He tells where he was born. tns
college he graduated from and aoos
that he has been a member OF the
house since the Fifty-fourth congress
was elected. That Is all.
Champ Clark runs his Democrat
ic brother close race In modesty. dls
biography is a little bit longer than
that of Mr. Underwood. but II con-
Germs itself simply with the statement
of different positions which he mas
held, a record which 1t is considered
necessary to put into the Congression-
al Directory as an information DOCK.
Senator La Follette's biography IN
form Is exactly like that OF Oscar W.
Underwood, except that he mentions
naturally the state offices which ne
held. 1t is probable Mr.. Underwood
would have included such informGSion
in his biography If he had held office
of this kind.
MIR Cummins OF Iowa also shows
shyness In what he has to say about
himself In setting forth his services.
Eight or nine lines Of print Is enough
to carry the whole OF his career as
he wishes to have 1t carried. There
are other big men In both parties In
congress and reference to what they
have written about themselves In the
Congressional Directory shows that In
almost every case the lines are con-
fined to information concerning the Of
fees they have held.
Some OF the representatives in con-
gress who are not known by name per
haps outside of their districts, have
half a page of printed matter to set
forth their virtues and their deeds. A
great many of the members are law
yers, and some Of them in what they
have written of their lives dwell with
considerable length on law cases In
which they have been successful. They
say nothing about the cases which
they have lost
Hopes to End Sad Middle.
There are two members of the
| at Uhn vi.
tally interested today in the re-
ception which the parts Of presidents
messages touching their departments
will be given by congress. The two
are Henry l.. Stimson, head of the
war department, and Walter l.. Fish
err, head of the interior department
Both of these secretaries have taken
office since President Taft sent his
last annual message to the law-mak-
ers. The interior department. like
the tariff board. has been in the cen
ter of something much like storm
of conflicting public sentiment and
opinion. Mr. Fisher succeeded Mr.
Ballinger and this perhaps is enough
to let II be known that he succeeded
| " u OhpiC 90 "Sii do " hChOi
The Alaskan question will come
before congress and MIR, Fishers
recommendations as to the best way
to settle Alaskan matters between
the government, which owns much of
the land, and the individuals and the
corporations who wish to exploit It.
will be put to the test. President
Taft hopes that Alaska finally will
cease to be what the people have call.
ed 1t. "a land OF suspicion" and that
1t will be removed hereafter from the
boiling pot of controversy. OF crimi-
nations and recriminations. Mr..
Fisher. of course. hopes that his ef-
forts will result in pulling Alaska out
of the pot
The secretary of the interiors re-
port on the northwestern territory Is
known in detail. Mr. Fisher made a
speech on the subject prior to the
submittai of his findings and he out
lined the result of his investigating
labors in Alaska last summer.
Henry L. Stimson. secretary of war.
has not been long In office. He takes
readily enough to the Washington life
and 1t IL said that he picked up the
threads Of his work In the depart.
ment quickly enough to surprise his
soldier subordinates Mr.. Stimson
was defeated for governor of New
York last year by John A. Dix. For
mer President Roosevelt supported
Stimsons candidacy with vigor and
when President Taft put the defea ed
man into his cabinet 1t was thought
that 1t might go some way towards
healing the breach between the pres
ent president and his predecessor.
Wants Smaller Posts Abandoned.
Secretary Stimson has recommend.
ed that a good many of the small
army posts be abandoned and that
most of the regiments be gathered
together in big posts in order to &C.
cure economy Of service and strategic
advantage Congressman who have
small posts in their districts do NOT
like the idea and there Is likely to ha
a fight on In congress over the sub.
iect. IL is also Secretary Stimson.s
wish that the national guard shall he
made more nearly real reserve for
the regular forces, and this NAV ba
accomplished. The secretary of war
and the secretary OF the interior. nm.
like other secretaries, for the ars,