Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-08-07
OF the Strictest Integrity, He Is True
to His Party, Prompt and Courtc.
Gus. Always Ready and Anxious
to Serve His Constituents.


Cured to me that many people at
home do not know how results are
accomplished in Congress. Some
people may think that tho member
who makes the most speeches, or the
loudest ones, IS the most useful Con-
gresham. This is not the case at
all. The point | am trying to make
was we'll illustrated here this week
when Representative Wyatt Aiken
got through a joint resolution max
ing an emergency appropriation of
$4,000 for the purpose Of fighting
the army worm In Anderson county
and other places where it had occur
red.
In order to make the whole mat
ter clear | had better tell the whole
story from the beginning. Last
Sunday night Mr. Aiken received a
5 telegram from J. w. Rothrock, the
farm demonstration agent for Ander-
son county, telling Of the appearance
or the army worm in that section
and asking that an expert be sent to
look over the field and advise the
farmers what to do. Mr.. Aiken went
to the agricultural department next
morning (Monday) and saw Secre-
tary Wilson about it. Mr.. Wilson
telephoned Dr.. Webster. the ento-
mologist, and asked him to come
over. They dicussed the matter, and
Mr.. Aiken insisted that DR.. Webster
should go to Anderson at once. Dr.
Webster said there was no money
available-that the appropriation
bill tor this year had not been pass
ed, and thai all the money given In
exhausted.
Mr.. Aiken began feeling In his
pockets and pulling out money. 81
don't know whether | have enough
money with me to pay your eX-
penses," he said. "but can get some
more by the time the train leaves"
I'm game, too," exclaimed Sec
rotary Wilson, and he began to dig
up, too And between them, Mr..
Aiken and Secretary Wilson. made
up enough money to pay DR.. Web
ster's expenses on the trip, and he
left Washington that night.
DR.. Webster reached Anderson
Tuesday afternoon and at once got
an automobile and went to the in
tested section. in company with Mr..
Rothrock and other citizens. He
found the situation worse than he
had expected, and went back into
Anderson that night and sent Mr..
Aiken a telegram giving the result
Of his trip. He urged that more
money be made available at once in
order to put other experts in the
field
Mr. Aiken got this telegram We'd
nesday morning. He did not know
how much money would be needed,
but as soon as the House met he in
trodrced a joint resolution making
an appropriation Of 1000, had the
1i,ti Nnfn
tee on agriculture, and then tele-
phoned to Secretary Wilson to come
up to the Capitol and talk to the
committee about It. Mr.. Aiken then
went to work, seeing the members Of
the House personally and explaining
the matter to them. The leaders on
both sides Of the House, Republi-
cans as we'll as Democrats, were seen
and all Of them agreed to support
the resolution. Mr.. Fitzgerald, the
chairman Of the appropriations COM
mittec, was seen. "Well, you know
we are trying to make record for
economy" he said, "but this seems
to be case in which you need money
down there, and you need 1t right
now. Figure out just how little you
can get along with, and will not
oppose it," Other influential mem
bers of the House told Mr.. Aiken the
same thing
Secretary Wilson appeared and
went before the committee. He was
told what Mr.. Fitzgerald had said,
and after discussing the matter for
q while, he said he thought $4,000
would be sufficient to carry on the
work until the regular appropriation
bill should be passed. Thereupon,
the committee reduced the amount
named in the resolution from $15,-
600 to $1,000, and Mr.. Hefin, Of
Alabama, was instructed to report
the resolution favorably to the House
on Thursday. OF course all OF this
tonk time, and by the time the reso-
.jijon was reported to the House
Nh Aiken had talked to practically
every member present, and had lined |
ereryHody up for it. Mr. Henin |
ma3o a short talk, explaining the
necessity for the appropriation,
which everybody had been told Of be-
fore hand, and in very few min
utes the resolution had passed the |
house. There was not dissenting |
vote.
Mr.. Aiken then had the resolution
hurried to the Senate. Under the |
regular routine it would not have |
been sent to the Senate until the |
""s Dul MI. AIKEN was Iii
hurry, and he speeded things up. In |
the Senate an unexpected obstacle |
was encountered. The Senate was
working under unanimous consent |
arrangement, by which tho tariff |
Diils were to be voted on before any
other business Of any kind would be |
considered. Under this agreement
Mr.. Aiken's resolution could not pos
siDly be reached before Monday. Mr.,
Aiken went to work and explained
to the leaders on both sides, and !