The Washington herald., 1912-04-15
STATESMEN, REAL AND NEAR.
By FRED c. KELLY

By FRED
On the last day that he was ever to
appear in the United States Senate, Rob
ert Love Taylor sat In the cloakroom
with colleague telling jolingly Of his
crowning achievement for the people Of
Tennessee.
'1've arranged to have the govern
ment stock the Wautauga River with
speckled and rainbow trout" he said.
I've sat for hours on the bank Of that
river fishing for black bass, back in my
boyhood days. but the bass have been
running short 1 thought while was
about II. ia Just give the folks a little
variety and let 'em see what they can do
with speckled and rainbow trout. In
year or 30 there'u be mighty good
nshin' there again. aad the people win
call Bob Taylor great I'm going to
get some OF my old friends together and
wen go on into the hills and sat once
more on the banks OF the wautauga and
FISH and fish. We won't go with too
much fancy tackle, you know: well Just
get few hooks and lines and some bait.
and go hshin'-like we did when We were
kids. The more think about II, the
IlioTo IONS 70 AAOuk VIII
q hshin' pole in my hand and look at the
blue sky-bluer over Eastern Tennessee,
you know, than anywhere else In the
world"
A fortnight later they took Senator
Bob back TO Eastern Tennessee and
buried him. and other hands must cast
for the fish that he had placed in the
gurgiing waters Of the wautauga-
"As an example OF Southern courtesy
between man and man. says Repre-
sentative William C. Houston of Ten
nessee, there was a case down my
way years ago that has never been
edualed, I don't suppose, before or
since.
"a dignlfed, middle-aged man was
running against a mere youth. whom
knew well. for a county ONCE. Through
out the campaign. the elder man laid
great stress on the necessity of elect
ing a person Of settled habits. Without
| actually saying so, he cast out hints
that his youthful opponent had a wild
streak through him. One day the rival
candidates went from one town to an
other on horseback. The younger man
was one of a party that started some
distance ahead of the others. 1t was a
| hot day, the roads were dusty and
after they had covered several miles, one
| OF the members Of the first party pro-
duced a flask OF apple brandy which he
passed around.
"T oughtn'6 TO take any, said the
young candidate. The old man back
yonder has been trying 20 give the i'm
preston that I'm a hard drinker, though
l haven't touched a drop since 1 don't
| know when I'd better let the stun
alone. oh, well, III take one swallow,
at that
Just as the young man was raising
the flask TO his lips, the other party
Of horsemen came around a bend in the
road. and he was caught IN the act.
i guess I've got you this time, Billy.
and with plenty of witnesses, too re-
marked the older candidate, when he
came up.
81 guess you have admitted the
| young man, and, as IL was a close race,
he knew he was In a bad hole.
well said the old chap. just to
show you that I shan't take any unfair
advantage Of you. and TO put you at ease,
| I'll take q drink myself
And blamed II that magnanimous
Southern gentleman didn't take the mask
| and drain It to the last drop.
Nothing was ever said about the ar.
fair. and the young man was elected
Representative FAR, Of Pennsylvania,
Is free to say that he likes being a
Congressman. He cannot by any wild.
welshrabbity flight Of the imagination
conceive OF anything that would please
him so much as just being a Congress-
| man indefinitely. thus placing himself in
contrast to the scores upon scores OF
members who are here Just because
their friends talked them into It. and
they feel obligated TO see the thing
through for their rountry's good, and
SO on. When the extra session was go
ing on amidst the los In the shade tenn
perature last summer. q constituent
wrote TO Farr and wanted TO know II IL
wasn't almost unendurable down here.
4 1T II" replied Farr. dramatically
speaking. but wish you would tell all
able-bodied voters that feel that ]
could stand It even II the Thermometer
registered 80 degrees higher"
Representative Hardy. Of Texas. is re-
gsrded by his colleagues as about the
best natural House member. He Is q
radical person by temperament, and In
PRODUCES a radical bill or two nearly
every day, and they are al pleasantly
turned down. But there Is no record OF
i Hardy ever being pIqued at friend OF
foe for opposing his measures.
Much depends on the point OF view
Some years ago, soon after Senator
Owen first struck Oklahoma, his life
was sought by two or three desperadoes
The trouble followed legal night Over
took part in Several OF his friends ad.
vised him TO try a change Of climate
for a few months, but Owen wouidn'i
do II. Then friend came 70 him and
said:
shot at you some day. But even II thes
don't. the community would be BETTE
Of without thsui We don't want : 10