The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-08-07

senate until the next day, but Mr.. Aiken
! was in a hurry, and he speeded things up,
In the senate an unexpected obstacle was
encountered. The senate was working
under a unanimous consent arrangement
by which the tariff bills were to be voted
on before any other business Of any kind
would be considered. Under this agree
ment Mr.. Aiken's resolution could not pos
sibly be reached before Monday. Mr..
Aiken went to work and explained to the
leaders on both sides, and made them
promise that they would not delay his re-
solution. He talked to nearly all the sem
ators that afternoon, and perfected an ar
rangement by which his resolution was
taken up that night, after the vote on the
wool bill was taken, and it was passed
without a dissenting vote. Senator Smith
did not know OF the army worm being in
South Carolina until Mr.. Aiken came over
TO the senate with the resolution that had
been passed by the house. He got very
much excited, and said $4,000 would not be
enough, and wanted to increase the
amount to So, 5000. Mr.. Aiken told him
that Secretary Wilson had said that $1,000
would be sufficient, and urged him to let
the $4,000 appropriation go through with
out delay, pointing out that an amend
ment would send it back to the house and
conferees would have to be appointed, and
the matter would be delayed, and very
probably the whole appropriation would
be defeated. Senator Smith finally con-
scented to this, and Mr.. Aiken's resolution
went through the senate without a dis
senting vote, just as it had passed the
house.
Within 4S hours after Mr.. Aiken was
notified of the appearance OF the army
worm in Anderson county he had an ex-
pert on the ground, and within 4S hours
more after the expert had made his re-
port Mr.. Aiken had secured another S., 1000
for stamping out the evil. Quick work,
wasn't it?
And Mr.. Aiken did this effective work
without making any speeches. He not did
use gum shoe methods, nor did he use a
brass band. He knew what to do, and
went ahead and did it without delay. BY
working OH the members Of the house and
senate personally he got what was needed,
and got it without delay. If he had made
the most eloquent speech in the world,
and filled many pages of The COMPRESSION
al Record, he could not have accomplished
the desired end half so quickly. Nor
could a new member OF congress-, no mat
ter how able or eloquent, have accomplish
ed such results. He simply would not
have known what to do, or how to 60
about it-he would not have had the per-
sOnal influence that vas necessary, and
that can be attained only by long and ac-
ceptablc service.
This incident shows the kind OF u con-
gresham Wyatt Aiken is. He has ability
and energy, and the thing that men call
personal magnetism, and he is always OH
the job. He is personally one of the most
popular men in the house, and he is alb
solutely honest. There has never been
any suspicion as to his integrity. He is
true to his party and to the best principles
Of his state, and as he never talks on the
floor of the house unless he has something
to say, he is always listened to with re-
Spect. He has not talked himself to
death, as so many members of congress
have done. He has not destroyed his in
tluence by too much speech making. Yet
he is one OF the most effective speakers in