Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1912-08-15
AKIN PUTS up
FIGHT ON WILSON
NEW YORKER WANTS CONGRESS
TO GIVE AGRICULTURAL DE.
PARTMENT AIRING.
fBy e. H. Hanson. ]

Washington, D. c., Aug. 13.-Prob-
ably the most unique resolution ever
introduced in the house OF representa-
tives was that Of Representative
Theron Akin on Thursday OF last week
Mr.. Akin is former Iowan, having
Ispent nearly thirty years in Grundy
county where, he now owns farm Of
about 800 acres.
His resolution was an attack upon
the department Of agriculture, princi-
pally upon James Wilson, the secre-
|tary and in it he calls upon the presi-
dent Of the United States to give the
department of agriculture thorough
physic and renovation, using the serum
Of honesty and good government as
purgative."
Akin has been fighting the agricul
tural department for months and he
has made Secretary Wilson and his
son, Jasper, the special targets Of his
fire. He accuses aid Tama Jim OF
pretty nearly every crime under the
sun every time he has a chance to ac-
cuse him of anything and he swears
that before he Is through he will
"clean out" the entire. department and
! all Of Wilson's friends In It.
Akin is the only man in congress
without party afiliations. He calls
himself q progressive republican. To
get to the house he beat Cyrus Durey,
one Of the stanchest OF the old New
York standpatters and in campaigning
to beat Durey he travelled his district
with an empty dinner pail and a lemon,
thus ridiculing the republican full din
ner pail cry of several campaigns ago.
Since coming here he has pulled
of many freak stunts, including his
| five minute speech without words"
when he exhibited two dinner pail pic
lures in the house for Ave minutes
without saying a word. This classic
was kept out Of the record, however,
by special rule which provides that
the joint committee on printing must
approve Of all cuts. Reed Smoot, the
Mormon elder, is chairman of this COM
mittee Because Akin persisted in
calling himself a progressive repub-
lican" and his defeated opponent,
Durey, "stand-pat republican in his
! autobiography in the congressional
directory, Smoot refused to let his din
! ner pail cuts be printed.
Now Akin has come back at Smoot
with a provision in this resolution Of
Thursday which asks the president to
report to the house whether the Nor
mon church, always up to its neck In
politics, is responsible for the reter-
tion in office of McCabe, Melvin, and
Steddom. three sons Of Utah; and
whether the Mormon church because
|cf it's voting strength in Utah. Wyom-
ins Idaho and Oregon, is influential
enough to enforce its political COM
mands In Washington
/ Since the printing of that resolution,
/ Smoot, McCabe. Representative How
ell of Utah and Senator Sutherland
lcf Utah have all been up In the air.
but Akin merely laughs at them and
i tells them when thev protest to him
that he has another and larger vol.
lley waiting for them.
] Representative Peppers resolution
Ito have three thousand copies OF the
i"studies on the reproduction and arti-
Ifcial propagation Of fresh water
.mussels" hy Professors George Le-
fevre and w. G.. Curtis printed for dis
,tr:hution was passed by the house
Saturday afternoon. The studies we're
made because OF the rapid extermina-
iticn OF the fresh water clans in the
Ipearl and pearl button industries.
L. n. Mattox. an attorney of Shenan-
ldoah spent the week end in Wash
tington on business and on pleasure.
! There is a persistent rumor afloat