South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-03
STATESMEN REAL
AND NEAR
BY FRED c. KELLY.

vice PreS. MarSnall mas theory |
that the average man, when you look
him right in the eye. and pin him
down to a given proposition, will tell
approximately the truth.
A vice president has comparatively
little TO do. and ordinarily it doesn't
matter whether a man tells him the
truth or not; still, once in a while It
is desirable to know, and Marshall
has a ssytem that he perfected when
he was governor of Indiana.
In the first place, to get the whole
truth out of a man. it is best to be
closeted with him alone. At first
thought one might have an idea that
man would be more likely to shrink
from telling a lie when there are
others about TO hear him, but that is
not the way ii works out. a man
who lies at all thinks il smart and
cute TO tell lees, and he Will do so
all the more likely when he has a
good audience, especially If most of
the audience is in sympathy with
him II is when he is alone with the
man he is trying to fool, and has a
thing put up to him, on his honor,
that the off-hand liar is apt TO quail
For example, when Marshall was
governor a committee Of ten came
to the executive office one day TO urge
the appointment of a certain ponder
ously-girthed politician to an import
ant place. Marshall had supposed
that of all the applicants for the
place none was quite so incompetent
as this one that the delegation was
recommending with such great enthu-
siasm and FEASIBILITY. He asked all
manner of questions. first of one
member of the delegation and then Of
hrrf hn or 70
admit that there was the slightest
flaw in the candidates character or
entitlements.
Then Marshal called one of the
delegation aside, took him into his
private office, and told him he wished
straight in the eye, the governor
asked:
Tell me, now, man to man, if you
were governor would you appoint
him?"
we'll" faltered the man, "of
course-oh-h, l think so-that is,
might.
Marshall called the others in one
at a time, and each faltered. and fl
nally told the truth when the thing
was put up to them in that form.
The two senators from New Hamp-
shire show promise of disagreeing
d
touch OF light comedy to senatorial
debates. AS a rule, senators from the
same state try TO be in accord on most
| Of the propositions that come up or
| If they are not in accord they aim not
to show IL. Until the death of Sen.
Hepburn, the two senators from Idaho
were a striking exception TO this rule.
They never agreed on anything or on
| any part or phase of anything. If
| Sen Borah was for a proposition, his
! colleague was certain not only to op-
| pose it, but to do so openly, in full
view Of the audience and in a loud
voice. Each seemed to serve as a
| foil for the other. like Weber and
| Field used to be.
One recalls this sample dialogue
| that took place on the senate floor
between Borah and Hepburn:
| Hepburn: 1 have never been partial
to caucuses, and L should like to
eliminate them.
Borah: 1 am glad the senator is
coming to disclose that much prog
! ress.
Hepburn: am not coming. I have
| always been there.
Borah: 1 am sure that if my col
league was ever there. he is there
still.
Hepburn: The right of today is the
right of all times. The right does not
| change with every season.
Borah That is true, but / would
| rather have my face 10 the dawn than
always TO the sunset.
Hepburn: That is a very pretty
sentiment but a man who never
| looked at a sunset has missed whole
! lot, in my judgment.
Borah: l have seen the sun set
| more often than l have seen il rise.
| But my remarks about the caucus
were not personal. l know my col
league would not have anything to do
/ with so corrupting an influence in
| politics as the ordinary caucus.
Hepburn: Oh, yes, 1 would.
Borah: ! was really inclined to be-
lieve if I stated the opposite Of it my
/ colleague would take the opposite
| side.
And so on.
So far the New Hampshire senators
have been fairly mild in their re-
| marks about one another. but they
| give promise of having more TO say
later on. They disagree by tempera-
| ment. training and tradition. In his
initial speech in the senate, Hollis
I hurled a few bits Of innuendo at his
associate and Gallinger made a few
cracks in return. while referring TO
| him as my esteemed colleague .
| Whenever a senator rings in too much
| of that my esteemed colleague" thing
il is time for the estimaele colleague
| TO look out
Sen. O'Gorman says he has had one