The Caucasian., 1913-12-25
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sd % Getting Bill Before houseo
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Washington. Dec. 2S-lSpecial.g-
1t is too early sar presidentiat booms
At best. they gecon,S mer8 bcbmRaa
and they arg aye 90 ls9 broken a. ahes
float away QUE % sighs like coS oal-
loon. There g. also e aisposisio0 80
make fun of presidentIat Hoome @hicis
spring up Ghree seas iH adVance os g
national conventions ana ridcule tends
to kill off Che eoone oe n,en ssho
might be candi6aeea
1 do not know ahae Eaae ssooe evee
seriously considered himself @ gresi
Dental possibility. Once Q eeportee
asked him if no aould eccepe ehe
nomination for president.
by whom are you commissioners 90
offer me the nomination." cetortsd
Root.
Theodore Roosevelt thought of max
ing Root the candidate in 1908, but
chose Taft as the stronger man. fear
ing that Roots former corporation
law practice would be harmful in the
campaign. The present talk which
has been going around about Senator
Root has been premature.
Root Has No Illusions.
In promptly and decisively stopping
talk about his possible candidacy.
Senator Root created a live topic for
presidential discussion. He said he
would be too old for the duties, too
old to be a candidate, that he would
be seventy-two years old at the begin
ming of the next administration. Sena-
tor Cummins will be four years young
er at that time. as will be Champ
Clark. 1t is a question whether the
parties will choose men Of that age
for presidential candidates.
In notifying Fairbanks of his nomi-
nation for vice president in 1904. Sem
ator Root called attention to the age
of his opponent, Henry Gassaway
Davis, who was then past eighty.
Davis is now ninety and quite hale
and hearty.
Evidence Of Popularity.
The best evidence of the popularity
Of government aid for roads is shown
In the large number Of bills that have
been introduced for various sorts of
improvements. Few men come right
out boldly for direct government eX
penditures for road Improvements.
Most Of them propose that rural post
routes be improved or that some sys-
tenn of agricultural work be coupled
with the projects That is because
they want to get around the possible
constitution complications.
Senator Gallinger was the pioneer In
good roads legislation. A dozen years
ago he was fathering bills for road i'm
provement, and most of those which
are now proposed are along lines sug
gested in the first bill introduced by
the New Hampshire senator.
From Peace to War.
Congressman Slayden of Texas sacri-
feed his place on the military commit
tee in order to retain craftsmanship.
but he was given a place on the i'm
migration committee. II have left a
war committee for a committee Of
peace" said the Texan. "but | have
really gone from peace to war. The
military committee was a peaceful Or
ganiZation. but the immigration COM
mittee is warlike. Already we have
four personal rows going on in that
committee. 1t is. the 'scrappingest'
committee Of the house."
viii He Get It7
Congressman Thomas of Kentucky
does not expect much of the present
congress. He does want the great
Mammoth cave made a public park.
however, and he is trying by good ma
ture, by telling jokes, by commencing
everything and everybody. to get his
bill reported. 1t is not altogether a
new way of getting legislation. but the
query is. Will Thomas succeed? He
is still quite distance from his goal.
for the desire for parks is not so ex-
tensive as it was few years ago.
CompIimenting Mann.
Democrats occasionally compliment
Minority Leader Mann. but he has hit
many Of them so hard that they want
to put little sting into their honeyed
words. Congressman Dies of Texas
was speaking of the Illinois man not
long ago and said: His mind was like
a great storehouse. In which is lodged
everything from toothpick 10 a self
binding mower. ! congratulate myself
that do not POSSESS the great fund OF
information which be has az bis dis
posai because do not want 20 con
YER. my mind into pubic junk shop.
steh. yeu show thar every time you
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