Evening journal., 1913-12-19
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
An Anecdote Of "The Great
ObjeCtOr'
b, Holland.

There had been a very exciting day
in the lower House of Congress in
the first long session after President
Arthur succeeded General Garfield in
the presidency. The House had been.
organized in committee Of the whole.
An appropriation bill was under con-
sideration. William Steele Holman,
Of Indiana, was in his place during
the entire session. He did not leave
his seat although he frequently rose
TO interpose objections or to make
searching inquiries respecting certain
details Of the appropriation bill.
Judge Holman's desk was Uttered
with papers and there were docu-
ments innumerable on the floor by the
side of It. He seemed to be able to
turn instantly TO any particular docu
ment to which he wished to refer. He
certainly justified the appellation de-
scriptive of him and by which he vas
widely known THE Great Objecter,"
On the night of that day ! called
upon Judge Holman at his lodgings.
/ He then lived in a modest hotel on
found "The Great Director" seated in
front of large table. Documents
OF every conceivable form and shape
were before him. These he had ap-
parently been scruitinizing closely so
that he might be prepared for a re-
sumtion of his parliamentary sharp
shooting the next day. AS he turned
in his chair, taking his spectacles
from his nose and whirling them in
a gentle swinging motion with his
hand, he reminded me forcibly Of a
school teacher whom / knew in my
boyhood and who was esteemed a
wonderful teacher of arithmetic
Judge Holman's grizzled gray beard,
his sallow complexion. his ample
shirt bosom, upon the front of which
hung the long ends of a peculiar
necktie, recalled that teacher.
In the course of the conversation
with Judge Holman he made some
very frank statements to me which
! also put me in mind of the Connecti-
cut teacher of arithmetic, for al
though that man was a master of
mathematics he was unable to apply
the rule of three or of multiplication
to his own domestic affairs.
Judge Holman said: 1.-The work
which l do of scrutinizing the appro-
priation bill is important but it is
also a very thankess task If | had
other gifts / should certainly not de-
vote myself to the analysis and scru-
tiny of the appropriation bill. My
mind is judicial. l am a lawyer in
the sense that it is my duty TO criti-
else and analyze. The faculty was
inborn and i have been obedient to
it.
1T has been my observation, how
ever, that the men who have the fac
ulty of scrutiny in analyzing and dis
covering extravaganza and kindred
matters are without creative ability.
The real creative forces in our pub
lie life are men who for the most
! part find details drudgery and who
have no capacity for searching out ex-
! travagance or other defects in the
appropriation bill. ] am satisfied that
the two qualities rarely exist in the
same individual. And / am frank to
say to YOU that I have often regretted
that ! have no especial capacity for
creative or constructive work. If !
had You may be sure that I would
not scrutinize items in appropriation
bills"
Here Judge Holman swung his
spectaeles very vigorously and / could
see by the impetuous although trifling
gesture that he was speaking 20 me
from the heart.
Copyright, 1918, by Il. j. Edwards.
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Of
! zone of Garhold's Plans for His Flu
ture."