South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-29
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
ny FRED C KELLY.

WASHINGTON. June 29-When
congress met in special session short
~ after Woodrow Wilson became
president. sen. John w. Kern was
appointed chairman Of the committee
10 notify the president that congress
was convened and ready 10 receive
any message he might have 10 offer.
AS matter of fact the president
would doubtless have entertained
strong suspicion that congress had as
sembled. even without the formal no
tificatiOn. but the committee was of
course appointed to go 70 the presi-
dent and tell him, simply because
such committee always has been
appointed.
When the time came to go 10 the
white house and break the news TO
Mr.. Wilson. Sen. Kern found difficulty
in getting his committee together.
One OF the other members was the
late Sen. Baron. who was stickler
for strict fofmality and he was ex-
tremely nervous lest there might be
a disastrous delay.
II know what I'll do" suggested
Kern; iii just call the president on
the phone. It's Just a perfunctory
thing. anyhow, and
Bacon was horrified-simply hor-
rifed.
why. there's no precedent for
such a thing!" he gasped.
We'll. that doesn't matter; We'll
make a precedent then" said Kern.
/ And forthwith he went TO the phone,
called Main s. and with the assist
ance OF Joe Tumulty and Tommy
Brahany soon had the president on
the wire. He came right TO the point
and told the president frankly that
! congress was in session.
Sen. Bacon doubtless would have
! interfered. but his establishment was
/ so severe at witnessing such a rude
shattering Of precedent that he was
| unable to move or speak. He was
\ certain that the wheels Of the gov
eminent would stop and that every
/ thing would go to rack and ruin.
But the thing made tremendous
hit with the president, who was in
\ the midst of smashing a number of
needless conventions himself He is
/ today an ardent admirer of Kern and
the incident OF the telephoned notifi-
cation is one of the reasons.
In the same connection one may
remark that two Of Kern's greatest
admirers in the senate are MeSsrs
/ Lodge and Root. Both are men Of
/ such scholarship and dignity that the
average newcomer i'm the senate is
afraid to approach them except on
| hands and knees. When Kern first
came TO the senate he took one look
at Lodge and Rood and wondered If
they would appreciate certain little
story he had in mind. He walked
\ over to Root. gave him a friendly
slap on the back and told him the
story. Root laughed right heartily,
and then Kern tried it on Lodge. He,
zoo, seemed to think that the story
was really very amusing. Since then
4 Kern has always treated Root and
Lodge as equals and they like him
because he keeps them constantly re-
minded that they are regulation hu-
man beings.
! Next to Kern the most serious look
ing joker in the senate is willard
salisbury Of Delaware. Because both
look too solemn TO be the jokers that
| they are, these two are drawn to-
gether by common cause and
scarcely a week goes by that Sauls-
bury doesn't perpetrate some school
boyish prank on Kern. On the day
this is written. a messenger boy de
livered to Kern an oblong box. In
side the box was a gray four-in-hand
/ tie loud enough to brighten a horse.
| Attached to the DANGEROUS scarf was
"A card bearing the inscription in a
feminine hand: with love from
| Myrt"
Kern hastily crammed the tie back
into the box and glanced about fur
lively to see if anybody was looking
In the offing chuckling with great
glee was Sen. Salisbury. who was the
"Myrt" Of the enterprise.
About a year ago when the senator
was sweltering through a special ses-
rf. In, 4.
N bury got his heart Sc or a trip TO
Europe and he determined To go even
il he had To leave the senate fat on
! it's back Kern. as the democratic
leader Of the senate, was making
every effort to keep the members in
Washington and he acted much vex-
ed toward Salisbury for dashing off
TO Europe.
When he was we'll out TO sea where
he was sure Kern couldn't modest
him, Saulebury began to send Kern
wireless messages twitting him about
how hot il must be in WASHINGTON
and how cool and balmy aboard ship.
Kern declares that men have been
shot for less villainous tricks than
that
One afternoon Kern came into the
senate and told a story about the col
ored man who was injured by some
body stepping on his hand while he
was reaching for a cigar. One or two
senators failed to catch the point TO
the story but Marc Smith Of Arizona
did see the point and he was so fiat
tered that he insisted on Kern telling
the little story TO every senator that
came in.
We'll keep a list Of all that can't
see the point" chortled Marc Smith.
and just put them down as unfit TO
associate with those Of us who are
smart and quick witted."
| Copyright, 1914, by Fred G. Kelly.
All RiPhfS Reserved !