Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11

rnittee on appropriations Twelve years
service on the committee as 3 minority
member. during which he did a deal of
watchdogging on his own account, won
the position for him.
Observe him on the floor or in his COM
mittee room dealing with those who come
seeking grants of public funds for causes
they deem good.
On the floor he is arguInentative. witty.
sarcastic. sharp-tonsued even brutal. as
occasion requires: on guard in his COM
nlittee room he is cold. severe, even
austere. and when he farSs 4 belli5erent
Mo- at supplicating new Represen-
tative the latter scutties. frightened
away lest he be bit on the wrist before
he gets out.
But when Mr. Fitzgerald takes off the
war bonnet and the paint of chairman
of the appropriations committee and re-
lakes. no one can be more charming or
gracious of manner. Let him. in mo-
ment of leisure, drift into the House press
gallery. as he sometimes does. and in
stantly there is a group about him. for
the newspaper men know that there is
Cd fun and good talk when Fifty" is about
The pixeylike humor of the man is in
evidence in his choice of home in
Washington. Sometimes he lives at the
Cosmos Club and then he shifts to the
Army and Navy Club. Now, the Cosmos
Club is made up very largely of
gentlemen who occupy high posi-
lions in the numerous scientific bureaus
of the government These bureaus-it is
no secret-arc always clamoring for in
creased appropriations. The truly scien-
tific bureau chief is firmly convinced that
no arm OF the government is dong such
valuable work for the people as his, and
with this belief goes the companion con-
viction that the money available for the
bureaus needs is grossly inadequate.
Imagine the feelings of such Il bureau
scientist whose pet appropriation has just
been killed by that man Fitzgerald"
rushing to the club in search of sympathy
only to find the same Fitzgerald the cen
ter of a merry. laughing, story telling
party at the dinner table.
Then picture the scene when an irate
general or admiral, chief of an army or
navy bureau. Tuning into the Army and
Navy Club with the tale of the latest
outrage perpetrated on the defenses of
the country in the name of economy. finds
the perpetrator of the outrage comfort-
ably chatting with a lot of young officers
and, no doubt. hopelessly corruptng them
with his theories of government finance.
Last winter Mr.. Fitzgerald made his
home at the Cosmos. Maybe it got too
hot there Anyhow, he is at the Army
and Navy this year. and he says he is
enjoying il. And he hasn't the slightest
fear that anybody Will slip anything
into his coffee.
No one can cherish resentment against
him long. despite the biting quality of
his tongue in debate or in committed
But yet they cannot truly love him. IT'S
the lot of the chairman of the appro-
priations committee
Some men are naturally qualified for
the position. Such are these in whom
the human desire to be popular Is at
the minimuEi. They are the men who
are willing to stand by their convic-
lions in the face of existing counter
public opinion.
Randall was such man. once he led
forty other democrats in an insurgent
movement on democratic tariff meas
ure back in the seventies, when the
democrats had majority in the House.
and promptly colleagues and public be-
gan referring to Randall and his forty
thieves.
Fitzgerald has had somewhat the
same experience 1t was during the or
ganization OF the House at the special
session in 1899 with the republicans in
control Thirty-one republican insur-
gents threw their support to a demo-
cratic movement to deprive the Speaker
of his power and to appoint a commit
tee to revise the rules of the House.
The cutlery against the Legislative oil
garchy'' in the House was at its height.
Then il. was that Fitzgerald led away
4 q l. Il