The Washington herald., 1914-01-22
Statesmen, Real and Near.
Ry FRED c. KELLY.

Ry FRED c. KELLY.
Once upon time Mrs. whitacre, wifi.
Of Representative John J. whitacre, ol
Ohio. was away from home vinsing. A
man to whom she had just been intro
duced did not catch her name, but learned
that she was from Whitacre's town
Canton.
You know Congressman whitacre. ]
supposeT' suggested the man.
"Yes. I am acquainted with him." re
piled Mrs. Whitacre, smiling
I've often wondered what he was like. '
went on the man. DO you know hin
real well?''
mo. can't say that do" laughed
Mrs. Whitacre. I've been married Il
him for a good many years. but I should
not like to 60 so far as to say I know
him well. No one knows him WELL
And she was right. The only person
who knows much about whitacre il Whit.
acre. He can keep more things to him.
self than almost anybody in Congress-
And he is a great little self-counselor
Yet. every now and then he says some
thing that causes a lot of talk. A short
time ago he stirred up comment through
out the entire country by the way he
expressed his disgust with his job here
In Congress. He .said Congress is no
place for a man who is intellectually hon.
est and that he was sick and tired of
sitting around doing nothing and looking
wise.
Whereupon a great many people perked
up and inquired what sort OF chap Whit
acre might be.
Whitacre Is an exclusive pattern. He
doesn't do anything like anybody else
would do It For example, he never
makes a speech in the House and never
IL he can help II, listens to one. But
whenever there is a subject up for dis
cussion, such az the currency bill, he
utilizes the time he would give to max
ing and hearing speeches, to saturating
and amounting himself with information.
He reads every line of the other mem
bers' speeches when they are printed In
the Congressional Record. and he sends
to the Library for every book he can
think of that deals with the subjects on
which the others have been talking. His
favorite method of absorbing facts is
to lie on the bed in his room with scores
of books and pamphlets grouped about
him, so that he can pick up first one and
then another. After he has sioshed about
among all these books for q while Whit
acre could make as good a speech as
many of the others. But he doesn't do
it-at least not on the door of the House.
Whitacre says half the speeches de-
livered in the House are intended solely
for home consumption, anyway, so when
he has anything to say to the home folks
he gets on q train and goes back to say
It direct. In that way he saves the mail
carriers a great deal OF time and an
noyance and burden.
He works similar plan in regard to
Scriptural Inspiration Although he is a
great Bible student. whitacre never goes
to church Instead, he subscribes for
the Monday edition of the Brooklyn
Eagle which has for years made a spe-
cialty Of printing diEests Of the leading
sermons delivered in and about New
York He reads these just as carefully
Is he does the Congressional Record,
which means that he doesn't skip a word.
When he has finished the sermons he
takes up the Epistfe of st. Paul and
other books of the New Testament His
campaign speeches are always heavily
tertilized with quotations from St. Paul,
and those who have never seen him at
church wonder how 1t happens.
Whitacre pays his children a modest
salary for taking exercise, such as box
II time each day. He says it is the only
way TO insure their regularity at it. and
S simply applying business principles to
he upbuilding of the youngsters. For
mental gymnastics he has his children
,lay chess and plays 1t himself. He says
hat even the much-maligned game Of
,oker is good for children or grown-ups
,eeause 1t teaches quick thinking and a
Of human nature.
After whitacre was married he got
he notion into his head to study law.
But he had no money. So he went
way to law school and took care of
he once for . Justice of the peace in
eturn for minimum wage, while Mrs |
Nhitacre did sewing. In that way they
managed to get along, and in due sea-
on Whitacre was frst-rate lawyer |
ie practiced law for ten years, and |
hen was caught by some kind of re-
orm wave, and quit the profession nat. |
deanwhile he had got into the manu-
acturing business. making a building |
lie, His plant was twelve miles from |
lis home town, and at first he often
walked back and forth, because he
ould i'll AFFORD to ride. Today when
70 makes that same twelve-milc trip
10 rides In one of his large, footing
automobiles, the size of a Pullman
oach, and has a beautiful home at
ach end Of the line.
Although he has q habit of saying
ust what he thinks. even il talking
0 man seven feet high. Whitacre In
quiet chap. of moderate stature. He
} no larger than a crockery salesman.
less than $50 pounds, and is
,odest and bald-headed His eyes al
rays have . funny little sduint. as IL
e had Just been told something that
fdn't sound logical
Congressmen get all manner Of kicks.
he other day Representative Steener-
on. Of Minnesota, got letter from a
wede up his way who told a harrow
" tale about his experience with
eeda
There was a package Of rutibaga
eeds IN the lot you sent me-" he said.
and the plants grew so large that a
tile girl up the street fell asleep un-
er one or them and could not be found
,r hours. The child's mother was ter
bly, worked up. Don't send any ruth
aga seed this year.
)oggright iaii. BY. Frd C. Kelly. Al rights