South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-13
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED O KELLY.

WASHINGTON, March 13.-Here
Is an example OF the havoc wrought
by the long arm OF coincidence.
Otis Wingo. a large, handsome.
plausible congressman from Arkan-
sas. was about to make speech IN
regard TO an important bill then up
Cor discussion. Desiring TO make il
an effective speech, he racked his
brain for some special headliner that
would make his remarks remembered
long after he had sat down.
An apt little poem occurred 10 him.
Just what the poem was about need
not concern us, but il was good lit
tie poem that summed up Wingo's
thoughts better than all phraselogy
possible in mere prose. 1t had been
a long time since a poem had forced
its way into the debates or the Con-
gressional Record, and Wingo felt
that he would make a hit
Well, he talked along. saving his
poem for dessert, and just when he
was clearing his throat to begin the
first stanza. Chairman Fitzgerald, of
the appropriations committee, in
CURED:
"win the gentleman yield for one
minute?"
Certainly" said the polite Wingo.
And if Fitzgerald didn't get up and
say a poem FITZGERALD. who never
uttered a line of verse before in his
life! IL was a very sad poem, about
a calf that wabbled as il walked. but
il served TO take the edge OFF poetry
for the rest of the day. WingO wise
~ did not undertake to spring the
verses he had all cOiled and ready in
his throat. He sat down a sad and
detected man.
Blair Lee the new senator from
Maryland, is a smOoth-face huskily
built chap with short white hair. a
captivating smile and such a kindly
manner that he is almost motherly.
He is the kind one might confide
ones troubles to on short acquaint-
ance.
Though he was born rich. mixing
well with the common people is one
Of the things at which Lee eXcels. In
the course of his campaign he stop
ped to talk 10 a great many people in
their homes.
At one place he was greeted rather
gloomily by man who said:
I'm willing to vote for you, but
you'll pardon me if | don't make any
great fuss over you just now, because
I'm not in a very jolly mood. My
wifeS sick and the cook has left"
'Shucks. Why worry about a cook, -
said Lee. Where's the kitchen? I'll
get dinner"
And he did. He's a good cook, too.
For years Lee has found his main
sport-aside from politics-in putter-
ing about his farm in Maryland.
Every once in a while he takes a no
ton to do the cooking. He likes 20
stroll about in the early morning
picking up a piece of wire here, or
kicking loose stone out of the path
there-just messing around. To look
at him, one would guess also that he
/ is a man who could content himself
by the hour in front of a log fire
with his slippers on, patiently work
ing refuses or playing dominoes.
Two or three restaurants in Wash
ington schedule on their menu cards
Wilson pudding"
If you are of an inquisitive. turn of
mind and order Wilson pudding" &c
| quiet your curiosity, you will find that
| it is nothing but plain, old-fashioned
bread-pudding of everyday com
merce. The explanation is that when
| ever President Wilson sends in nom
nations for dessert breadpudding is
usually his first choice.
| William Jennings Bryan went to a
| little town in Virginia one warm sum
mer day to deliver a Chautauqua ad-
| dress. When he struck. town he wore
a long frOck coat with slk-faceC
lapels, striped trousers and everything
just the way a statesman would.
Members of the reception commit.
tee expressed themselves to each 9TH
er as pleasantly surprised, as they haC
heard that Bryan had been speaking
! in a dinky little black alpaca Jacket
| They thought his stuff would go al
| the better if he were dressed like
regular statesman. But they haC
still another surprise coming to them
When Bryan got up TO speak he haC
made lightning change and wore tn,
| dlnky little alpaca jacket The frocI
coat was all right TO travel in, bu
when he speaks on a hot day he in
Sists on wearing his working clothes
Speaking Of a certain associate who
was making a speech, Representative,
Hank" Barnhart of Indiana remark
ed the other day: II never knew it [,
fail. Whenever that fellow strike,
something that he knows absolutel,
nothing about he Immediately starts
an advertising campaign TO make hi
ignorance known to all"
Representative James Sanror,
Davenport. of Oklahoma. has beer
twice married, and each time his VIII,
was Cherokee Indian. In his Off
cial biography, Davenport states tina
he was the only inter married whit,
man who ever held the position o
speaker OF the Cherokee legislature.
Fds,ened cOnspicuously TO the desl
Of representative Reed of New
Hampshire, is a neat little placarC
ia Reeds own handwriting whicl
saws Never Again"
ASK Reed what it is that -
Never Again" motto is intended Il
keep in his mind, and he will nusl
up, swallow, and reply mysteriousl
that it Is lust a little memorandum.
That is as far into the particulars a
he is willing TO go
| Copyright. 1914. by Fred e. Kelly
All rights reserved)