South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-04-06
STATESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
BY FRED @. KELLY.

III
WASHINGTON, April s. - Rep.
Claude Weaver Of Oklahoma deliv-
cred a speech in the house of congress
a little while ago in favor of Sunday
observance. He made the point that
reserving the seventh day for a day of
rest is good for man or beast, and that
IL one does not go TO church, one
should at least keep Sunday a day
apart from toll.
1t was a good speech and soon
there was a great demand for copies
of same. Tn" demand was so great,
in fact, that Weaver's Office force was
swamped.
Wen simply have to work Sunday
and catch up" said Weaver TO his sec
rotary and stenographer.
So they went TO the office bright and
early one Sunday morning and toiled
there assiduously all day long. getting
out copies of Weaver's speech against
Sunday work.
Wallace Bassford is secretary TO
Speaker Clark and has two bright
young sons. One of these is five
years of age and picks up words and
phrases rather easily.
Former Speaker Cannon dropped
into ClarE's office one day and talked
TO Bassford. who was also. at that mo-
ment, receiving a little visit from his
son.
AS Cannon talked, he swore from
time to time.
A week or so after that Bassford
was entertaining at dinner q pious old
relative who holds his church and the
republican party in equally high
esteem.
AS they were waiting for the des-
sert course. the five-year-o son up
set a glass of water. When the cold
water reached his lap he exclaimed
something that sounded like dam
mytalltell"
The relative impaled Bassford with
his eye as much as to say:
Where did the boy hear THAT?'
HE got that from listening TO
Uncle Joe Cannon" explained Bass
ford, quietly.
Then the guest was more shocked
than ever.
Wallace" he admonished. ''if you
tell lies-especially about a man like
Mr.. Cannon. neither you nor your
little boy will come TO any good enc.
You can be partisan without being
a liar"
Although he is a large. ponderous-
looking statesman, with bull-like
voice, Rep. Frank b. Willis of Ohio
is as chock full of mischief as a ten
year-old boy.
A few months ago Willis went to
Y Ork Pa, 90 address a teachers insti-
tute. When the chairman of the
meeting called on Willis he intro
duced him with the simple statement:
The next number on the program
will be Congressman Frank b. Wills,
not saving whether Willis was sing
er, monologist or contOrtionist.
Willis marched out toward the front
of the stage. intending to deliver his
speech just as if nothing had hap
pened, but on his way one eye
CHANGED TO fall on an upright piano.
Instantly a little prank popped into
his head. Mischief and congressional
dignity tussled for a brief moment.
but the struggle was unequal and soon
dignity lay breathless and inert with
mischief standing on its chest.
Willis tripped lightly over to the
piano, gave the stool a jaunty twirl
pushed back his hair from his learned
brow. and gravely played Chopsticks
Then he got up, placed his hand OF
his stomach, just as he had seen pro
fessional pianists do in concerts. and
sOlemny bowed himself off the stage
while members of the audience ex-
I
other as If TO say:
II can remember when his mind
was just as clear as anybodys.'
When the present administration
/ took hold Of things here the secretary
TO the attorney general was a capabls
I and painstaking young man who haC
1 been there for several years, through
4 the terms of three or four differen
! attorney generals. As he was highl!
recommended Mr. McReynOlds de
/ cided 10 keep him right where he was
The secretary. however. labored un'
I der one great handicap. Every attor
ney general that he had worked FOL
/ had been a republican, and most OF
} the congressional callers at the de
: partment of justice had been repub'
/ Leans. The consequence was that M
I had only a scant acquaintance amone
I democratic senator's and representa-
! tives. When democratic senators
came in to see the new attorney gen
eral they had TO stop and explain whC
4 they were. and this peeved them be
yOnd measure.
Then McReynolds determined tina
/ il would be better 10 make a change
I he appointed J.hn T. Suter. Wash
I ingtOn newspaper correspondent t
4 the secretaryship. But before M
closed with Suter. McReynolds asked
\ two or three important questions
do you know most OF the demo
4 cratic senators and representative b!
/ sight ,"
Yes" confessed Suter.
Well" suggested McReynolds
/ whenever a prominent democra
\ comes in. treat him with just as mucl
/ lVidness as IL he were a republican"
I copyright 1914 ty Fred G. Kelly. A.
rights resarxed-l