South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-12
STA TESMEN
REAL AND NEAR
81 FRED c. KELLY.

a little tale that may sned light on
the reason why Sen. Alice Pomerne
OF Ohio is our most solemn appear
ing senator.
When he was a young chap attend
ing an academy al Hayesville. O.. he
occupied "a boarding house room That
was lighted only by a squatty little
kerosene lamp.
Atiee was a diligent student, and
uEed 10 sit by that lamp intent or his
books until long past 10 O'Clock at
Hlgnt-eVen though nearly every one
else in the little town retired shortly
after the S:25 train went through.
one night by a bit OF awkward
ness. Atlee broke the lamp chimney
just as ne was starting 10 study his
Greek. The lamp smoked so then
that il was impossible to see by it, but
the earnest young student was
ashamed TO go and ask the land
lady for a new chimney inasmuch as
it was the second he had broken
within the month. And he had no
money with which 10 go forth to the
m0TtS and buy lamp chimney.
now if he had been like other stu
dents he might have welcomed the
catastrophe as a good excuse not TO
study his Greek that night at all. But
being good. old fashioned, Sanford
and Merton type OF youth, who de-
sired TO improve his mind, Atlee did
not look at things in any such shift
less. misguided way. He had for his
motto strive to succeed and he was
determined to learn his Greek that
night at any cost.
So he sat BY the window and stud
led Greek by moonlight.
You must remember, dear chill
dren. that even full moon on a clear
night does not furnish adequate il
Elimination for reading fine print. A
full moon may seem bright indeed to
one whose only purpose is to go
driving in a buggy with a beautiful
sOulful-eyed young woman let us say,
but learning Greek cOnjugatiOns by
moonlight is something else again.
Atlee Pomerne sat by the window,
however. and pOred assiduously over
his books. The moonlight cast shad-
OWS of a vine on the wall and the low
hum of insects was heard outside a
small fuchsia plant rested on the
window sill. All, how romantic it
was-nOt,
Atlee learned his Greek, but he
nearly ruined his eyesight. 1t was
two or three weeks before he could
use his eyes much again, and it serv
ed him exactly right, too.
1t is any wonder that an earnest
young chap like that grew up to have
a solemn cast OF cOuntenance as he
sits in the United States senate
William Jennings Bryan, the we'll
known bon vivant ana secretary of
state. puts in right busy life here
at the nations capital. When he gets
through being secretary of state at
the blow of the whistle in the even
ing. he takes off his Overalls. figura-
lively speaking, and goes home TO be-
come an editor. That is, he dictates
editorials for his paper back home,
The Commoner. Having disposed of
that, he writes or revamps lectures.
attends TO personal correspondence,
and keeps his mind occupied until
long after bedtime. When he wakes
up the next morning he automatically
becomes once more the secretary of
state
The easiest thing William j. Bryan
does is to write editorials. He can
dictate al editorial just as fast as he
can talk. And having dictated it, he
has no more worry about the phrase
olOsy he has used. He is willing to
let it go into print just the wy he
said it, without further fuss or going
over.
And here is a funny thing about
Bryan debating: Whenever he die
tates letter he unconsciously falls
into a quiet. cemetery allotment
stenographer in as confidential a tone
as if he were talking direct to the
man the letter is for.
Rep. Dick Austin of Tennessee,
famous for his self-cOnfessed desire
TO see how much public money he
can place in circulation, voted the
other day for a bill TO establish a new
diplomatic post in Uruguay.
After the voting. jim Mann, the
republican leader, came up to Austin
and upbraided him.
Shame on you" said Mann; you
good republican voting to create
archer Job for some democrat
All yes" replied Austin, but that
was not the question. You are look
ing at the thing in too superficial q
will mean the expenditure of more
money. 1 have never voted against
any money appropriation yet and
shall not begin now"
Rep. s. 2. Winslcw. a large rotund
member from Massachusetts, was
chatting IN the house one day with
Rep. Albert Johnson of Washington
Johnson spoke of what a large dis
trict he represented.
y es." he said. my district is. I
presume three or four times as large
as your whole state OF Massachu-
sets"
Winslow was a bit piqued at tho
implied slur on the size of Massachu-
sets.
Well. that explains it." he re-
marked quietly.
Explains whatT" asked Johnson.
How YOU happened to be here
suppose the district is so large that
few OF the voters knew YOU"
Copyright. 1914, by Fred c. Kelly.
All rights rcserved.)