The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-06
ATTA|NS FAME VIA THE
SHAPING R0UI

WASHINGTON. D. e. July 5.--ff
ts rather hard to associate a slap on
the hack with a label on a patent
medicine bottle or on a State court
decision concerning the corstitu-
tionality OF a liquor law Yet to the
folks down in Cleveland county, ".
c.. Ii would not he hard TO convince
any one that Edwin Yates Webb.
representative from the Ninth dis
trict or the Tarheel state, Is the au-
thor Of two OF the nations greatest
laws simply because he Is credited
with being the best hack-siapper IN
the world. That is probably why WenD
came to Washington as baby con-
gresham IN the Fifty eighth congress
and has stayed through reactionary
days progressive upheavals, Cannon
fights and Democratic matorities I'M
I'll he is about TO step into the chair
nanship Of the committee on the iu-
diciary-one al the biggest elements
In the formation OF the legislation
for this big land
Webb has been a member OF this
committee for several years and to
the ranking member now. Now that
Chairman Clayton Is about TO become
a federal judge in AiahaTa webb
will in all human probability, sit al
the, head OF that dign.fled table and
conduct the meetings
To begin with. this chairmanshtp
IL a live mans Job When one real
ICES that the big business of the coun-
try. representing billions OF dollars,
has been holding its breath to see
what the house judiciary committee
intended 70 do in the way OF anti
trust legislation. one can see that no
sulall-souled tight minded lawyer
could ever essay this task and be suc-'
cessful for even ore month,
Hung Ont His Shiugie at Twenty-fw0.
tn return to the ~slarping-
when webb hung out his shingie a.
a LAWYER In Shelby. y. g., ne was
twenty-five years old That was in
1924
Like most Southern lawyers he Just
couldn't help dahhling In politics a
little and he had the most gracious
manner Of affectionatelv siapping the
bows on the back that North Carolina
ever saw. And being horn and hred
a Southern Democrat, he instincflveiy
trained with the men who formed the
heart If the real Democracy, al least
that's what hts friends say here. Al
ter awhile the older Democrats began
10 refer things toy Young Webb" and
II wasn't many months before
"Yourg Webb was county chairman
of Cleveland county. with the reEpon~
eihilitv OF effectine live-wlre organ-
ization and bringing II 10 such
state Of perfection that he knew how
every man in the county would vote,
II is said here by North Carolina COR
RESPONDENTS that webb made mar
vei0us record as q county chairman.
and that he was Senator simmons
chief mid in one Of the bitterest
aghts that section of the country ever
had.
I; was n fight where Republicans
and popuIisis ard few stray ele-
ments combined 10 get control Al
ter The smoke Of battle cleared Webb
was atop the heap, and ne mas been
there ever since. He went through
the regular training that politician
has. attended conventions NJ impor-
lance as a delegate. was State sem
atnr. and an individual To he counted
an when a political row was brew
Ing.
lie came To Washington as a con-
gresham when about thirty years or
age. in 1908 AS his politics had not
prevented him from prae.icing law.
he went on the judiciary COMMITTEES
in due time. and one Of the things his
friends are most proud az for his sake
Ia his authorship of the law which
makes patent medicine men place on
their labels the proportion OF cocaine.
morphine. opium, alcohol and other
habit forming drugs contained in the
mixture This law probably has saved
many life. and has probably cut
down the number of lives wrecked an
nually by the drug habit
Author of Liquor Act.
The other big thing Webb accom-
plished before his forty-first year was
the enactment OF the fiercely contests
ed law TO give dry States the right to
to control the liquor traffic as they
saw fit. The chief element in this
fight was the fact that In many COM
munities which wished to keep dry"
liquor would be imported In original
packages from wet" state. AS the
webb law is framed any dry State
that wants TO break up that practice
may do so. 1t Is being fought herce-
Iy in the courts. but It Is reported
here that the Supreme courts OF sew
eral States have declared the webb
liquor act to he constitutional.