The Washington herald., 1914-05-01
Statesmen, Real and Near.
By FRED c. KELLY.

1 hefe II q little tale OF political intrigue,
the facts for which are furnished Dy
Representative Martin B. Madden. Of I'm
nois, and denied. in part, by Representa-
tive Timothy Ansberry, of Ohio, who hap
pens to be the hero Of the story.
Ansberry was about 10 run for his third
term IN Congress a few years ago, and
he was fretful over the fact that there
was great prejudice in his district
against a man remaining in Congress for
more than two consecutive terms.
! He went about among his fellow-states-
men, seeking counsel, and In due course
appealed to Morris Sheppard. now a SEN
ator from Texas, who is a young man OF
much political sapience.
well, let's see," unused Sheppard
Now, as l understand II. you want a
third term for Congress and the rule out
your way is against such a thing. All.
yes; It's serious case. but perhaps /
can help you" And he began TO knit his
brows perplexedly. like a physician dag
nosing a case of hives.
Haven't you any rivers out that way"
y asked Sheppard. you know, there's
nothing that will please a body OF cpu-
stituents more readily, than to see a Con-
gressman showing kind interest in a
river"
"Oh. yes, We have a river" replied
Ansberry. with pride: lit is called the
Maumee. and they're talking of having
II eXcavated some way to connect Lake
Erie with Lake Michigan. In fact. there's
an organization to boost that work along,
and"
There you ha it," interrupted Shep-
pard Il knew there must be a way"
| There l have what?' queried Tim.
| The way to get your third term. All
you have to do Is get yourself made
president of that waterway association
and no one would think of voting against
a man who Is so prominently connected
with a movement to improve nice little
! river"
Several months now are supposed to
have elapsed, and we take up the thread
Of our fascinating little story shortly
after Tim, with the help Of his fellow
Congressman in several lake cities, is made
president of the waterway association
which proposed to improve the Maumee.
Plans are afoot for the organization Of q
local chapter of the association in Tins
| town. Tim presides at big meeting.
and the principal speaker is Martin
Madden. of Chicago. who now furnishes
us with our data for this tale
| Madden speaks for n moment or two
about waterway improvements in a gen.
eral way, and then goes on to say that
regardless of waterways all would be
well with the district IL the voters would
simply keep an able person like Mr..
Ansberry as their representative in Con-
gress-that they should take advantage
Of the opportunity to have such an
excellent man in Washington
There are several other speeches to fot-
! low, but when Madden has finished his
remarks Tim gets up and addresses the
/ uaopla Madden substantially
| follows:
| Gentlemen, that will close the exer-
cises for this evening. II you will just
pass out now in a quiet and orderly man
ner, without needless crowding." etc.
! And the meeting disperses. Madden
turns to Tim in astOnishment when it
was all over. and asks:
| What did you mean by breaking the
thing up soon? Why, there were three
or four other speeches to be given, and
I you hadn't even elected local officers yet"
oh. WE'LL. explains Tim, Il had got
! all | wanted out of it, and il looks
little like rain. and I saw no need Of
keeping the good people away from Their
homes any longer"
Representative Claude Weaver, of Ok
Iahoma. is an eloquent and scholarly
talker, and in addition he talks with
great many gestures. They are charac-
teristic gestures and sometimes the at
mosphere all about him is punched full
Of holes made by his two index fingers
| as his hands work in unison. The
day after he spoke in regard to Panama
Canal tolls, Weaver asked another col
/ league: Did you hear my speech
| No" replied the other man. Il was
sitting too far away to hear 1t, but dis
tinctly. saw it."
! They were having a heated political
convention out in Kansas, as Victor Muir
dock tells the story. and two men from
rival delegations got into a serious per-
sonaI dispute.
| ''Oh. you're crazy" shouted one.
I'm not crazy denied the other.
But you are crazy
! 81 can prove I'm not crazy. and that's
! moron you can do"
! Let's see you prove il. then"
! NhcTeUpOn the man who was accused
Of being crazy pulled from an inside
pocket his discharge papers from a near
. by insane asylum.
| Representative Roberts, of Nevada, is
an authority on water fowl and owns one
of the largest private collections OF stuff
| ed birds in the West.
| Copyright. 1914, by Fred c. Kelly. AL rights -
| serYed)