The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-27
DONOVAN OF CONNECTICUT
And the Place He Has Made for Himself in the National House of Representatives.
(From Washington Letter to the Bosz
 ton Advertiser.l
(springheld Republican,


 The greatness in Congress of Jere- and indeed has gone so far that mem bers Of the House of Representatives consult him more than they do Speak err Clark or Oscar Underwood, leader of the majority the Democrats, or James B. ManNs leader Of the minority, the Republicans. Before they attempt to do anything the members consult him about their coming and their go- ing. and especially the latter, and as he gives. permission they do. They also consult him about bills for un- anfmous consent or near there. In- deed, so important has Donovan be- come that he is treated after the man ner of & Greek god, who has to be propitiated before anything is dones
 Donovan haA attained to all this in the first term in Congress, which is something extraordinary. Ordinarily a member spends his first term be- coming as much acquainted as he can. and he does not succeed far along that line, but Donovan has managed to make himself, known to every nem- Der of Congress. Not that he has sought their acquaintance; rather they have sought his. Indeed, Speaker Clark is not better known to them than the Napoleonic figure from Con- necticut. And of course he is known to the press gallery. Donovan has not to be watched for thrilIss he provides them.
 Donovan succeeded a great ReptiD- licasn figure, Ebenezer J. Hill. and it was never for a moment dreamed that Donovan would be able to become The Democrats even put him on such dead committees as those on the cen sus, coinage weights and measures and the expenditures of public build ings. Perhaps if they had put him on some active cofnmittees Donovan himself pre-exninent in the House by specializing there on roll-calls the Ecensoring Of speecsed and other incon- sistencies in the House
 Donovan is the terror Of all absen- tees from the House, and there is nothing he likes better than to call some one to order for violating the rules of the House. He has even made James R. Mann, the minority leader, see the error of his ways sew era1 times, to the great astonishment of that leader.
 Donovan has liked nothing better than to survey the House and note the absentees and to announce that he sees no one present. for instances from the great state of Illinois Consterna- ton and commotion follow. as the Illinois members somehow ascertain what Donovan has done. and they rush in to show themselves as prese It.
 He recently surveyed the New Eng land minority and saw only the faitl1- ful Congressman Greene of Massachu- sets present to represent them, and he called the attention of the House to the fact, commenting Greene. Somehow or other he had overlooked Congressman Gil1ett, but GiIlett was not going to have any such record stand against him and he called Done van to behold his presence. which Donovan said he was glad to do, but that he felt constrained to note that Gillett was not as faithful in his at tendance as he would like that great minority leader to be.
 So it has come about that before members of the House elect to go to the baseball game they visit Donovan on the floor to ask if they may go to the game on promise that he will not call a duorum, thus showing them aio- sent, and if he declines they purr very sweetly around him and stroke his back very gently. and sometimes they succeed. But if he says he will de- Snand a cali of the House if necessary. they do not go to the ball game or leave the capitol