The Washington herald., 1914-04-06
Statesmen, Real and Near.
BY FRED C. KELLY.


Representative Claude Weaver, Of Okla
noma, delivered 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 tod.
II was a good speech and soon there
was great demand for copies Of same.
The 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 secre-
tary 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
Clark's office one day and talked to
Bassford. who was also, at that moment,
receiving 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 a pious old rela-
tive who holds his church and the Re
publican party in equally high esteem.
As they were waiting for the dessert
course. the fve-year-old son upset a glass
of water. When the cold water reached
his lap he exclaimed something that
sounded like "dammytaIltell."
The relative impaled Bassford with his
eye. as much as TO say:
Where did the boy hear THAT?"
He got that from listening 10 Uncle
Joe Cannon explained Bassford.
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 end. You can
be partisan without being a liar"
Although he is large, ponderous-look-
ing statesman, with a bull-Iike voice,
Representative Frank B. Willis, Of Ohio,
is as chock full of mischief as a ten-year-
old boy.
a few months ago Willis went to York.
Pa, TO address teachers institute. When
the chairman OF the meeting called on
Willis ne introduced him with the simple
statement:
THE next number on the program will
be Congressman Frank B. Willis" not
saying whether Willis was a singer, mon
olOgist or contortonist.
Willis marched out toward the front Of
the stage, intending to deliver his speech
just as il nothing had happened, but on
his way one eye CHANGED to fall on an
upright piano. Instantly little prank
popped into his head. Mischief and Con-
gressional dignity tussled for a brief
but the struggle was unequal
and soon dignity lay breathless and in
eTt 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 on his |
stomach, as he had seen professional |
pianists do in concerts, and soIemnly !
bowed himself of the stage while mem |
bers OF the audience eXcha nged queer |
glances with one another as If TO say:
Il can remember when his mind was
just as clear as anybOdy's"
When the present administration took |
hold of things here the secretary TO the |
Attorney General was d capable and |
young man who had been |
there for several years. through the terms |
Of three or four different Attorneys Cen |
eraL As he was highly recommended. Mr.. |
McReynoIds decided 10 keep him right |
where ne was.
The secretary. however. labored under |
one great handicap. Every Attorney |
General that he had worked for had been |
a Republican, and most OF the Congress
sional callers at the Department of Jus |
tice had been Republicans. The conse-
quence was that he had only a scant ac- I
luaintance among Democratic Senators
and Representatives. When Democratic
Senators came in to see the new Attorney
General, they had to stop and explain
who they were. and this peeved them be-
yond measure.
Then McReynOlds determined that it
would be better TO make a change and
he appointed John T. Suter. a Washing
ton newspaper correspondent to the secre-
But before he closed with Suter
McReynolds asked two or three imror-
ant questions
DO You know most of the Democratic
senator's and Representatives by sight"
Yes" confessed Suter
Well" suggested McReynolds. when
ever prominent Democrat comes in.
reat him with just as much Kindness as
I he Were A Republican"
COTynsht. 1914. by Fred g Kelly All rights
resFUed.D :