The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-10-08

4 state legislature and in other capac-
| tiles, he hardly knew what real work
was until he was up against the cong
ressman's job. He said the congress
man was allowed just one private
! secretary, whereas he could make
ready use of three or four. Even II
the lawmakers did not convene until
twelve o'clock. the congressman was
busy through the entire morning. He
had to be a hustler.
Retaining the Floor.
! Mr.. Davis dwelt for some time on
the difficulty of getting and retaining
the floor, either in the committee
meetings, or in a session OF the house
itself. He said a man did well to hold
the floor for few minutes. Hewould
have his speech ready and would tell
as much of II as he could. Then he
would turn the whole speech I'm to be
printed and made a part OF the con-
gressional record. II could be dis
tributed as speech that he had made
I'm congress. All this had to be done
to save time. Anybody could refer TO
that speech afterwards, II occasion
arose.
The speaker talked OF one fight that
he had been i'm in regard to the des-
petite methods OF "Old Uncle joe" He
saw that while the fight might have
weakened the party. II also had some
thing OF publication effect. He told
how the various committees OF the
house used to be appointed solely by
the speaker. That was the one-man
power. Later, the democrats intro
duced the method OF electing them.
But how did that work out. The prin-
cipal part of the work of finding out
who was to be on the various commit
tees was done I'm caucus OF the
, dominant party. The Names were
selected really at a conference OF
three men. Three men did what one
man used to do. The house voted and
ratified what these men did. The rep
resentation of the minority party on
these committees was determined by
a consultation with leaders OF the
minority party.
Election Of Speaker.
Mr.. Davis stated that in the cleo
ton Of speaker there used to be q
real fight On the floor OF the house,
but, somehow those old days had gone
IL was now known all beforehand
just who would be elected speaker
He said the man who would be elect
ed speaker of the house at the next
session was Champ Clark. James r.
Mann would be nominated by the re-
publican as the candidate Of the mi
nority party. Mr. Clark would be
elected by a majority of about twenty
seven votes. Mr.. Davis went on and
told Of other elections that would
take place on the floor OF the house
and he seemed TO know just what
words would be uttered. who would be
placed In nomination and just what
would be done. An out and out cut
and dried affair.
Mr.. Davis spoke at great length on
a bill that appeared to have been his
pet measure for years. but he had
never managed to get congress to act
upon II. He was three years, he said
managing TO get even a hearing on his
bill before the committee on agricul-
ture. His bill provides for national
aid in system Of practical industrial
education. II provides instruction In
farming for the country boys and In :
struction in mechanical science for
the city boys. II provides for domes-
tic science instruction for girls both in
city and country. He declared that
what his bill sought to do had been
sporsdically taken ,up in various
states. -,
Committee on Appropriations.
The speaker referred at some
length to the strenuous labors OF the
committee on appropriations. to which
he belonged. He declared that that
committee was In session for twelve
hours a day during the entire session
OF congress. He said he was amused TO
see how newspapers Of Minnesota
during the last campaign on behalf OF
Governor Hammond had magnified the
importance of the ways and means
committee, to which Governor Ham
mond while in congress belonged. He
said that from some of the press rep
reservations one would think that the
ways and means committee ran the
whole country. AS matter OF fact
II was only during the time OF tariff
making that the ways and means com
mittee was a body of any Importance
at all.
The Strenuous Life.
Mr.. Davis was emphatic on the
strenuousness of the life of the con-
gresham and he spoke of the great
training that II gave. He said he
would like to see a man in the white
house who had been through that mill
and knew what Il was. man like
Abraham Lincoln or William McKin-
ley and he named others. He said
such man was not one OF the kind
that could be duped by smooth talk
er and have the wool pulled over his
eyes.
Another speaker of the evening was
Senator Henry N. Benson, who came
up from st. Peter with Mr.. Davis. Mr..
Benson spoke at great length on the
wonderful resources and the promise
OF the future of the state of Minnesota
He told OF a trip that he had last sum
mer with other state Legislators about
the state, and in the party was former
Congressman r. C. Stevens of st. Paul
He said Mr.. Stevens had remarked on
the great weight that tho word of Mr.
Davis had in the proceedings OF the
committee on appropriations. go.
! Stewart Leaning. county agricul-
tural agent, located at st. Peter. spoke
briefly. urging the club TO appoint a
representative to Nicollet county
Farm bureau He said the aim was 70
get all the commercial clubs, farmers
clubs and like bodies In the county
represented ON that bureau. Throuph