South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-10
Statesmen Real
and Near.
BY Fred c. Kelly

WASHINGTON. March 1O.-Berja-
min G.. Humphreys. Mississippi con
gresham, was born while his father.
Brig. Gen. BENJAMIN g. Humphreys,
was Confederate governor of Mississ-
ippi. At the close of the war Hum
phreys senior refused to resign as
governor, and was forcibly elected
from the executive mansion by fed
eral soldiers. The future congress
man was then three years of age, and
was carried from the executive man
sion in the arms of a nurse. Natur-
ally, as he grew older he heard many
times the story of his exit from the
governors home in front of a COM
pany of Yankee soldiers.
Humphreys did not have occasion
to enter that executive mansion
again until 1898. And when he did
so he himself wore a Yankee uni
form. for he had just organized and
become first lieutenant of a company
going to the Spanish-American war.
At a dinner in honor of the Span
ish ambassador at the British en-
bassy a little while ago Sen. James
Hamilton Lewis of Illinois had the
honor of sitting next to Nine. Riano,
wife of the Spanish ambassador.
Now Nine. Riano is an American, but
it so happens that she looks like a
perfect example of Spanish beauty.
On this occasion she was gowned. as
usual. with exquisite taste and won
derful splendor Sen. Lewis. it win
be remembered, is the most COM
pletely vogue statesman we have.
Being the expert he is at personal
adornment. he could not resist COM
plimenting the charming woman on
her gown.
We'll. ! got it from Paris" she re-
piled. Notwithstanding the war
and all its troubles ] was able to get
the latest creation of the French"
YES, and do you know earnest
" declared Lewis. Il like the women
just as the women prefer their salad
with French dressing"
That recalls a much less commend
able remark recently uttered by Sen.
Lewis. 1t was in a clOakrOom OF the
senate Mr. Root of New York had
just presented to :. number of col
leagues his successor in the senate,
Jimmy Wadsworth. Somebody COM
mented on the likeness of the new
senator 10 his father, former Con-
gresham James W. Wadsworth. That
brought on discussion of the like
ness of son TO father in a number OF
instances where both have occupied
[
referred 10 an eminent man from
New York who had red hair, but
who. nevertheless. rose to a high
place. The mans son, who also had
red hair moved to one of the middle
western states and from there was
sent TO congress. In due course
grandson OF the first stateman rose
likewise To an eminent position and
We'll. interrupted Sen. Lewis with
a shrek Of laughter. that was surely
a case of hair-red-ity."
Mr. Lewis" observed Root in
tone of righteous indignation, after
all the other senators had got
through laughing. men have been
killed for less than that"
The recent coming and going of
WashingtOn's birthday recalls this:
Down at Mt. Vernon, where George
Washington is buried. the aged col
l'ored man who guards the tomb and
nearly all the older attendants refer
to the Father of His Country simply
as The General"
The old colOred guard speaks of
the gen'l' having done this and the
genI' having done that. with an easy
I though respectful familiarity. quite
as il the two had been great cronies
/ But here is a thing the guards have
noted:
Nine out OF ten OF the visitors at
/ Mt. Vernon speak of George Wash
ington just as George.
! They'll say: Which room did
George occupy?"
/ Thus are we an informal people
! toward our heroes.