Evening journal., 1915-10-18
New News Of Yesterday
The Congressman Who
Would Not Be an
Errand Boy
By HoIIand.

In the early SOS Ambrose A. Ran
ney, took his seat in the lower House
of Congress as a representative from
one of the Boston districts. The cur
ious-minde1 who sought to identify
various prominent persons who we're
taking their places in the new Con-
gress asked to have Mr.. Ranney point
ed out. Many had heard of him, but
few had seen him. Mr.. Ranney gain
ed distinction as a member of the
Boston bar and it was presumed that
he would increase his reputation by
his services in Congress. Personal
ly he did not appear to be o. the Bos-
ton type, so TO speak He was TALL
slender, dark-haired, dark-eyed, and
possessed a singular gracefulness and
quiet dignity Of manner more likely
to be associated with a scholar than
with lawyer who had been conspic.
uous in some Important legal battles.
It was in the committee room that
the intellectual power Of Mr. Ranncy
was revealed. He seldom spoke in
the House of Representatives. and
VIXEN he did his manner was that of
almost colloquial speech, but his use
of English was exceptionally fine and
accurate. and his voice had a certain
tenor of fiutelike quality which some
times reminded these who had heard
Senator Matt Carpenter the brilliant
Wisconsin Senator, speak of a distin-
gushing and beautiful quality which
was in the latter's voice.
Notwithstanding the brilliant at
tainments and high reputation which
distinguished Mr. Ranney he was not
very successful in gaining or main
tanning the admiration of his home
constituents OF this he was con
scious, and ne did not regret il.
Upon one occasion | called upon
Mr.. Ranney at his hotel and in order
to make room for me he was obliged
to brush away from a chair what
seemed to be an immense volume OF
correspondence. It was plain that
none of these letters had been opened
and they represented the accumula-
tion of a correspondence of perhaps
several months. Mr. Ranney saw me
looking, perhaps with somo astonish-
ishment at this huge bulk of letters,
and with a funny twinkle in his eye
and a charming smilo no said:
you are looking at my letters.
There are a good many of them, to be
sure. There probably will be a good
many more before the session ends.
But they will remain unopened
don't need to open them. I know
what each letter contains as II is
brought to me. can unerringly
pick out letters which relate to my
personal affairs or business, and can
also distinguish those which come
from correspondents who want me Ia
run some erranos for then or de- some
work in the departments. Now. ]
have not come to Congress to be an
errand boy for anybody. Some of oul
Boston members seem 20 like thai
sort of thing, but l don't, and if it il
necessary for me to run all ovel
Washington in order TO do something
for one of my constituents I will qui
Congress sooner than make myself /;
slave of that kind"
It was probably for this reasor
that Mr. Ranney's service as Repre-
sentative from Boston was brief, bu
some of his friends used to suspec
that he would much prefer to sit a
his desk at his law Office in Bostor
than to sit at a desk as a member o.
the House OF. Representatives.
| Copyright, 1915. by z. j. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tel
"The Way to Approach a Cabinet
Officer"