South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-16
Statesmen Real
and Near.
By Fred c. Kelly

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16. - When
Henry Watterson called at the white
house a while ago to make up with
Woodrow Wilson, one of the bright
young newspaper men who cover the
white house nudged the distin-
guished Kentucky editor TO one side
and introduced himself. Also he
sought an exclusive interview.
Mot now, not now" said Waiter
son; some other time, perhaps, but
not now
Thus encouraged, the correspondent
went gayly to Wattersons hotel the
next afternoon and called his room
from a phone booth in the lobby
This is Mr.. Smith of the Times"
the young man explained, IN sub
stance.
"Ah. yes, I left a message for you
at the desk" replied Watterson,
cheerfully.
without another word the young
man hung up and dashed over to the
clerk. Naturally ne felt extremely
fiattered that Watterson had remem-
bered him and gone out of his way to
provide him with an exclusive state
ment.
II believe Mr.. WattersOn left a mes
sage for me here" suggested the
young man TO the clerk in casual
but jaunty tone.
You're newspaper MANI" in
CURED the clerk smiling peculiarly.
Yes"
well. the only message Mr.. Wat
terson left here was that if any news
paper men came around he was not
to be disturbed"
Sen. Joseph E. Ransdell of Louis
lana occasionally plays a cute little
joke on the senate. 1t is just possible
that RansdelIs jokes are entirely I'M
conscious on his part and therein
really lies their most effective quality.
A few days ago the senate was in the
midst of discussing a taxation meas
ure relating TO the District Of Column
bia 1t was not a question of nation
wide interest. vet because the senate
was almost equally divided the situa-
ton in the chamber was tense. At
point in the discussion Ransdell got
recognition from the presiding officer,
cleared his throat. and made ready to
sneak All the other senators listen
ed with the keenest interest to hear
what Ransdell would say. for no one
knew vet how he stood on the taxa
ton measure, and his vote might de-
eide IL.
And what did Ransdell do?
He talked for an hour and half
about the Colombian treaty.
A woman suffragist making a poll
Of the house of representatives on
the question of the ballot for the more
persistent sex. sent word in to George
w. Rauch of Indiana and asked for
an expression of how he felt in regard
to suffrage.
Rauch didn't quite catch the ques-
ton and sent word back as follows:
I'm feeling first rate.
Nothing causes so much uneasiness
about the United states senate, by
the way as the presence in the vic
image of a suffrage worker. And there
is something mysterious, almost I'M
canny. about the way senators can
sense the presence of such a person.
Nothing will drive the entire senate
into the cloakrOom and other places
of cOncealment so quickly as for
suspiciously determined looking Wom-
an TO come along and express de-
sire 10 talk with a senator. Many
women nowadays have the title of
doctor. But if a woman's card says
on IT, Or. +. X. Smith, and the name
is really let us say. Edna Smith, or
Eloise Smith. the senator who receives
the card knows instinctively. More
over, a moment after the senator gets
the card all his associates know about
il, even without his saying a word.
There seems TO be some form or
silent signals in use about the senate
chamber, such as are resorted TO by
prison inmates One might almost
paraphrase that when a suffragists
card goes in the door. senators fly out
the window. Nothing is half so effect
i've as a suffragist for tracing sen
ator 10 the vanishing point.
Copyright. 1915, by Fred c Kelly)