The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-05
KENT OF
Should Congress lmpeach Him for
Joking Potential Heroes?

WASHINGTON, d. c., March Allow
often It cur in the proper study of
man that some sudden. unexpected
revelation Of character sends slither-
ing down the winds q bunch Of tena-
cious beliefs! Now. there Is William
Kent Of kentfleld, Cal. who represents
In Congress the First district Of his
State. .Basing opinion upon facts Of
public record about the man, his pub
lie acts. speeches and published writ
ings. most Of ~ have believed that he
was a wholly serious minded chap, ad-
dicted only to lofty thoughts related
TO social and political uplift.
To be sure. those notions were dis
turbed when In the Sixty-third Con-
gress Kent retired from the 1nde-
pendent party in tho House because
he didn't like a crowd" the other
member Of the party in the House
being Lafferty Of Oregon. This seemed
q bit wilful. not quite In character
for a sobersides. But the shock passed
when. Larerty being kept al home ny
his constituents. Kent remobilized the
Independent party In the House as Its
sole member.
The original impression Is strength
ened. Kent 10 a Yale bachelor and
master Of arts, and sometimes lectures
ut Harvard; his writings profoundly
consider economic fundamentals. Re
siding temporarily In Chicago back In
the middle 'S0s. having nothing else
to do. he founded the Municipal Voters
League. became n member Of the City
Council and kept thrashing around
until he gave that astonished city an
honest council.
In other respects he performed in q
manner which. while eccentric in the
view OF some, never aroused the s,is-
picion that ne had the spirit Of whim-
sicality strongly developed. One OF the
largest wool raisers in the country. he
voted for free wool: fattening thou
sands Of tee for the market. he
voted for free cattle TO compete in his
market. Mr.. Hullis income tax was
too small to suit him. although his
own income. minus the tax. enables
him to maintain a private eighteen
hole golf course on "A little patch OF
10000 acres which he owns down in
North Carolina.
Yet this a suddenly refusing to
run to form. bolts violently and shocks
every pension patriot in the House 10y
Introducing n bill, II. r 1881. making
outrageous fun OF tho bill the House
recently passed to establish in the
War Department and in the Navy De
partment. respectively. "A roll desig-
mated a. "Thc Army and Navy Media
Of Honor Roll"
In his hill Kent has a few where
ases'' which plainly indicate his helici
that the object of the Medal Of Honor
bill Is to bcmedal certain veterans oi
the Spanish war who were not al
lowed to show how heroically they
would have behaved II opportunity had
bees given to them. He likes the idea
but complains that II does not 20 fai
enough. There are potential heroes
ne points out. wen in times 81 peace
Tie wants them attended 10. Therefore
he provides In his bill:
ecc. I That all persons In tn" Cufte'
States Of warIike aspirations who ha,'
been pre-, ented from exhibiting their hcroi,
patriotism and enjoying the emolu'nsnt
thereof. including the holding OF publ,
once. by the action Of mollycoddies VIII
have prevented war, shall be tAainineu u.
a committee consisting OF the great milf
tnnt psychologists. Hugo MuensterberG ans
tho Hon. Theodore Roosevelt. and that II
consideration Of services that they nigh
have performed. ~ given opportunity unde
the onnob..ns conditions Of modern war
they should bs granted medals OF homo
FOR latent sup.rlative patriotism that the
might have exhibited which might hav'
eone beyond tho call Of duty. ~ not pre-
vented from such exhibition by the molly
coid,es aforesaid.
sec. . That out OF moneys not other
heroes shall receive = pension Of S25
month from and after tho taking effect o
this bi,l until the time ito be guessed a
by said pryChologists) when, but for TIA
das.ardiy preservation of the peace OF TIL
nation. they might have lived or perishe,
glor'ously In the sup-rheroic excess o
ultrapa;rio;ic sacrifice.
II Is not yet certain that Kent vii
Ne impcached. but II Is certain tina
II his misch!cvous ncddling In tn
orderly progress Of patriotic leeisla
ton causes the medal bill TO fail il
the Senate, Colonel Roosevelt Will IN
pctitiuned 10 order Governor johnson
Of California to pass n law making an,
man named William Kent ineligible
for a seat IN Congress.