New Britain herald., 1917-01-01
Counting CHICKS
down AT CAPITAL
Continued From First Page).

and his lack of partisanship in serv-
ing as speaker, coupled with the more
or less unknown quantity represent
ed by the little group of miscellan-
eous members who hold the key to
the situation. and the extent of the
opposition among republican men,
bers to Mr.. Mann's proposed eleya-
ton to the speakership.
Brandegec Does Circus Stunt.
There was a short interregnum re-
Gently in the service of Senator Bran
degee of Connecticut on the commit
tee on interstate commerce. 1t was
so short that the senator did not
even miss a single session of the COM
1nittee, it is said. 1t came about in
this way.
When the republican senatorial
committee on committees met recent
ly to assign senator's to committee
places for this session of congress
there were several senators who
wanted to go on the committee on
foreign relations. Senator Kenyon
of Iowa, one of them, outranked the
other applicants for the assignment,
it is said. Mr.. Kenyon is not as popu-
lar as he might be among the Old
Guard republican senators on ac-
count of his progressive tendencies,
vet under the rule Of seniority he
would have been appointed to the
foreign relations committee unless
some senator of longer service were
proposed in his stead.
Senator Brandegee fitted that de-
scription and he was proposed, but
Senator Cummins of Iowa. a progress
sive member of the committee on
committees made the point that Bran
degee was a member of the commit
tee on interstate commerce and the
judiciary committee and that one SEN
ator should not combine those two
very important assignments with .
place on foreign relations committee
also.
Mr. Brandegee thereupon resigned
from the interstate commerce COM
mietee, it is stated, and was given the
foreign relations place. A day or
two afterwards as the session of the
senate was drawing to a close late in
the afternoon, Senator oliver of
Pennsylvania, who is a friend Of
Brandegee, resigned from the COM
rnitee on interstate commerce and
thereupon one of the old guard SEN
ators moved that Brandegee be APP
pointed to fill that vacancy. There
was no objection and the deed was
done It was not generally known
until Brandegee showed up at the
next meeting of the interstate COM
MERGE committee, when somebody
said he no longer belonged to that
body. Brandegee showed them that
he was and now the progressives are
feeling badly because none Of them
was on hand to object to Brandegee's
re-assignment to the commerce COM
nittee, which is to handle the railroad
LEGISLATION recommended by the pres
ident.
Senator Brandegee has interceded
in an effort to save one of the finest
sets of whiskers extant. 1t is worn by
Henry Jarvis, a Connecticut veteran,
who is employed as guide in the state,
war and navy department building
here. Col. w. w. Harris, aid to Pres
ident Wilson, who has direct charge
of the guides and watchmen at the
big government building. has or
dered the beard removed. Jarvis has
worn 1t ever since the first battle Of
Bull Run objected and appealed to
Brandegee to have him transferred to
the interior department. The sena-
tor has asked for the transfer and
the fate of the Jarvis whiskers hangs
trembling: in the balance pending ac-
tion on the senator's letter.