The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-07-12

Ohl ca pcIltuNt anu JldL Vi LuOSt dDOuI
him he decided early in the game that
the greatest disadvantage the working
man encounters comes from his inability
to consider the vital issues from both
sides O /
Thus while very young man, and be-
fore he was in the public eye, he began
TO think things out, to consider how the
cause of the workingman could properly
be presented to the employer, and the po
sition of the employer be explained
properly to the employed. When Mr..
Zihlman was old enough to vote he had
made an exhaustive study of the ques-
tons that most concerned him and his
people. and became the logical and
natural leader in the labor movement in
that part of Maryland He was chosen
the first president of the Maryland State
Federation of Labor and while studying
and speaking upon economic questions for
the workingman became involved In tho
issue sof State politics, which resulted
in his election to the State Legislature.
There, although he was dubbed "the
boy Senator" ne distinguished himself
for his efficiency. his ability as the cham
pion of union labor. and his loyalty to his
party. 1t was before he entered the
State Senate that Mr. Zihlman estab-
hshed his reputation as an orator of dis
tinct force and eloquence
/ Originally 1 was just about as shy
as they're made" Mr. Zihlman laughed,
but that was one of the things that
had TO be overcome. 1 remember a man
in Cumberland gave ME an idea about
public speaking-about the only sugges-
ton l ever had on the subject. He was
great student of Shakespcare-rea
him so constantly that he unconsciously
spoke his language. until he was ridi-
culed. But he said to me- DO You get
so full of your subject that it thrills you
from head to foot that your very fingers
tinCle with the inspiration of your sub
ject? Well, that's the way 70 make a
speech And. of course. when you do
get so fired with enthusiasm, why, il is
impossible to hesitate because you're
shy"
From his extensive reading and wide
range of subject, Mr.. Zihlman has ac-
Quired a manner of speech and writing
that is brilliant and finished in style
no verses in magazines or newspaper
escape his notice. If they appeal to
some sentiment or fact he takes out his
scissors and they're pasted in one OF mis-
many scrapbooks. More than that.
they're inscribed upon his memory, and
at just the right moment they're brought
forth to point moral or adorn a tale.
All scraphooks possess more or less
of n fascination for the curious. but
Mr.. Zihlman's are unique. One of them
is the old bound copies of Congressional
Records, from which. years ago. Mr.
Iihlman was getting his education. keep
ing up with the current events Of the
world. Upon its pages are pasted what
ever appeals to Mr.. Zihlman's fancy in
poetry and anecdotes; there is a motley
array of statistics. announcements. or
events political or social that he wants
to keep.
Close beside a long dissertation on
''How Employees Should be Treated" is
Jim Bludso of the Prairie Belle: near
an account of The Labor Day Picnic"
is Dobson's The Rose and the
Gardener; here and there are long ac-
counts of union labor conventions, in
terpersed with Rney's. When My
Dreams Come True" and Don't You
Remember Sweet Alice Ben Bolt,
Sweet Alice Whose Hair Was So
Brown; upon one page is "A Lesson
for the American Workingman." and
: just beyond it is Sam Foss's Let Me
Live in Ny House BY the Side of the
Road, and Be a Friend to Man; a
clipping headed in large letters Re
publicans Much Alive" is not far from
1ngcrsollS speech at the tomb of Ma
poleon; many accounts of AIlegany poll
tics are interspersed with Iincoln's cpl
grams. Burns's Highland Mary" and
Howells's verses on society; there are
pages purely poltical-the election re-
turns the forecast for elections, sketches
of the candidate for the Statp Senate"
his chances for election. and then there
are lines from Alice Gary. Robert Louis
Stevenson, Rudyard Kiplng, James Rus
sell Lowell and Longfelow.
There is an account of the dance given
by the Potomac Glass Company for their
employees and their families incidentally
Mr.. and Mrs. Zihlman won the prize that
night for the best waltz and Just beyond
is the poem about THE Music in Life
Edwin Markham's Lincoln. the Man Of
the People; Grantland Rice's The
Last Inn. Abou Ben Adhem." George
Cohan's "Life's Funny Proposition, -
p and Henley's Master of My Fate"
Mr.. Zihlman. the young flint glass
h worker in Congress, has made only one
, brief speech on the floor of the House,
, and that was simple, direct and without
word Of poetry in it.
; DHis sncech was in favor of the selec-
) tive, draft as the most scientific method
1, of raising an adequate army and at the
j. same time giving protection to the in
ldustrial and agricultural needs of the
nation. He spoke also for the raising Of
, the basis Of pay for the non-commission