The Starkville news., 1918-03-22

DuC OItlmeS IL Is not, because III z
man is honest and fairly Intelligent,
the most valuable asset for good serv.
ice to his constituents, is experience.
mo new member has the chance to
serve his constituents as well as an
old member has; and few, precious
few, new members could, IL they had
the chance, serve their country as well
as an old member. ripe IN experience.
Any man can, il he will, serve his con.
stituents better second term than
intelligent man can serve state bet.
ter the second term than any new man
can the first term. unless the new man
is a wonder: and we take 1t there are
no wonders In this campaign.
Hampered as he was, new as he
was, always under fire as he has been,
Senator Vardaman has not been idle,
his work has not been inefficiently
done, his, efforts have not been un-
availing.
HIS FIRST COMMITTEE WORK.
He was given, when he first came
here, place-just place on the
commerce committee or the senate.
He was not made chairman; that was
too high and responsible an office for
a new member. But he was given a
place on that committee, which is one
of the important committees OF the
senate, having in charge, as it does
the rivers and harbors, and all the
appropriations for the building and
maintenance of rivers and harbors. 1t
happened tup to this time Vardaman
had nothing to do with it, but 1t is
hard. you know, to keep good man
DOWN. it just happened that the flood
from the house, and fell to the tender
care of this commerce committee Oh
which Mr. yardaman was a meek and
lowly member
That measure had been sprung on
the house by Ben Humphreys, another
able, honest, Industrious and deserv-
edly popular member of the congress
from Mississippi. 1t sprang from his
brain In the still hours of the night
it came to him and obeesed him, and
night and day, in session and between
sessions, Old Ben Humphreys (though
he is not old labored and thought, and
thought and labored how to put 1T
across. He knew that if he could do
it, it would be a mighty big feather
in his cap; and what constrained him
l,a o,.ll or
across he would accomplish the great
est piece of legislation for his con-
stituents and the people OF the Mis-
sissippi Valley, more fraught for good
to more people, than any one bill that
has been passed by congress. since con-
gress was a congress, so far as do
mestic legislation goes. And so he set
himself diligently to WORK. In one
form or another such legislation had
been pending for years and years; but
it never got anywhere. 1t would bob
up serenely at every session of con-
gress, and die a-borning In the COM
mittee room. 1t finally dawned upon
Mr. Humphreys that his people, and
the people all along the great Missis-
sippi basin would never get relief II
it had to go through the regular rou-
tine and be tackled on to general ap-
preparation measure. So he decided
to go at it in another direction. He had
full confidence in the merits OF the
measure he had in mind to propose.
He believed if he could ever get
hearing, on the floor of the house, its
merits would carry it through. But
how to get it in and out of the COM
mittee and give it hearing; that was
the question.
He. finally hit. upon the idea OF in
Producing a special bill and having 1t
referred to special committee; hav-
ing the modest hope that, in accord
ance with custom he would be appoint
ed chairman of that special commit
tee Having got the inspiration, he
went after results IN the right way,
which may be summed up in these
words: quiet, persistent effort. He
talked it, They do say that he talked
himself hoarse and some of his friends
tired; but he kept on talking. Not on
the floor of the house, but on the
quiet. Strange to relate, he never
made speech on the subject, until ne
had gotten his committee appointed
and was "Mr. Chairman" Then he
was clothed with authority and begun
to speak out loud.
: The way he got his committee ap-
pointed and himself chairman was
neither new nor novel. 1t has oft
been done before. 1t is the most eff