The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1918-03-07

gress, not to any appropriation In
tact, but to a comudttal that appro-
priations Of forty.five million dollars
would be made, in the then coming
five years of flood control.
Tho bill then went to the Senate.
There It had the same trouble 1t first
met with in the house, except more so,
In the house 1t had been possible to
get vote on any bill ii the rules COM
mittee would consent; or sometimes
without it. In the senate, in those
days, there was no cIorure rule. Any
senator could object to the considera-
ton Of a bill, and If that did not stay
Its consideration he could talk it to
death. 1t required the incest diplomacy
and the most indefatisabIe energy,
therefore, to put that bilI-commonly
known as the RansdalI-Humphreys bill
through.
Senator RansdaII, Of Louisiana, after
the death of Senator Clark, had the
bill in charge. He was strongly in ia
vor Of the measure, but the opposition
| to it on the committee was also
strong. Senator Newlands, Of Nevada,
had rivers and harbors bill he was
greatly concerned about, which no.
body but the senator could pass; but
he thought 50 very hard and he had to
be pIacated. All the spring and sum-
mer Of 1916 Senator RansdaII, toying
with Senator NewIands, kept the bill
in committee. Nothing appeared to be
doing. But all that while, Senator Var
daman, as Mr.. Humphreys had done in
the house, was sowing good seed in
good ground; buttonhoIing his friends
In the senate-and he has a great
many Of thsm-telIing them all about
the Mississippi river, It's tributaries,
struction of property and the loss of
life every year, from these floods. He
was getting them, one by one, to look
with favor upon the measure; and to
others he was saying, "ff you can't help
me, for Gods sake stay off of it. |
know, senator, what this bill means to
millions of people, and you don't.
Don't object when we call for con-
sideration Of it; and as my friend and
lover of fair play, don't-pIease don't
talk 1t to DEATH"
When congress reconvsned in De.
cember, 1916, Mr.. RansdaII was sick.
All that month he was at home sick.
Senator Vardaman had said to him
months before: "senator, you have been
so long associated with this bill, you
are so familiar with rivers and harbors
legislation, and by virtue of your posi-
ton you are entitled to leadership. But
| am greatly interested in the passage
of the bill, and do not want to see it
90 the way it's predecessors have gone,
and | want to insist that we get a
committee report on it and bring it
before the senate, and if die it must, let
1t die a-fighting. All | ask Is that you
make the fight and let me scotch for
you. Knowing the importance of the
bill to my people, as | do, want to
make the hardest fight have ever
made, for its passage. When we have
done our best, if we rail, we have
but failed. Let's fight"
That is how Senator vardaman was
working for that bill all the spring and
summer Of 1916. When December came
and Senator RansdaII was sick, Senator
vardaman was given charge of the BILL
How he managed 1t, we will let those
who were on the ground and saw the
| fight say.
WHAT BEN HUMPHREYS SAYS.
Mr.. Humphreys said the day the
bill passed the senate, and he said to-
day to the writer Of this article: 81
do not want to take any credit from
others; Senator Ransdal did good
work, and Senator Shields, of Tennes-
see, did very valiant service. But |
will say this, and you may quote me
az saying it: Senator vardaman not
only did everything he could, but he
| did most valuable and effective work;
without his timely efforts and his per-
sonaI influences, do not believe tho
bill would have passed. There are no
| ifs and ands about that, and nobody
should try to take the credit from him."
SENATOR SHIELDS TESTIMONY.
Senator Shields, Of Tennessee, a
member Of the committee, said few
days ago to the writer Of this article:
81 have no h>sitancy in saying that
but for Vardaman, the bill would never
have gotten out Of the committee room.
do not mean to disparage others; but
It was his fighting spirit his efforts
and determination that forced the COM
mittee to report the bill, and it was
due to his management and through
his personal influence that It passed
the senate.
Reed, Of Missouri and Sherman, Of
Illinois, who favored the bill and
know to whom credit is due, will say
az much as Mr.. Shields has said, and
It 10 freely and openly admitted by sem