Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1918-03-07

al the lirSt term. in.~ > re aeN man
10 q wonder: an ne taae il .hr.s are
no wonders ia this camp
Hampered as he w presents he
was. always under fiJudge Alse seen,
Senator yardaman -sn Idle
kis work has not efficiently
do.s. his efforts .. = vi been un-
availing. Ahe'
HIS FIRST con gyrTEE WORK.
He was given. when he first came
hare, . place-just q place on the
commerce committee OF the senate.
He was not made chairman; that was
too high and responsible an office for
Q new member. But he was given g
placs on that committee. which 10 one
Of the important committees OF the
senate. having in charge, as II does
the rivers and harbors, and all the
appropriations for the building and
maintenance Of rivers and harbors. 1t
happened (up to this time vardaman
had nothing to do with It. but IL is
hard, you know, to keep q good man
DOWN. it Just happened that the food
control bin came up TO the senate
from the house, and fell to the tender
care Of this commerce committee. of
which Mr.. vardaman was a meek and
lowry member.
That measure had been sprung on
the house by Ben Humphreys, another
able. honest, Industrious and desery-
edly popular member OF the congress
from Mississippi. II 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 In not old labored and thought. and
thought and labored how TO put il
across He knew that II he could do
Il. it would be q mighty big feather
IN his cap; and what constrained him
more. he knew that IL he could get II
across he would accomplish the great
ct 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. 90 far As do
mestic legislation goes. And 50 he SCI
himself diligently to WORK In one
form or another such legislation had
been pending for years and years: bat
II never got anywhere. II would bot
mp serenely at every session OF con
gress. and die a-borning In the CON
mittee room II finally dawned upon
Mr.. Humphreys that his people. and
the people all along the great Miss-s
sippi basin would never get relief 4
II had TO 60 through the regular rou
tine and be tackled on TO q general Ap
preparation measure. So he decsdet
70 60 at II in another direction. He lad
fun confidence In the merits OF tbs
measure he had in mind 10 propose
Hs believed II he could ever get q
merits would carry 1t through. But
how 70 get il In and out OF the com
mittee and give IL q hearing: that va.
the question
He finally hit upon the idea o; In
| PRODUCING a special bin and having 1
referred to q special committee: hav
ing the modest hope that. in accord
ance with custom he would be appoint
Cd chairman OF that special commit
tee. Having got the inspiration. b,
went aftsr results m the right way
which may be summed up in ;hes,
words: quiet. persistent effort II,
talked Il. They do say that he talkeG
himself hoarss and some OF his friends
tired; but hs kept on talking Not oil
the floor OF the house. but on tn,
quiet Strange 70 relate. he nsye
made . speech on the subject. until b,
had gotten his committee appointed
and was Mr. Chairman" Then h,
was clothed with authority and begun
to speak out loud.
The way he got his committee ap
pointed and himself chairman wa
neither new nor novel II has OF
been done before. II Ii the most et
fectivs way. perhaps. TO put thing
across. He first sowsd the seed. H,
had good seed. and he sowsd then
In good ground. and they brough
forth the harvest He argued his bil
rather his proposed bill-to leading
Influential members Of the house. AMI
persuaded them He appealed to then
on the merits OF the bill: he appealet
to their fairness to the Mississippi
basin: he appealed to their friendship
Perhaps our readers do not know II
but q great many deeds Of kindness
are done in congress through friend
ship" Other things being equal
friendship goe . long way "bstweel
friends" and Ben Humphreys has
good many friends on both sides o
the asils In the house Of represents
tivss. Finally he had enough Of then
committed TO his pet measure to risl
springing t. So he eprang II. and tn
special flood control committee wa
appointed to take care Of the bill.
A little luck 10 q wondrous thing
and sometimes decides the fate OF M
ttons- A little luck helped Nj
Humphreys with his bill. Abou