The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-12-27
ny r. p. o'coNNoR
,ecial CORRESPONDENCE. Copyright 1920
Ry Plhllc Ledger Co.

SpeClal correspondence NOpyl i6hI tS~S
BY Public Ledger Co.
LONDON. Dec. Cit Is rather a
distinction in the House of Commons to
have more nicknames than any other
member, for the House has an eNtraor-
binary love for clubbing q manor q
party-with q nickname. Nobody knows
how these nicknRmes arise. and tney
pass into the ~yernacular OF the smok
rooms with extraordinary rapidity. IN
my young days, Sir Stafford Northcote'
the Tory leader, who had a long Heara;
was always known as the goat, ana
Sir William HRrcourt, who was a man
OF huge bulk and great nelgnt' was
spoken Of as Jumbo"
The favorite ~conundrums today in the
smoke room are: First, Why is the gov
eminent like an immoral goose? Because
it Is untrue to Its proper Ssnder lpropS-
drum IS: What 10 the plural OF Goo!
Answer-Geddes. q play upon the TACT
that the Geddes brothers were chosen
by Lloyd George apparently to be the
supermen OF every hard JOB that ne
takes in hand. Ono OF the
for one of the brothers, play upon his
Christian name OF Auckland and on hlS
somewhat portentous appearance WIN
his dark complexion, his rather buiging
eyes and his prominent noses inc
Great AUX" Herbert-now Lord Gia9-
stone, one OF the sons OF the great CLAD
stoneSwas known at Elton school al@ays
as ".uppence." He happened TO De at
the school when his illustrious father
had Just added two-pence 10 the income
tax, and by that name he was known 10
HE old school fellows. when they anu
he were members Of the House OF COM
mons D., coll
men with longlsh names by the Initials
Of their Christian names, or by the l.Est
letter of their surname, GLADSTONE Was Wa
- hos atNr O. SIT
Henry Campbell Bannermann as "C.
H.: Thomas Wallace Russell. a once
prominent politician now IN retirement
as a hotel proprietor IN Dublin. was al.
ways called 1T. W." I need not repest
the initials by which I am always 40
dressed by political friends and foes In
the house: The prize mister Is usually
spoken o as "L. G."
Rsnn Mas Most lIoknarnes.
But the member who has the most
nIcknames Is Captain wodEewood Benn
He is not very much liked by his Tory
opponents, 30 their title for him Is the
somewhat opprobrlous one or "sut,
tons" A more popular and respectful
great clock in the tower OF the house
Of commons. rs everybody knows. is
known rs "Big Ben.ASand this suggests
often the application OF It's name 70
members Of the house, Tnere were TWO
Bentincks m in tho house o. com
mona, ono plB AU0 III NtN
were known accordingly as big Ben
and Little Ben"
When You see wedgwood Benin you
are not surprised that he should sug-
gest the nickname OF buttons"
Though about 10 years OF age, he looks
Just the height, size and age OF the boy
buttons Of the English household.- He
Is scarcely five feet high. His body Is
as slender as q boys. His cheek IL
peach blossom and the expression OF the
face, with rather comic eyes. Is exactly
the look Of the typical street gamiu OF
London, with its s~hrewdness. Its imper-
turbable good humor and its readiness
to take on any little job. Wedgwood
Benn might act the part OF Peter Pan
on tho stage. or perhaps the apter ana
logy Is TO Charlie Chaplin OF the films.
And here comes the curious part OF the
story. Little Benn has proved himself
one or tho heroes OF the war. He IL
p~assionately devoted to politics. and
up to the war never thought Of any
thing else. The house OF commons is
as much his home as II he had been
born In II. To men Of that tempcra-
ment there Ii one foreordainedd tcb-a
joh which consists Of vigilance to the
least detail Of house Of commons ire.
with an interest in gossip, a knowledge
Of the haunts and tic weaknesses or