Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-27


not be pulled out Of that organiza-
ZION with twenty-mulc team.
Probe Official Ncpotism.
Inc rouse of Representatives lust
now haroors gentleman by the name
Oh stanton. He has the honor and.
no oouot. the pride to represent n con-
IF esTs aeas district in the great State
democrat and was elected To- Con
sress as such. The other day. how
un r,, , ms eIeNas Democrat brought
Q. interesting resolutions, ali of them
asslened TO embarrass. and. IL posi-
Die. TO compromise the Democratic adj
ministration. Lacking support in his
own party, he eagerly turned TO tho
majority and gratefully received all
tne votes he required from the camp
or the enemy. Among the resolutions
which Mr.. Blanton offered and cnused
20 De adopted was one providing for a
legislative inquiry into official nepot-
ism II demands to know how many
OFFICIALS of the government have rela-
tires III the public service. 1t demands
the lowest paid skilled labor in the
country-are related TO each other by
know to what extent favoritism is prac-
ticed in the government by reason OF
kinship.
Another Illusion Shattered.
All this sounds very pure and vir-
tuous. 1t leads one. unacQuainted with
Washington affairs. To assume that the
public setvicc Is reekinE with the
things intimated in this resolution.
President has placed all his relatives
and all his wifc's relatives in some
department OF the government. II
smacks OF bad business and gives all
OF us moment OF resentment against
any condition that is approximately
as outrageous as the Blanton resolution
S,lt
fearless Congressman's hand with a
word of praise for his bravinG the
unworthy powers that be. But i. is
be inherently good. but ii comes to
light that II a, least proceeds frem -, a
tainted sGurSo In The hes course nnon OF Inc
measure certain Of Mr.. Blantons as
sociates. knowing him TO be the most
blatant OF demagogues: drew the eeooa ai
the moment two members. and perhaps
three. OF his own family on the pay
roll Of the government And so an :
incipient hero turns TO mud.
ForScts First Plans.
This is the same Blanton, !, mlsne
be further observed VINO tod ms PEG,
ME down in Texas that when he got 70
Washington. he meant 10 turn the ora
Capitol building upside down. Amo 70
begin with. he declared that he woula
compel the House TO begin work at )
o'clock in the morning and continue
at it un;il,6 o'clock in the evening.
1t was an outrage. he sad 10, me n,
made his blood boil to contemplate the
lazy lot of congressman who spent SO
much time at pink teas ana IS AZ snl no
M and get to work until IL O'CLOCK IN
the day. He would show EN- up, he
would. He would expose this riotous
living this prostitution OF the gov
ernment's time. lie would make the
crowd of legislators in Washington un-
derstand that !; II did not reform IL
But Blanton has not made peep IN
behalf of union hours for the rouse
since he arrived. lie has lost his taste
for that sort OF thing, we reckon
CnmpnIgncd Two Years.
SpeakinG of Blanton reminds me
he was perhaps the most irrepressio!e
candidate for Congress who ever can
didated. Three times he ran before ne
could win a nomination. And each
w r. Smith. "a fine, high-type old
Texan. On ;he night OF the nfst PIT
date, the returns showed that he was
Overwhelmingly defeated, but aotwith-
standing the avalanche OF opposition n
telegram to Judge Smith. his success
! full rival saying:
You are nominated, but this Is to
give you notice that ! am still running
| for Congress-"
And he was. He campaigned stead;
| lily LOT TWO who're years. III HlSH'
OF the second primary. however. he was
defeated just about AS badly as on the
first. But, undaunted, he drafted and
sent another telegram TO his COM
"This is TO inform you that I an,
still candidate for Congress-"
The third primary went the same way
and in the same fashion as before
Blanton wired Judge smith. saying:
You win, hut you had better look
out. l am still in the running and
expect to be until | am nomina ted"
! BY this time the lSlanton Nemesis
began to get on the nerves OF Con
gresham Smith. Besides, he was about
! ready to quit. so that two years ago
the uncomfortable Blanton won mis-
nomination.
! In this connection it Is said of him
that in each of his four campaigns, he
purchased new iivver. Perching
himself at the wheel OF this vehicle
| he would tour his Texas district w
one side and down the other. lonEways
and crossways. and on the closing day
OF each OF the campaigns he would
limp into his home town with the fiv-
yer rafting like a load of sheet tin
faithful old boat" would fall into