The Washington herald., 1919-03-18
IN STATEMENTS OF PROMINENT d. c. FINANCIAL

porter, editor. publisher-publicity
Thus he got into Congress. He be-
came a member of a prominent COM
mittee. the Committee of Banking and
Currency of the House of Represent
atiyes. He stuck to the committee:
he studied banking and currency
problems; he was loyal to his party;
and in due time, by the rule of Sc
niority, he became chairman of the
committee.
His party came into power. When
one of its chief oficials, the Secre-
tary of War, was assailed in the
House. Carter made a magnificent ef-
fort in defense of him. Already, as
chairman of his committee, he had
framed the Federal Reserve Board
act. 70.
"A vacancy occurred in the office
of the Secretary OF the Treasury.
Naturally, Carter Glass was the man
selected to I'LL the place. Is there
In such q colorless career anything
to stir the ambition Of an aspiring
young constituent? No. .~
IF you think Carter Glass has not
genius of a peculiar order you are
mistaken. The extraordinary thing
about Glass Is the fact that all his
llAC hC mas DCth q oNiOAoAp
a politician, and that he depended
for his success moro upon study than
upon talk He loaded his gun ten
years before he fired it. The world
can not resist men who attack 1t with
such patience and determination"
Carter Glass prepared himself for
his great hour by many greater hours
of silent, exhaustive labor. By pro-
fessIon he Is an editor and publish
er, not a banker. Having become
member Of the Banking Committee,
he decided that to become n good
Congressman he would have TO learn
all that one could learn about the
business OF his committee.
Assisted Wilson.
For ten years he worked storing
knowledge, never making a speech in
Congress. When Woodrow Wilson
was elected, in 1912, Carter Glass. not
banker, decided that the United
States banking system lacked elasti-
witty. He saw the President-elect, and
was encouraged to prepare a COM
prehensive currency bill. To continue:
without definite knowledge of the
technicalities OF banking. or the wis
dom of philosophers, but with a pas
sionate belief in the rights of the peo-
pie and a common-sense vision Of the
requirements of commerce. Mr.. Glass
sat himself down in his hotel at
Washington to write his great work.
On September 10, 1913, he took the
floor of the House Of Representatives.
With accumulated emotion for his
new bill. and his eyes on the stores OF
ammunition scattered in voluminous
papers over his desk before him-such
was the opening Of the first really inn
portant Congressional speech OF the
owner of the Lynchhurg News. Be-
fore he opened fire he asked Of the
House that the continuity of my
speech be not interrupted, as the topic
is technical" whereupon he talked
fourteen newspaper columns without
interruption.
After the passing Of the Federal Re-
serve Bank Bill. Congressman Glass
resumed his old habit Of silence. For
two years and six months his voice
was unheard in our legislative halls.
The next time the silence was broken
was when he rose to his feet to op-
pose the nonstrous proposal that
American citizens be warned against
travelling on the armed merchantmen
OF the nations at war.
There are some things worse
than war" he exclaimed. virginia
has homes which might be desolated
and mothers who might be distressed.
and sons who might be sacrificed.
Two of Virginia's boys are my own
-stalwart. manly fellows, for
either Of whom I would die a thou
sand times-and I would have them
hear me say. without a tremor. in
the spirit which I hope animates
their hearts. that I would rather
be pursued through time and etern-
ity by the pitiful apparition OF
their shattered forms than to see
my country dishonored and its flag
hauled down in disgrace" These
two boys at a later day fought
nobly with PershinG's army in
France.
The virile ring and clean-cut