The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-10-27
PEAcEMAKER STEVENSON
AMONG HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Washington, Cot. 1.-THE little
ban Of Democrats Ia sAe house now
shows as tenacious frcnt as the LIGHT
Br; Sade at Balaklava. But it has not
always been so at this session Of Con-
gress. There has been more than one
occasion when the leadership of the
De no2rats has been a matter of
adroit compromi,e. The differences
between the two factions led by Finis
Garret OF Tennessee and Jack Garner
OF Texas on the question of retaining
the excess profit tax in voting to re-
commit the For'lney revenue bill was
so radical that house Democrats eau
cusscd for four days in the middle of
August before they reached an amrec.
ment Claude Kitchin had written
! from his ick bed in North Carolin,
to his fellow Democr 'ts to hold to tn,
/ eXcess profit tx like grim death.
Men Ike Garrett, Tague and Carew
had demanded that the leaders eoun-
,,sel b, followed but the Garner-C risp
faction centended that this tax must
be thrown overheard before they
would vote to rocommit tho bill,
For a time 1t looked as If this Sc.
rious factional difference on a funda-.
mental principle of legislation would
destroy all real team work in the mi
norlty party In the house. But in the
caucu' sat one man who was able 20
gauge the true situation and strike a
balance between the factions. This
was William Francis Stevenson, of
the nth South Carolina district. Mr.
Stevenson Is still comparativcl,
new man In the house now serving
out his third term but he is one of
the abiost lawyers in the entire BODY.
To begin with, he was one of the best
trained students in mathematics and
The technique OF language ever turn
ed out from Davidson College, n. C.
Besides he had sat N the South Caro-
una legislature and in the councils of
ms party for many years where hc
became past master at framing
legislation and writing caucus resolu-
lions. MIR. Stevenson is used to diff
ierences among Democrats. In South
Carolina there are no Republicans.
So he was at home in this wrang-
Ing of fellow Democrats in Washing
ton. He was there with his pen as we'll
as with his tongue When the eau us
seemed about to end it's first meet
ng in dtsmay and dissolution. Mr..
Stevenson with his first prepared re So
luton was Recognized and mounted
the platform. He has what his friends
IN South Carolina call a sword fish
volce--if sword fish had voice.
If he had voice like most of the
other men who had been talking his
words might not have so instantly
captured the attention of the assemb-
~, but his voice cut it's way athwart
every obstacle.
The remarkable discovery by the
caucus was that when it heard Mr..
Stevenson's resolution, it found that
t was nearer together than it had.
thought possible. This master of par
~ re"ce and concord had seized on
to the word temporary" as the time
element in the life Of the excess pro-
ut tax in the bill. He had deXterously
dropped this word on the middle of
the table between Garrett and Garn-
er who had been starring at each 9TH
er in defiance. The word instantly
tret@hed forth a hand to grasp each
faction. 1t danced up and down in
the room inviting both factions to
c2me back the next day and see the
| performance.
On the following day at the sug-
gestion of many members a meeting
was held of about a half dozen lead
ers and among them Mr.. Stevenson.
| Many members had in the meantime
| Given the proposed resolutions to act
ng leader, Garrett for this confer
cnce and he had presented them. Mr..
flood, of Virginia, chairman of the
Democratic Congressional Commit
tee offered one. Mr.. Stevenson offer
cd his final draft after n short dis
cussion. On motion Of Mr.. Flood, Mr..
Stevenson's resolution was unani-
mouely adopted and Mr.. Garrett was
'rectcd TO present 1T to the caucus
IS the unanimous action of the COM
liitee and on his doing so it was
unanimously adopted, pledging every
Democrat to vote against the tax bill
nd solid front was thus obtained
or the first time in several years.
Mr.. Stevenson is such an adept in
achieving harmony among contrary
minds and party opponents that he
':as beguillcd a majority Of the Re-
'ublicans on banking md currency
committee to vote with him on inn
)ortant measures. The committee tied
IN the issue of reporting out such