The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-03-11
I|NARsAALLS WILL
B. Be / MUCH MISSED
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AND
HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN POP
+ ULAR IN WASHINGTON.
IFINE AFTER.DlNNER ORATOR
His Humorous Views Of the Office He
Held-Their Receptions Greatly En-
joysd by the Foreign Ambassadors
and Ministers.
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

ny eO"AHO 3. ChAhN.
WashingtOn.-Washin will miss
lthc Marshalls, the former vice-presi-
dent and his wife.
One of Mr.. Marshalrs Quips which
is quoted constantly in Washington lie
delivered himself OF in response to a
Question concerning the duties Of the
Ivice.president. Lie said:
The vice-president is like Il man
i'm Il cataleptic fit. He knows every
thing that is going on, but he can't
say a word"
1t is Il pleasant thing once in a
while to get away from partisan pol
itics and from all partisan endeavOr,
and to say something about the purely
personal side Of 4 man with whom
you may not agree entirely in Il party
way. but with whom you entirely agree
i'm q human way. So once again let
it be said Marshall will be missed.
No other vice-president, not even
Roosevelt during the time Of his in
cumbency Of that Office prior to the
.lesth OF Mckinley, has been so in de-
lIlulNI It's I'LL 'kSAhSA AS
Thomas Riley Marshall. Some men
here say that he is the best after-din-
ne' speaker in the United States. BE
this as it may, l once more than in
timated TO Mr.. Marshall when / met
him at one Of his own semi-Officfal re-
ceptiOns that having heard him speak
after dinner on a dozen different oc-
casiOns. thought he was about the
best ever as what they call post
prandiar orator.
Mr.. Marshall griDncd. lie said, MY
wife tells me that If 1 talk for five
minutes am all right, but that if I
Italk for ten l am lost
Mrs. Marshall's judgment in this case,
if she ever rendered it-fOr her hus-
band is a good deal of a qHzzer-ls
nor accurate, as anybody who has ever
heard Marshall at his after-dinner best
can testify. When he speaks and
shows symptoms Of thinking he has
I*aid enough, the guests almost in
Ivariably call for more. which is fairly
good proof that he can go beyond ten
minutes without running up against
any snag of opposition.
Has Spirit Of the Poet.
Marshall Of Indiana has something
;of the, poet in him. At Il Gridiron
dinner one night he told little story
(which better than anything else per-
haps shows the INNER, gentle and ap-
Epreciativc nature Of the man. He said
that when he was governor of Indiana
Inc stood one day in March looking
|out of the state house window. It was
the first day when there were any
symptoms Of spring visible. He heard
Ia biuebird's wsrbling note, and heard
IL wOOdpecker tapping. He said that he
drank in the sounds and loved them,
hut on his calling another state Off
'cial to the window to enjoy the blue
bird and the woOdpecker with him, the
official turned away and said, "Oh. we
have plenty of hluebirds and wood
ipecEers what's the use Of making u
fuss about then,?'
Marshall said that he has never
liked that man since. The understand
ling is that the bluebird singing and
the woodpecker tapping as related by
Tom Marshall to u HOosier poet gave
the Inspiration for Il well-knOwn poem.
John J.. Martin managed to secure
han interview with Mr.. Marshall for
the Evening Star OF this city n few
days ago. Mr. Marshall added some
thing to what he previously had said
concerning the Office Of the vice.presi'
dent, but he took care to let it be
known in manner as well as in form
,or speech that he by no means in.
tended to belittle the second Office OF
government.
His View Of the Office.
He said, "The peculiar position Of
nle vice-president seems to me to make
hin, the official diner-out Of the ad'
ADMINISTRATION. He Is to an administra.
i,ion what charming and vivacious
wife is to an ambitious husband. II
he will beam and smile, manifest good
ilumor and accept all the invitations
that he can to dinner parties. he can
at least have the satisfaction Of know.
in: that IL he has been of no use to
his party, he has not been a stumbling
block in the path Of its progress"
The foreign ambassadors and min
listers OIL duty in Washington always
have made much of the NIarshalls. The
President Of the United States, by
virtue Of his Office and his manifold
duties, rarely can dine out. Mr.. and
Mrs. Marshall have given a number OF
,semi-public receptions on their OWL
account. The ambassadors almost al.
ways attended them, because they
liked the receptions, and they like the
Marshalls. There always has been a
democratic spirit at these vice-presi-
Dental affairs. The wonder Is If there
Tia anything wrong in saying that or.
,linarily at these receptions Mr.. Mar.
shall has worn a sack coat, q bust
ness coat in other words, unless of
cOurse the affair were in the evening.
Another Way to Look at It.
s6rha+ o0y rolto1 afor doclorou Mo