The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-21
FLOOD Was
REAL LEADER
OF DEMOCRACY
The Brilliant Virginia
Congressman Who
Died Recently
BY Wallace BaSsford
'pe9.ial News Correspondent.

Special News Correspondent.
Washington, Dec I'M. Car
rett Of Tennessee. the brilliant
young leader Of the House Demo
Gratis, is fully measuring up to his
large job. 1t is no small task to up
hold the traditions OF great leader
ship in that body. I believe it was
Thomas Dixon. in The Clansman,
who quoted one Of Lincoln's cabinet
members as saying that he greatly
feared the natural aptitude Of the
lnanship. The truth Of that eX-
preston has been shown scores Of
| tines but never more markedly
than in the cases Of Clark. Stone
Underwood, Kitchin, Flood and
Garrett But death and illness have
recently. The death Of Clark and
Stone, now followed by the sud-
den and shocking demise of Henry
ID. Flood. the illness Of Wilson and
Kitcllin, might we'll alarm the
Democrats as to the quality Of their
leadership but for this propensity
Of the young men Of southern
blood to achieve enlinence in par
I liamentary work To this is doubt
less due much of the virility OF 4.
partE that vas born With the Re-
pubic and has attended the funcr-
al Of several Of its rivals. y cur
sorry glance shows that the party of
Jefferson and Jackson has h"l- the
reins OF government during half
Of the time since Washington left
ers, and today is militant, aggres-
sive and full Of expectation Of win
ming the state and congressional
elections coming next fall.
The death oc Flood is directly due
to his fine devotion 10 his state and
party. When the Republicans gave
into the Solid South and that Viz
Sinia was TO be the gateway, every
one knew that it meant another
| looseninS of the strings Of the long
purse that poured out millions and
millions for the election of Harri-
son, Mckinley. Roosevelt, Taft and
Harding-the long pure Of privil-
egc. The Virginia leaders looked
over the field and could see no one
but Flood 10 lead the fight to pre-
vent the Republicans again getting
foothold in the state that was
still remembering painfully the
| days Of the carpet -bagSers. SO
Flood was drafted for the job,
though already Chairman Of the
Democratic Congressional Commit
/ into every other fisht-with ev-
cry ounce Of force there was in him.
OF course he won, and the Demo
Gratis carried Virginia by the big
gest majority ever known, but
Flood came back to Washington
and took TO his bed. never TO leave
it. OF him it can be truly said:
He died with the harness On, the
broad-swcrd leaping,
The wild fight StirSin3 fast.
!. Rich as the party is in leader
ship. Democracy can i'll spare him.
this proud Virsinian. proud OF his
clean hands, his clean public rec
ord, his clean professional career
and his spotless personal character
1t is remembered of him that
] when he first came 10 congress, de-
feating Jacob Yost. a Republican,
the result was very close and he
was offered the certificate OF cleo
ton on a tec!lnicaiity. whereupo:,
he refused to accept it. prcferrinS
70 stand aside un,il the status of
every questioned ballot was de-
ternlined He knew he might lose
by SO doing. but he preferred it
that sway
He died too soon. There is much
work left TO be done which needs to
be done by trained lnen who can
diagnose symptoms and effect a
cure. Washington is suffering. as
in all times OF stress. from q sur
felt Of political nostrUm -monSers
and scores Of high -Salaried trust
lawyers who ,hrong the commit
tee rooms OF congress, wheedling
and scheminS for this special priv
ilcge and that. Offering in scope,
size and venality. but all having eX-
aCtlE the same purpoSc--to find u
means. through legislation, to get
more money for their product. Yes
tcrday the cotton goods m&nufac-
ing more than % pen cent tariff on
importations OF cotton goods. and
showing how The pious makers OF
poker chips haze 30 per cent pro-
lection. The answer is that the
poker chip magnateS probably con-
trihuccd more literally 20 the CAM
paiGn fund. Therein lies the real
secret Of getting what one wants
in the way of special legislation.
In such a situation the finest de-
fensc the people can have consists
OF men in Congress- who are too big
for such dealing.
No. The president has not adopt
ed any new form or recreation
this week He is still recovering
from his recent horseback ride.
This reminds me that one of the
Washington newspapers-and they
all stay ,.I>- Close TO the l',e>idet1-