Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-11-19
HIS RISE 70 POWER


rapids
HIS RISE TO POWER
Why Curtis because he is. the
one outstanding figure in Washington
that must be reckoned with, Borah
with his brilliance and independence
casts his shadow from the Hudson to
the Golden Gate; the nation knows
and admires him; the people like his
fighting power; but they analyze him.
They can't analyze Curtis. Curtis
moves behind the scenes. No, calcium
operator has yet been found quick
enough to throw the spot light upon
him. He moves with the self-reliance
and silence of the panther, and is
equal in determination to attain his
objective. He knows men, he knows
life, and senses moving impulses.
From the great heights of his Wes-
tern mountains he views the mass of
struggling humanity below, quick to
put his finger on the forces that
make the mannequins squirm and wig
gle. Charles Curtis is a full size man,
just as he is no mans man, despite
the oft repeated inuendo that he has
reached the pinnacle of preferment
while running errands for the rail-
roads. Half his life has been spent in
getting other men jobs "Thei riff raft
| OF the nation" cry his enemies. They
all died poor, replies Curtis, writing
master brief in four short words
Curtis himself has not too many dol
lars to his name, yet he is perhaps
the master politician of his time. If
the time shall come when he must
help Coolidge probably he will do so
because it is part of the game, just
! as resisting Populism was part of the
game, just as combating Roosevelt
tan Progressivism was part of the
game, just as standing unflinchingly
against Wilsonian democracy was
part OF the game, and not because
this big silent man from Kansas re-
garded or even now regards any of
these issues or any of the men be-
hind them as at all important Too
astute perhaps to say so, Curtis
seems to view the passing of the
throng, with kindly sympathy an
easy confidence but mild disdain
Perhaps there is something in his
Indian blood that makes him instinc-
lively impervious, while outwardly
broad, simple, persuasive and home
ly in manner. If you would know the
brick consider the mixture.
INHERITS FIGHTING INSTINCT
The daughter of White, Plume. a
Kaw Indian chief was the great
grandmother of Curtis of Kansas, his
great grandfather being a Frenchman.
His grandmother, Julie Pappan, lived
on an Indian allotment close to North
Topeka, Kansas. There among the In
dians, Charles Curtis came into being
the heir of Captain o. A. Curtis, who
won his spurs in the Civil War, and
of Ellen Pappan. His paternal grand
mother, PAMELA Hubbard Curtis gave
to him that strain of blood that throb
bed with the spirit of New England
blood that surged for thrift, for order
for system, for sterling honesty and
correct devotional exercises.
He was raised in the atmosphere of
the prairie. Taken to the reservation
when he was three years old and
motherless. His boom companions,
were the dogs and horses. Raised in
the saddle, at twelve he was 1.-THE In1
dian. jockey riding for prizes at
nearby festival gatherings. Then
came the transfer of the Kaw In
dams to Indian Territory, and Char
les was "shooed' to his paternal
grandmother. When the day of part
ing came his Indian grandmother
faced one way, and he another hidden
to walk to Topeka and share his flu
ture. He walked, and followed then
the impress of New England thought
Charles gave up "jockeying" and
went to school.
His first job was that of repor-
ter on a North Topeka paper. Then
came politics. When he was twenty
four, having studied law, Shawnee
County elected him as prosecuting at
torney. The county was dry The
folks with the pull wanted it wet, and
so they slipped the Jockey into off,
ice and in three months the country
was as dry as the Sahara. Then Our
Charlie" was sent to Congress, and
from that hour his motto seems to
have been For God, For Kansas and
For Curtis" Those who had favors