Evening star., 1927-12-04
Capital Sidelights

An announced candidate for the Sem
ate from Tennessee, considerable in.
terest has been focused upon Repre-
sentative Jack" Garner of Texas as
his successor az party leader Car.
fler is different" from all of his fellow
J members. Most men in Congress live
on newspaper publicity, introduce bills
for a thousand and one things in
which constituents may be interested,
prepare long speeches which they have
printed in the Congressional Record,
and frank them out in wholesale
Quantities to the folks back home"
Not so Jack" Garner. who has
served continuously in the House for
to self Craftsmanship. He has for six
years been the Democratic leader on
the great tax.raising committee on
ways and means. But he eschews all
the we'll known publicity tactics.
When Garner went to the Texas
Legislature about 80 years ago he in.
troduced just one bill in four years,
which was promptly passed and az
promptly vetoed by Gov. Sayres, who
had previously served 1S years in Con.
gress, and been chairman OF the appru.
priations committee. Garner's pro.
posal was to cut the Empire State Of
Texas up into five States. He was
cartooned and denounced as crazy
but he still believes that such legis.
lation would have been for the best
interest of Texas and the entire
country.
Another interesting anecdote Of his
State legislative career Is with refer.
ence to a tax bill. Garner spoke 16
times on one side and Cecil Smith
spoke II times in opposition. That
seventeenth time seems to have been
effective, for the bill was defeated.
Garner holds the record during his
entire "a years in the National House
for the smallest number of bills In.
troduced by any member---averaging
not more than two per session, and
even going for years without introduc,
ing d single measure.
He also holds the record for 'catch.
as.cateh-can" speaking. He never
wrote speech In his life. When he
is handling important measures such
as tax or tariff bill for his party he
just fills UP on the subject, knows
it thoroughly and Is ready for the
most effective kind Of delivery by
| being prepared in advance for any
| objection that may be offered. And
Garner Is a peculiarly effective
CPSUhClS VhChCNCA hO 40 SOAi6 W
speak his fellow members make 1t q
point to be there.
Borah, so mitch in the public eye
| most recently as d progressive stand.
ard bearer in the coming Republican n
free.for.all--once risked his life in a
| wild ride to discredit the alibi of a
prisoner. And It was for lack Of money
to 60 any further that he stopped at
Boise, in the State that he has since
made famous. He was travelling to.
ward the Pacific Coast from Kansas,
where he had earned admission to the
bar.
About 80 years ago there was trou.
bic In the mining region about Idaho
much OF 1t cehtering about the Couf
d'Alere district, where a non.union
mine was blown UP by masked men,
who rode In and out again on train
| prosecuting attorneys when men
charged with the crime were brought
up for trial. Much interest centered
about one Paul Corcoran, the evi
dence showing that he had been sit.
ting on top Of box car, with a rife
across his knees, his legs swinging
over the side, as the train swung on
Its way from kellogg to Burke. The
defense contended that 1t was i'm.
possible for any man to make that
ride on top of box car and live,
especially one who was not q trained
railroad man. The tracks ran tip a
narrow gorge with many twists and
curves and experienced railroad men
testified that no man could have held
his seat on top OF box car.
Just to prove his case Borah ar.
ranged for the same train with the
same box car, travelling at the same
rate Of speed. to go again over the
same route, and he sat on top of the
car during the trip with his legs
swinging over the side and gui,
across his knees. That's how he won
the case and Corcoran and seven er
eight others were convicted.
-. ~- + 4 4 4
James Monroe was the last Of our
Presidents to wear knee breeches
James Buchanan was the last to wrar
his neck in stock. He was our only
President to die a bachelor. because
for a. years hs cherished the memory
Of a youthful sweetheart, estranRetl
BY cruel gossip, who had died sudden
~, supposedly by suicide. A little
packet Of treasured love letters was
found In d bank vault by his execu.
tors.
Our two most conspicuous dark
horse" Presidents have been James
K. Polk and Franklin Pierce.
The really family name was Pollock,
slurred into POLK" Within I'd
hours Of his nomination for the
presidency, noneA-least Of ali himself
--had ever thought Of him az q presi.
Dental possibility. Martin Van Buren,
received clear majority on the first
ballot and was, up until Champ Clark
was elbowed aside nearly threescore
years later, the only majority 'car1di.
date who failed to get the necessary
two.thirds vote and the nomination
Polk's administration added more
square miles to the map Of the United
States than any other, except Jsffer.
sons acquisition Of Louisiana.
The unheralded nomination oil
Pierce provoked stephen A. Douglas
TO exclaim, Hereafter, no private
citizen is safe" Presidential honors
were never less welcome, yet Pierce
had 2 more sweeping victory. than
any President since Monroe--afld none
$500! .ss ever nor: more Easn!esslx d!sesrdsd
ton and authorisa ton which belong
on the other side Of the ledger are
Hood control, farm relief, waterways
Improvement, augmented national de.
Tense and the natural increase in the
cost OF governmental activities due to
growth OF the country. The list Of
other proposals which involve more
or less expenditures by Uncle Sam
Is lengthy.
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