Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1930-09-04
important ways and means commit

! important ways and means commit
I tee.
The election of November, 1912,
which sent White to congress for
second term put Woodrow Wilson.
\ his old professor at Princeton Uni
yersity. in the White House. And
strangely enough it wasn't long un
4 til White and his former instructor
We're on opposite sides of pending
bill REGARDING the Alaskan railroad.
White had.aeen something of Alaska
when he went to the Klondike. and
he had strong convictions on the
subject. These he could not yield,
Ialthough he supported Wilson in the
great progressive legislative pro-
gram which was enacted into law
under The presidents leadership.
There came one day from the
White House a telephone message
that the president would be pleased
to see Congressman White at $500
O'Clock in the afternoon Of certain
dav Time set aside for the inter
view-30 minutes. Now that's 4
long time for presidential inter-
view Some Of them last only one
minute. Many are for only three
minutes. The average is not over
five minutes. Whites opposition
must have made itself felt
George said the president
"why can't gou be on my side?"
/ White cave his reasons. And
then The president spoke. Those
who never met Woodrow Wilson
cannot fully know the force and
charm Of personality which he
could exert for a cause in which he
was Interested He turned his bat
teries full upon his former student.
The encounter was a draw. The
president said that Whites reasons
were good. and that he regretted not
! knowing them before he had COM
mitted himself to the bill.
But on the floors Of congress the
president won. White took a lick
ing and admits it. But the odds
We're somewhat uneyen-the presi-
dent with all the great power of his
office against George White and 9th
er members of the House.
White was one of the first men in
Congress to introduce a bill for fed
eral aid for good roads. Seven bills
were introduced altogether, and
they were consolidated into one and
passed. Although the bill did not
bear Whites name, he was one OF
the most influential in making il
into law He took a large part in
the strenuous legislative battle
which resulted in the enactment of
the law which created the Federal
Reserve banking system, fought
then by banking interests almost
generally, but now widely acclaim
ed by them as the greatest construc-
tive piece of financial legislation
ever passed by congress. He voted
for the bill which doubled the pay
of soldiers of the United States
army
During all of six years in Con-
gress, no matter how busy he might
| be in legislative halls, White found
time to be of service to the people
of his district. He recognized their
need for contact with the govern
ment, and they could always count
upon him for prompt results. He
never failed them, and they were
willing to keep him in Congress as
long as he wanted to stay.
When a new chairman of the
national committee was to be chosen
in 1920 the Democrats of the ma
tion just gravitated toward George
White. Their choice was ratified
by the national committee in unani-
nous vote, and White was at the
helm of party affairs nationally dur
| ing 1920 and 1921.
In this capacity White exempli-
fled that quality which is rather
rare in politics-he managed the af-
fairs of his party with industry and
zeal, but never with malice or mar
row spirit. A firm believer in his
party principles, he nevertheless is
not a believer in offensive partisan
ship. He comedies to others the
right to hold beliefs different from
his own, and he does not scold
them for doing so.