Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-09
CAPITAL MOURNS
FOR GENIAL mick"
Grief Is Deepest for Long.
worth, the Man, Rather
Than Speaker.
Continued From First Page)


wealth and position to which he was
born. "Nick's" voice was as smooth as
his hands, except when he was hoarse
from colds to which he was subject.
When this man greeted any one, he
smiled; and his directness was the
same with the messengers to whom he
invariably nodded in the House lobby
as with the titled European he would
welcome to his home in hawleSs French.
The evenness Of his temper was tradi-
tional. So was his capacity for frater-
nal good will in politics.
Not long ago the music magazine
Etude asked the Speaker, in a SYM
postum, what composition he would
choose to hear, If he could, when he
was dying. Longworth chose Beetho-
ven's Seventh Symptom y" He was an
accomplished violinist and a pianist.
Newspaper men were the Speakers
friends and he was theirs. Through his
ever open door they passed singly and
in groups, confident he would answer
their questions directly or explain why
not. On him they depended, often, for
implied steers" that served in predict
ing dubious outcomes Of controversies.
SenSed Temper Of Membership.
The success Of Longworth's leadership
lay in his ability to sense the temper of
the membership.
The Speaker somehow knew. Far
from letting his own decisions wait
upon the trend, he formed his opinions
on legislation, and made every effort to
put them through. 1t was said, in fact,
that upon the power in LongworthS ca
pacity for holding his hands and wait
ing until the rank and file came to his
position rested many solid Republican
vote.
He was by native political philosophy
regular Republican. But his spec
tacular detection on the veterans loan
bill only last session was a demonstra-
ton that his party loyalty was not
abject.
One Of the narrowest escapes 'Nick"
ever had was in the last election. He
was reported to have said that house.
toulouse canvass was made against him,
to warn veterans of his hostility
though he voted for the bonus.
Then came the new loans proposal
After he had announced his support,
and another administration blast was
threatened, newSmen went and asked
him If he might be swayed.
IT don't think anything" replied
Longworth, could make me change my
position"
The loan bill passed over the Presi-
dents veto.
Had Gift for Phrases.
In many touchy incidents did Long
worth as Speaker preserve the pro-
prieties. A gift for phrases served him
well. His Harvard training made his
rulings from the rostrum, however,
technical, delight to hear.
In this phase Of his job, he held a
universal reputation for fairness and
consideration. 1t was in his regular
business Of presiding. in fact, that he
won widest recognition as a bulwark
Of support for the rights of the minority.
Before he became Speaker he had
established reputation for hard-nit-
ting debate. He employed irony, how
ever, rather than sarcasm. Likewise
in his personal associations with politi-
cal opponents, he let a sharp wit play
always with the softening shadow OF
humor.
The story Is told that his friend
Garner of Texas once, in a jovial mood
suggested that, though he was Long
worths friend, he would, of course,
break the Speakers nose politically
when opportunity offered.
Why" Longworth's retort went, in
the story, where is your patriotism? p
Became Friends Early.
It Is an old story now that Long
worth and the Texan became friends
when they were the newest members
on their sides of the Foreign Affairs
Committee. When Garner tells of it,
he says that at the time he had never
heard of any foreign country besides
Europe" and that Longworth was little
more interested. This, of course, was
in the day Longworth was q "boy
Representative"
For all his frankly elegant tastes.