The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-05-04
INDIANA'S NEW DEALERS
William La1rubee-AlWaoy the Doctor
BY WALKER STONE
Times staff Writer

u -
w William Henry Larrabee is
Indiana's congressman with
bedside manner.
1t is restful to talk with the
good doctor.
He soothes the nerves of
harassed and harassing con-
stituents.
Figuratively speaking, he feels
their pulse, looks at the coating
on their tongues, prescribes for
their ailments, and adds for good
measure a liberal tonic of Chris
tian Science psychology designed
to help the patient cure himself.
And he always sends his con-
stituentS away with lower tenn
peratures and a feeling that
things are going to be easier for
them because their congressman
is sharing in their tribulations.
DR.. Larrabee is pref minently a
human being, with a natural fond
ness for other human beings. His
is the mental approach, the phil
osophy and the social conscience
Of a typical small-town practi-
toner of the better class.
His kind. honest face, which
spreads easily into a smile, caus-
ing his Irish eyes to twinkle in
amusement, is crowned by we'll
groomed silver hair. You know
when you talk with him and OBJ
serve the ease with which he car
ries his sixty -four years that DR..
Larrabee is a man of temperate
thoughts and temperate habits. He
neither smokes nor drinks, but
occasionally Gains his seldom
ruffled nerves by chewing the butt
end of an unlighted cigar.
DR.. Larrabee is not a great law
maker. He never could be. Were
he to remain in congress quarter
century, he still would be an aver
age congressman, spending most
of his time worrying about how to
help some constituent get a gov
eminent loan on a home or a farm,
help another-if he were a Demo-
crat, Of course-get a government
job, and pass a claim bill for still
another. Personal service is the
doctors long suit.
IF Dr. Larrabee hasn't been in
i every home in his district-the
Eleventh district, comprising Han
cock, Madison and the eastern
half of Marion counties-it's be-
cause he hasn't had time to get
around. In the summer he spends
all Of his time in the district,
seeing constituents at his Office in
his home town of New Palestine,
and at Anderson and in Indian
apolis.
DR.. Larrabee never has dis
played any ambition to be any,
thing more than an average con-
gresham. Although he has been
in congress more than three
years, he has yet to conceive his
first piece of general legislation.
The only bills he has introduced
are private bills, such as claims
and pension bills. He is not of the
fiber that makes legislative lead
ers. The battle-royal of the leg
islative halls is too much Of a
rough-and- tumble scrimmage for
him. He listens with rapt atten-
ton to debates. but never partlcl-
pateS.
In his legislative work, the good
doctor pays particular attention
to the desires of the spokesman
for the war veterans, the farmers
and organized labor. When he first
came to congress, he also was on
the warm side of another organ
lied minority-the Anti-Saloon
League.
The doctors metamorphosis
from a dry to wet was sud-
den. 1t took place between the
primary election and general cleo
ton of 1882, after he had been
nominated running as a dry. He
had two opponents in that race,
both wet, and together they
polled more votes than he did.
The doctor never hesitated to be
for what the people wanted, as
soon as he found out what they
wanted.
In that shift, the doctor showed
skillful footwork. The country is
filled with eX-public officials,
with more training than the doc
tor, who tripped themselves try
ing to make that same shift.
Representative of Michigan and
Indiana on the Democratic steer
ing committee, which is supposed
to steer administration measures
through the house, the doctor is
regular on most of his votes. He
leans instinctively toward liberal