Evening star., 1943-04-12

from Gibson, N. c. The clergyman
who we'd the two, Mr.. Roper recalled
at the time of his golden wedding
celebration last Christmas, drove
out to the plantation in a buggy and
was IS minutes late.
One of Mr.. Roper's accomplish
ments in his days in the Census
Bureau was devising the plan for
frequent counting of cotton bales
turned out by ginneries during har-
vest season. This put an end to
misleading foreign guesses on the
size of the American cotton crop,
which previously had handicapped
American growers and mills in the
battle for the foreign cotton and
textile markets.
One of his duties in the Post
Office Department was to assist in
organizing and administering the
new parcel post service and he was
head of personnel for the entire de-
partrSent with its 100000 employees.
His success at these tasks won him
reputation for ability as an organ
izer which gained him his first i'm
portant position in the Democratic
party inner councils. For President
Wilson's 1916 campaign Mr.. Roper
was chosen chairman of the organ
ization bureau.
Again, he was successful in Wres-
tling with the mechanics of war
time tax collection. Mr. Roper, who
had to consider. too, the whole rela-
lively new problem of the income
tax. only four years old, enlisted the
services of a volunteer group of law
yers to help him interpret the excise
laws and organized council of
businessmen to aid him in adminis-
tering them, forerunner of his idea
for Government-busine partner
ship which he tried to make effec-
tive years later through the Busi-
ness Advisory Council.
The event which launched Mr..
Roper on his way to great personal
political success was the election
of Grover Cleveland to the presi-
dency in 1892, 1t was happy day
for Democrats when he took office
March 4, 1893. Mr.. Roper already
had made name for himself in
South Carolina, where he was
known for his sponsorship in the
Legislature of that States first pro-
hibition bill. which was amended In
manner that established the South
Carolina State-operated system of
liquor dispensaries.
Studied Law in Capital.
When Mr.. Roper came to WASH
ington he found not only a satis-
faction to his ambition, but a fur
ther source of formal education. He
studied law at National University
graduating in 1901. Already he had
attended two colleges. After two
years at Wofford College, Spartan
burg, S. c., he transferred to Trim
ity College, now Duke University,
and was graduated with an A. B.
degree in 1888.
Franklin Roosevelt then was but
6 years old The future President
met Mr.. Roper during the Wilson
administration. In the early 1905
Mr.. Roper worked for the Roosevelt
nomination and was appointed Sec
retary of Commerce after Mr..
Roosevelt's election. The N. R. A.,
headed by dynamic Gen. Hugh
johnson, was moved into the Com
merce Department Building and the
Secretary was eclipsed as all the
news about commerce and indus
try came from Gen. johnson.
The church was ever close to Mr..
Ropers heart. He was a member of
the general conference of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church., South. in
1880 and of the sixth ecumenical
conference in 1881. He served as
trustee of Duke University and the
American University, wore the key
of Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scho-
lastic fraternity, and belonged to
Sigma Alpha Epsilon. collegiate fra
ternity. He was a 32d degree Mason
He held honorary degrees from
Tusculum College. LID. 1927: Ma
tlonal University, LID, 1888, ana
Rollins College, L. H. D., 1884.