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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1910)
THE SUN DAT OKEGOXIAN, PORTLAND. MARCH 20, 1910. TTft MANy J&ZD IZEPIZESENTmTVESIiAVE WEALTH INVESTED IN TUB 5 OIL 2 .MM "FT A"T a TTTv 77" A TT & 1 1 t A I i . I BT. EX J. EDWARDS. HONEST, now, as you look down from tho visitors' gallery upon the, de liberations of "tho most aupmt leg islative body In the world" that's our very own United States Senate, you know u per description1 of some 'distinguished somebody or other who wanted to -be Complimentary, doubtless would . you take any of the solemn-vlsaged, careworn ind frock-coated gentleman below you aor Just plain farmers In private life? -Steal farmers, you ! know. Not the kind that is meant when somebody says; "Oh, you farmer!" ' But the sort that patiently tickles a mors or less grouchy soli to -mile beautifully, that the National stomach may be filled and the National back garmented. ' Now, would you? Of course you wouldn't because you've got tho prevalent idea -that "race sui cide" among the farmers of the country long since extended Itself to the National eapitol, and Into both of its wings. But the real truth of the matter, is, that whatever may be said about the failure of agriculture in the United States to 'keep pace with the population, as far as Congress Is concerned, both in the Senate and the House, the farmers Of the coun jtry are actually holding their own In pro 'riortion to membership lri that body, 'when it is recalled that only seven mem tera of the first Congress of the United States out of a total of !)5 members were . j farmers or planters. It is easy to see that :the 25 or more farmers of all descriptions In the present Congress represent a larger proportion of that useful element in society than obtained in the early clays of the Republic, But right here the comparison should stop; for, while In that first Congress the farmer members were farmers or plant rs, pure and simple there were no state agricultural schools In existence then, you know the modern Congres sional farmer is a sort of "Jack of all trades." It is- also noteworthy that tho farmer representatives in the present Congress come almost exclusively from the South and West, whereas. In the first Congress, there was Jonathan Grout, of Massachusetts; Paine Win gate, of New Hampshire; George Clymer. of Pennsyl vania, and Daniel Carroll, of Maryland, representing the northeastern section. vim the Farmers Are. "Who are the farmers In Congress to CAy? Why. some of the leaders, men whose names are on the lips of their tallow countrymen a good part of the open National legislative season, and in the closed period, too. Hist! There's the entire Senatorial delegations from South Carolina and Mississippi, Smith end Tillman; Money, the minority leader, and Percy, recently succeding James Gordon, that delightful old Confederate veteran who has been a farmer all his years and loves the life so much that he -lias written poetry about almost every nook and cranny of his plantation. Then jthere's Bankhead, of Alabama; rugged 'old Knuta Nelson, of Minnesota, who is 'one of the few Senators who adorns his chin with real farmer-like whiskers; Clay, of Georgia; Foster, of Louisiana; War ren, of Wyoming. As for the other wing of the capitol, even in your wildest .dreams of the per sonality of the Speaker, have you ever imagined him as a tiller of the soil? Yet about the only thing in which he takes Van active interest outside of politics is 3it Southern Illinois farm. And among the farmers who heed, more or less gracefully, the pounding of his gavel in the heat of debate, let there be men tioned Burleson, of Texas; Clayton, of Alabama; Lee, of Georgia; Hayes, of California; Kennedy, of Iowa; Moss, of Indiana; Gronna. of North Dakota; Latta, of Nebraska; Cocks, of New York, who represents Theodore Roosevelt's district, and so has become famous, and Lowden, of Illinois, whose greatest affliction in life seems to be that he can't make his fellow solons take seriously his state ments that he is a full-fledged farmer. A Millionaire Farmer. Nevertheless, and notwithstanding-, and so on, right to the end of the chapter, Colonel Lowden via the mili tary staff of the Governor of Illinois owns and lives on one of the best farms in all that wonderful farm state from which he hails; and aside from being a congressman, Mr. Lowden can truthfully say that he has no vocation in life other than to make this farm of his, which groans under the name of Sinnissippi Farm, produce results. But Just you tell any of his colleagues that he is a farmer, and see what hap pens. You see, after he had been born and raised on a farm in Iowa, the .Colonel went to Chicago, became a suc cessful lawyer, eventually married a daughter of George A. Pullman, of sleeping car fame, and right there spoiled forever his chances of being: regarded aa a farmer, though farmer he now is, by Ills congressional co workers. Sinnissippi Farm Is in Ogle County, Illinois, and lies on rolling ground overlooking the scenic Rock River. It lias every modern appliance, from a patent milking-machine to a flock of Angora goats, which are set to work sit sunrise each day to eat the under brush off the place. One day, while riding over the farm, its owner hap pened to moet his army of goats at work, and climbing down off his horse stood admiring them. As soon as the goats caught sight -of him they ad vanced so suddenly that the doughty Colonel thought it best to be found with both feet on the ground rather than with one foot on the ground and one in the stirrup. .-, As the Colonel tells the story, the goats started In to at the boots off his feet, and fearing that their voracious appetite might lead them higher op; and having no barrel handy, he concluded that dis cretion was the better part of valor, mounted his horse on the offside, and escaped. Colonel Lowden is an all-around congressman. " He enjoys a reputation as an orator which extends beyond the confines of Illinois, and he Is a promi nent member of the House committee on foreign affairs, which recently re ported his bill to Congress for the pur chase of sites and the erection of build ings for our ambassadors in European capitals. At one time he was a candi date for Governor of Illinois and his candidacy precipitated a convention which lasted for nearly two weeks be fore his opponents could "muster the votes to beat him. Like several of the other farmers in the present Congress, he should be classed among that constant ly growing group of tillers of the soil who are classed as millionaire farmers. South Carolina's Two Farmers. It was from the farm that Senator Tillman sprang into the eye of the country on the crest of the Populist craze. Many a hard and picturesque battle he has been in since then, but through all the years in private life he has remained a farmer, and i he has never given up a farm of from 3000 to 4000 acres In Edgefield County, South Carolina, on which he raises ordinary farm produce and great quantities of cotton. And he is a farmer who, outside the capital and notwithstanding his un couthness of expression and his radical ism, enjoys a larger circle of friends, perhaps than any other Senator now in j Washington. Nor can any other mem ' 1)C of Congress, in either house draw V A X larger crowds when he speaks. Let it buff be known that he intends to make a speech on a certain day, and the Senate galleries will be packed. As his colleagues long since found not and the country, also, he is certain to have something new to say, or, at least, to say old things in a new way. And by the way, despite the biting words he has flung at many of them, today the senior toga wearer from the nether Carolina is a great favorite with his colleagues, all of whom admit his honesty and integrity of purpose. But Senator Tillman does not know any more about the proper methods of raising garden truck and cotton than does his colleague, B. D. Smith, who 1b not only a cotton planter of some considerable consequence in South Carolina, but is a business farmer, as well. He entered the Senate pledged to do all that he could by legislation to put the cotton growers of the South in a position to sell cotton at 16 cents a pound. He has tenaciously stood by his platform, and as a result he Is one of the "fighting farmers" now sit ting in the capitol. though, so far, he has somewhow miraculously escaped being nicknamed "Fifteen-cent" Smith, a circumstance which will appeal to some minds as an oversight on the part of the wits of the capitol. No sooner had Senator Smith landed in Congress fresh from his farm than the tariff bill came along and the South Carolinian was on the Job day and night, fighting for the rights of the cotton-growers. He insisted that the cotton-plantera should have all the necessaries to the running of their business put on the free list, including cotton bagging, used to wrap up the Daies, twine and otner accessories. Ktiu more recently, the Senator has been en gaged in a lively campaign to put the dealers of futures In cotton on the New York, New Orleans and other cotton ex changes out of business, on the ground that they helped to run the price of cot ton downward without regard to the law of supply and demand. Before ho entered Congress Mr. Smith was deeply interested in the Farmers' Protective Association and in the Southern Cotton Association, of which latter organiza tion he was a field agent and general organizer. "You know how to raise cotton, but you do not know how to sell it," he once bluntly told his auditors. Personally, the Senator is not. physi cally, at least, a man who would attract more than ordinary attention. He is comparatively short In height and pro portionately light In weight. When he speaks, however, he does not fail to convince, not only by reason of his fund of information on agricultural subjects, but because of the tremendous earnestness with which he ' discusses his theme. He has a great deal of that fundamental of success, bulldog tenacity. When he was twitted re cently because cotton has not yet reached 15 cents per pound, he replied, gravely: "I have not been here long enough yet," A Pair of liar re Planters. Together with his new colleague, Leroy Percy, who Is one of the largest planters In all Mississippi, Senator Hernando de Soto Money, the minority leader In the Upper House, brings to his state the distinction of being the only state in the Union, except South Carolina, which is represented In the Senate by farmers, whether they be known as plain tillers of the soil or as planters. Until very recently. Senator Money has been one of the very largest cotton-planters in his state. Such he was when the tariff bill was under heated discussion. Nevertheless, he led the fight in the Senate against the Re publican majority for free cottonseed oil. and won his contention because the .Republicans did not like the idea of putting a duty on the oil when a cotton-planter of the standing of Sen ator Money was there to put a veto in the record. The Senator is not done smiling yet at the manner In which he confounded the Republicans in this manner, and he makes no secret of "his pride in his victory. Whether among the farmers or other members of Congress, it would be hard to find a more scholarly man than Senator Money, not even excepting the noted Henry Cabot Lodge, who Is popularly supposed to exude Greek roots and Latin verbs at every pore. In sooth, the Mlssissippian Is one of the real scholars of the entire capital. He has been a great reader all his life and is thoroughly familar with the history of the southwest section of the country, with particular refer ence to Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Furthermore, he is able to turn his learning to account legislatively. A Senator who has practically his entire fortune tied up in farm lands in his home - state, and county is A. S. Clay, of Georgia. Although a lawyer of more than ordinary ability. Senator Clay has never failed to turn to the soil when he has any money to In vest, and the result is he is today a full-fledged farmer in the best sense of the term. The Georgian is a most Interesting personality. He is the only man in the Senate, except Senator LaFolIecte, who wears his hair pompadour. He is a deep student of legislative matters and, his health permitting, one of the hardest workers in the Upper House. During the tariff session he undertook to demonstrate to the Senate that the duty on sugar should be reduced. Despite the heat and the warning of v his doctor, the Senator made a speech on this subject that lasted a good part of one legislative day, and many of his arguments were never answered. So earnest was he In the fight that only sheer physical exhaustion prevented him from again disobeying the com mands of hie physician to make an other effort to lower this tariff. As a result of his supreme effort. Senator Clay has been absent during a greater part of the present session, and for a time his life was despaired of. Now, It is understood that he will shortly resume his seat, and his friends are fearful lest he die in harness in the next great issue in which he takes an active Interest. , AVielder of Plowshare and Sword. Senator Francis E. Warren, of Wyo ming, who Is every bit as big a man on the Republican side as Senator Clay is on the Democratic, is not only a farmer 'in the full sense of the term, but is also one of the largest livestock dealers In Wyoming. During the re cent tariff session the 'Senator was charged, because of his defense of the high duties on hides and meats, with being a livestock owner, but he de clared to the Senate that he owned "not a cow, a steer, a horse, an ass or a goat" except those he kept for the Immediate use of hlfftself and family. Senator Dolllver, of Iowa, who is some thing of a farmer himself, rather turned the laugh on the Wyoming man, however, by telling the Senate that when he was escorted over the ranges of Wyoming by Senator Warren, the latter had certainly exhibited to him "all the airs of ownership." "Why."- declared Senator Dolliver, "he was so well grounded in the philosophy of the steer that he -told me that one of its chief peculiarities was that it did not seem to care whether it lived or died." Senator Warren is a big, broad shouldered man of more than ordinary good looks. He walks with a decided limp, having been wounded in battle during the Civil War when serving with the Forty-ninth Massachusetts Infantry. Incidentally, he is one of the few members of Congress who holds a Congressional medal of honor for gallantry on the field of battle, which medal he won at the siege of Port Hudson. 'It is therefore peculiarly fit ting that he should now be the chair man of the Senate committee on mili tary affairs and that his daughter should have married Brigadier-General John J. Pershing, who made a com mendable record In the Philippines. Still another Senator who is a farm er to the extent of owning and run ning a comparatively small sugar and rice plantation in his native state is Murphy J. Foster, of Louisiana. Senator Foster first came into- public notice a number of years ago by lead ing a fight in his state which put the Louisiana lottery out of business. Later, when he had become Governor" of the state, a sympathetic strike threatened the bread, water and gas supply of the City of New Orleans, i 1 3 S90. SyjfA&KS a jpSS3. Governor Foster carefully reviewed the situation and finally served notice that he would call out the state mil itia if the strike were not settled on a different basis within 24 hours. The strike was at an end before the time limit expired. In the Senate Mr. Fos ter has been an earnest advocate of the rights of the sugar and rice pro ducers of Louisiana, making a careful distinction, how.ever, between the pro ducers and the so-called sugar trust. Representative Lee's Historic Acres. One of the House tillers of the soil, Gordon Lee, of Georgia, runs a farm on one of the most historic sites in the United States. Every veteran of the battle of Cfiickamauga will readily recall the old Gordon and Lee mill, around which some of the most hotly contested charges of that battle were fought out. Mr. Lee was born on WILL IT BE CONSERVED? ...... . i a farm on the battlefield Just four years before, and has ever since lived within its historic environments. He gives his whole time and attention in Congress to subjects of agriculture, and there is no 'more practical agricul turist In the capital than he. Representative Henry ' D. Clayton, who comes from the adjoining state of Alabama, and who presided over the last Democratic National Convention as its permanent chairman, is a farmer-lawyer. He has one of the most strenuous voices in the House. He cannot make a speech on any subject in parlor tones, because his voice will not let him. Before he has uttered two sentences his "foghorn," as his colleagues call It, simply runs away p with him, and even the hard-hearing members of the House can be said to smile witb satisfaction, as every word he utters rolls distinctly against their A " P . ear drums. The Alabaman is as good a lawyer as he Is a farmer, and as a member of the House Judiciary com mittee has made himself a record which might land him on the Federal bench under a Democratic administra tion. In appearance he is stocky and well built, and his hair so nearly matches the baldness on the top of his head that it is hard to tell where one begins and the other leaves off. Representative E. A. Hayes, who comes from California, naturally de votes his farming instincts to fruit raising. No Californlan farmer or rancher raises anything but fruit, al falfa and "garden truck." Incidentally, Mr. Hayes is one of the richest mem bers of the House, having besides his farm, iron mines in Northern Wiscon sin and Michigan which are immensely productive. Mr. Hayes has a mother who has had more than ordinary Influence upon the fortunes of her sons. As he relates It, his mother was largely responsible for the purchase of the iron mines which he and his brother bought. In the face of a not wholly favorable report on these mines, Mrs. Hayes persisted In her "hunch" that they were valuable, and the results have more than borne out her judgment. Incidentally, Mr. Hayes Is one of the leading Insurgents of the House. He is heart and soul with those Callfornians who prefer to see the Japanese remain 'at home, and now has a bill pending in the House providing for their exclusion. The Californlan boasts one of the new dark auburn beards In Congress, and it is no torious that when this beard begins to wave in the atmosphere, something out of the ordinary Is about to happen. Rep resentative Victor Murdock's red hair and Mr. Hayes' dark red beard have led some of the regular Republicans in the House facetiously to dub the Insurgents 'anarchists. ' ' "Farmer" Cocks, of Long Island. New York state has one full-fledged farmer in its delegation. Representative W. W. Cocks, whose ancestors settled on Long Island in 1642. Mr. Cocks represents the Oyster Bay district, and has for one of his constituents former President The odore Roosevelt. He Is familiarly known In the House as "Fanner Cocks" and is the only member of Congress so nick named. Mr. Cocks wears a wide-brlmmed soft hat and squints his eyes as though the sun was constantly bothering him. He is not a speech-maker, but Is one of the busy members of Congress on the quiet. The recent agitation in favor of making Theodore Roosevelt Speaker of the House of Representatives in the next Congress met with a happy response from Mr. Cocks. He said he would be ready at any time to step out of Mr. Roosevelt's way If he wished to come to the lower House of Congress. As a matter of fact, it is not at all likely that Mr. Roosevelt would care- to supplant Mr. Cocks, who is a close personal friend of his. So popular is the New York farmer in the House that his. -colleagues would not care to see him go. Mrv Cocks, however, cannot re strain a smile when anybody mentions to him the possibility of the former Presi dent becoming Speaker of the House. He thinks It would be one of the best Jokes he could possibly perpetrate on his colleague. - As for Joseph G. Cannon, when he Is not engaged in statesmanship, he likes to turn his thoughts and actions to a farm he owns with his former colleague and present close friend", ex-Senator James A. Hemenway, of Indiana. This farm is located in Southern Indiana and - fit Is about the only "going" concern in which the Speaker takes an active inter est. In addition, about all the worldly goods the Speaker possesses is the result of well-considered purchases and sales in Indiana Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska farm lands. The Speaker takes great pride In his ability as a farmer. He was born and raised on a farm in North Carolina, and has never forgotten the rudiments of the game. Recently a group of "Arkansas farmers called upon him to get his sup port for a bill providing for the drainage of farm lands In that state. As the pros pect for the passage of the bill at this session was not any too good, the Speak er voluntarily undertook Uo tell tho Ar kansas farmers how the Illinois farmers had overcome a similar situation. The callers were almost overwhelmed at the technical knowledge of farm drainage displayed by the Speaker, and they de tained him for moro than an hour talk ing over farming in general. (Copyright. 1910. by K. J. Edwards.) Food Faddist Flabbergasted. John D. Rockefeller. Jr., was con gratulated In. his office recently on the fact that he, like the poet Maeterlinck and other famous men, has taken to the motorcycle. . - "And has motorcycling benefited your health?" his congratulator, a Journalist, ventured to ask.' . "I think It has," Mr. - Rockefeller re plied. "I won't ask you, though, to take note of my clear eye and good color, or I might find myself in the food faddist's fix. "A food faddist was lecturing to a large audience on the marvelous rults to be obtained from chewing soup, or eating nut butter, or something of that kind. He was not a very imposing per son physically, but, swelling out his chest, ho slapped thrice with his palm and cried: " 'Friends, two' years ago I was a walking skeleton. a haggard, miserable wreck. Now. what do you suppose brought about this great change In me?" "He paused to lot his words sink In, end a voice asked: " 'What change?' " Mistaken for a Queen. A Washington woman had to cut short her visit in Spain last Summer because she was mistaken for tho Dowager Queen. She had no idea she resembled that royal personage until, when alighting at a railroad station, she was greeted by offi cials with marked courtesy and atten tion. In fact, it was1 so apparent that she Inquired at the hotel why sucl at tentions were be6towed upon her, and was informed that it was because of her resemblance to the Queen. Going to Madrid a little later she was sur prised, wherever she appeared by the deference shown her by the people, as well as by a great many of the officials. This made her a little nervous, and she concluded that fa these days, when royal personages often are handed a bomb, ohe would cut short her visit to Spain and go where she did not resemble any royal person. Washington correspondence St. Louis Star. The Comet Flowrr. I ut, one time, a beauteous flo-war. Of red and whltft and blu The world has never Been nuch thins: Nor I. till then, have you? At night thle plant prefers to smile. And close lte cud by day; It sathera thiur tho cooling- dew Its thirst to Bid aw7- All In the desert sands It P rant Up Into life and strength: As I traversed the sere brown wmsts. Across its width and lenstli. I looked for soma oasis cool K tha lool There I descried the drowsy vine JJooklns for me io aouoi. I called my beaut at once to kneel And off I took my hat; As I stood by this hermit Queer I telt constrained to that: Red. white and blue. In stripes and bars. Its one broad petal bore. Fan-shaped, expanding; from tha stent Unknown in any lore. Republics would be glad to find A bloom of three such hues. All blended In one blossom quaint. Their National Flower to choose. The Queen of Holland would embrace With leaplnd heart the chance To plant Its roots on Holland-"- dike Where North Sea spirits dance. I that of my United States. Whose colors, three. I love. Than that of divers countries round Where these same float above. These colors are not ours alone; Thev flutter everywhere. From Democrat to Kins on throne. All love this triune fair. I rave it. then, this lofty name: The Universal Flag." My Arab stroked his beard, and said: 'It is a Comet Plant: "The Prophet told of this same thinj Six thousand years a gone; The desert shall he lost to It A hundred years to come." -Well, be It so." I then replied: "If It delights to roam The desert vast, the skies of night. And has no social home. "Tha Comet Flower It Is. in fact." We left It where naught mars In empty space its life to spend Beneath the distant stars. ST. MARTIN. Portland. Or. y