Show t t tIA IA Washington Daybook k j By Dr RODNEY DUTCHER WASHINGTON Jan 15 15 ln In the eyes yes of ot a newcomer to congress who I Ihas has las spent a lifetime in city and state politics there isn't so much to the I national legislative body after all What do I think of ot it here V Why h congress impresses me as nothing more than an enlarged edition of a state legislature says Congressman Edward Hull HuH Crump of ot Memphis who vho recently came here after almost 20 0 years as the virtually undisputed political boss of that c city t and in recent recent re- re cent ent years a powerful iI influence luence Inthe in inbe inthe the be Tennessee legislature A uA few days after alter I arrived here I was listening to Representative McFadden Me- Me Mc-I Mc Fadden of ot Pennsylvania as ns he made his celebrated s speech in which he tore ore into President Hoover It Ital all aU sounded strangely familiar I closed my eyes and said to myself Where have I heard that before Then Tien it all came back to me Change the he locale and change the name of the man making the speech and it might have been made on the floor loor o of the Tennessee legislature during our fight to oust Governor Horton Congressman Crump probably will play playa a big hand though hand though a quiet hand handin in in the Democratic house when he finally gets settled Little Litile probably will be bc heard of him publicly though hough because despite because despite the fact that hat he is one of the keenest politicians poli poll Tennessee ever produced and was vas elected ejected mayor of Memphis three times times-he he never never made a speech in his life lite He has always believed in letting letting let- let ting ing others do the talking for him Already there is talk around the capitol that Boss Crumps Crump's reputation reputations as s a keen political strategist has hascen been cen recognized by Speaker Jack Garner and that Garner Crump and Boss Curry of ot Tammany are even evenow now ow on decidedly close terms terms and and with a lot of plans in store If It a areal areal real eal thoroughgoing Democratic machine mahine ma ma- chine hine is to be assembled in congress Crump will make his party parly an cx cx- political mechanic Tall erect white-haired white and apparently ap- ap near 60 60 the veteran Memphis Mem Mem- his boss hess makes an impressive and dignified figure on the floor loor of con con- gress fress He dresses in highly tailored light ight gray smiles smile affably shakes hands warmly and has all the appearances ap ap- of ot a man who can quickly win a confidence and in a few min min- utes ites convert an utter stranger into a bosom friend That apparently was the he secret of ot his success In Memphis where even when he wasn't actually serving crying his three terms as mayor or his four terms in the much more I lucrative fee job of or county treasurer both city and county administrations were at his beck and call Born on a n Mississippi farm Crump moved to Memphis in 1892 and began be be- I be-I gnu gan taking a hand in politics He was elected a delegate to the Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- Democratic cratic state conventions in 1902 1002 and 1904 1004 to the city's board of public works in n 1905 to to the police com mis-I mis in 1907 and to the office of or mayor in 1909 1911 and 1915 1015 Then followed his four terms as county treasurer but since that ended in 1924 he has still dominated local and state politics Probably few of the millions who have heard The Memphis Blues know that the composer of this song W. W C. C Handy a Memphis negro barber bar bar- her ber who turned musician dedicated his world famous tune tunc to Cr Crump mp and that Crumps Crump's name actually actually actually ac ac- ac- ac appeared in the original verse cf of the sheet music and the phonograph graph records record That was in the days when Crump was mayor Fame emerged for both As the I result of this song Hand Handy was as commissioned commissioned com corn by the Encyclopedia Britannica Britannica Bri- Bri to write its article on blues music And 1 Crump the hero thereof advanced steadily and successfully along a long political path that has now led him to congre con con- gre cress gress s. s |