Great Grandfather

"Er--Mr. Roberts, as a representative of the press, may I ask which part did you personally prefer in The Ten Commandments? I think . . ." The grey-mustachioed gentleman removed from his mouth a long, black stogy, glared at his inquisitor. "Who," said he, "do you think I am?" "Why, Theodore Roberts, the movie actor," gasped the reporter. "You are mistaken, sir! My name is Cummins." Last week great grandfather Albert Baird Cummins, Senator from Iowa, for nearly two decades one of the greatest influences in the governance of the U. S. was stricken with heart disease, died suddenly. Theodore Roberts, merely a grandfather, went on living, acting. On Feb. 15, 1850, a man-child was born in Carmichaels, Pa. Waynesburg College taught him law, Iowa made him an insurgent Republican and thrice elected him governor. In 1908 when the "Iowa idea" for flexible tariff legislation was rampant, Albert B. Cummins strode into the U. S. Senate along with many another radical. This Senator from Iowa was no radical at heart, no Smith Wildman Brookhart, no Magnus ("Magnavox") Johnson. He soon was known for what he was--efficient, profoundly informed, hard-working legislator, Chairman of the Senate Interstate Commerce Committee, co-author of Esch-Cummins Transportation Act, later Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. This year he has been conspicuous as staunch backer of the Coolidge Administration on every issue except farm relief. But Iowa perhaps prefers radicals. Mr. Cummins was growing old and peaceful, so Smith Wildman Brookhart was chosen to succeed him as Republican Senatorial candidate this year. A faint flicker of the joys of old age must have come to Senator Cummins when he read the news of his defeat, eyes were strained from studying long documents, his face was lined, his hair was white; he was 76--but now he would retire to the quiet home of his two spinster sisters, sleep long and sound, muse over his glorious days, write his autobiography. One evening last week he dined with a Des Moines banker, told him with unaccustomed zeal of the vivid political scenes which would appear in his book.