National Affairs: Earnest Willie

Gentlemen visiting the House of Representatives' Chamber in the Capitol often used to point out a striking, little cripple on crutches, his hair awry, his lips compressed. Obviously, he wanted to talk. Gentlemen would turn to their guide, say curiously, "Who is that man?" And their guide, if well informed, would perhaps answer thus: "Well, he has a name—William David Upshaw—but is commonly known as 'Earnest Willie.' He comes from the Bible-loving, liquor-hating region of Georgia, and like most cripples who do not become incurably bitter, he is an incurable romantic. When he...