The Osceola times., 1880-02-14
THE PERSONNEL OF CONGRESS
Who the Men Are Who Make I.
These United States.

Who the Men Are Who Make LAVA.
These United States.
Warrington Star.
It Is the lawyers, after all. who r,.
this glorious country Of ours. The Ssn'
ate consists Of seventy-six members sns
Of this number fifty-nine are practiSna
lawyers. OF the 293 members of ,bs
House Of Representatives 2l9 are law
yers. The President and Vice-pres;'
dent ofthe United States are lawvers
and nearly all the Government dena,.,
ments are headed and directed by tba
same profession. In the Senate. csno'
cially among the Senators themseyes
each member is gagged by his rank as .
lawyer. When the status Of an ineom.
ing Senator is under discussion the "a.
mark is frequently made: ale is A 6ns
lawyer, and will make a good SENATOR
Because the man is good lawyer the
supposition is that he must therefore he
first-class statesman. Why the people
of the United States give such preference
to the profession of law in selecting their
legislators and rulers is a problem that
cannot be answered. In the Senate
there is but one physician and in the
House there are but six. There are
among the Senator's eight business men
or merchants, one doctor, one editor.
two planters, two farmers, one banker,
one mine owner and one OF no profession
or business.
Senator Hamlin is the oldest member
of that body in years, and the oldest in
point of service, counting from the time
of his first election. Senator Anthony
has been longer in continuous service
than any other Senator. He first took
his seat in 1859, and has been regularly
reelected at the expiration of each term
ever since. Mr. Hamlin, who is now
| over seventy years of age, first took hi.
seat in lS4S, but he subsequently resign.
ed when elected Governor of Maine. liz
was, however, re elected to the Senate
Immediately after being inaugurated as
| Governor, and afterwards again resigned
| to become Vicc-President of the United
States. Mr.. Bruce, of Mississippi, is the
youngest Senator, not being yet thirty.
nine years Of age. Senator Edmunds, o.
| Vermont, is by many supposed to be the
oldest Senator, because OF his appearance
| but in fact there are but few who are
Younger than he. He is not yet fly.
| two wears of aye, but his hair and beard
are gray, and a STOPPING posture that he
assumes makes him appear much older
than he really is. Senators Edmunds
and Thurman are generally ranked as
the best lawyers in that body, and in
their political parties respectively they
are usually accepted as authority upon
questions of management or policy.
In past times, members Of Congress
who distinguished themselves by care,
full watching of appropriations have been
designated as "watch-dogs Of the treas
ury." Senator Edmunds might very ap
propriately be called the guardian Of leg
islation generally. As soon as a bill or
resolution that has been introduced
into either house is printed, Mr.
Edmunds procures copy and acquaints
himself with its provisions. He keeps
track Of every measure, no matter how
unimportant, and if there is defect in
il, or room for an objection, he will pre-.
sent 1t when the matter gets before the
Senate. He is an interchangeable worker
and student in the line OF his Legislative
duties, and has, by his vigilance in this
way, been Of incalculable service to the
country. Mr.. Thurman, too, is hard
worker. He is now chairman OF the Ju-
dietary Committee, to which is referred
very large proportion OF the Legislative
measures, and especially all Of those
which involve intricate questions Of
law.
Besi ides the 2l9 lawyers in the House
there are 20 merchants, 5 bankers,
capitalists, 2 inventors, manufcturerf
teachers, IL farmers, physicians,
architect, editors, . ministers, stone
cutter, insurance agent, two millen
and owners and operators of transpor
tation lines. The oldest member Of the
House is Mr.. Wait, of Connecticut, who
is sixty-nine years of age, and toe young
est member is Mr. Frost, of st. Louis,
who is twenty-eight years Of age. Fer
nando Wood has been longer member
OF the House than any Of his associates,
and, next in point of long service Is
Judge Kelly, of Pennsylvania. Mr.. Ste.
phens, of Georgia, is generally spoken Of
as being older than any other Hember
Of the present House, but Mr.. Wait has
about one year the advantage Of him IN
that respect.