Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-15
The Personnel OF Congress.

VINO THE MEN ARE WHO MAKE LAWS FOR
THESE UNITED STATES.
From the Washington Evening Star, January3
1t is the lawyers, after all, who rule
this glorious country OF ours. The Sen.
ate OF the United States consists of 7G
members, and of this number 50 are
practising lawyers. Of the 293 mem.
bers of the House of Representatives
PIG are lawyers. The President and
Vice President of the United States are
lawyers, and nearly all the Government
department are headed aud directed
by the same profession. In the Senate,
| especially among the Senators them.
selves, each members ability is gauged
by his rank as lawyer. When the
status Of an incoming Senator is under
discussion the remark is very frequent
ly made: :" lie is u fine lawyer and will
! make a good Senator" Because the
man is a good lawyer, the supposition
with Senators is that he must therefore
be a first class statesman. Why the
people OF the United States give such
preference 10 the profession of the law
in selecting their Legislators and rulers
is problem that cannot be answered.
In the Senate there is only physician,
and in the House there are but 6.
There are among the Senators ( bust.
ness men or merchants, doctor, | ed.
itor, > planters, 2 farmers. banker,
mine owner aud operator, and of no
profession or business.
Senator Iamlin 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. lie first took
his seat in 1859, and has been regularly
re. elected at the expiration of each
tern ever since. Mr.. lIamlin, who il
now over seventy years of age, first took
his seat in ls4S, but he subsequently re.
signed when elected Governor of Maine.
lie was, however, re- elected to the Sen.
ate Immediately after being inauguratcd
IA Governor, and afterwards again re.
signed to become Vice. President OF the
United States. Mr.. Bruce, of Mississip.
pi, is the youngest Senator, not being
yet thirty.nine years OF age. Senator
Edmunds, OF Vermont. is by many sup.
posed TO be the oldest Senator because
Of his appearance, but in fact there are
but few who are younger than he. lie
is not yet ffty.two years of age, but bis
hair and beard are gray, and STOPPING
posture that he assumes makes him ap-
pear much older than he really is.
Senators kdmunds and Thurman are
generally ranked as the best lawyers
in that body, and in their political par.
ties respectively they are usually &C.
cepted as authority upon questions of
management or policy.
In past times members of Congress
who distinguished themselves by care
ful watching OF appropriations have
been designated as "watch. dogs of the
Treasury" Senator Edmunds might
very appropriately he called the guard.
ian OF legislation generally, IA soon
as a bill or resolution that has been ia.
troduced in either House is printed
Mr.. Edmunds procures copy and ao.
quaints himself with its provisions. lie
keeps track OF every measure, no mat
ter how unimportant, and il there is
defect in IL or room for an objection he
will present it when the matter gets
before the Senate. He is an indefati.
gable worker and student in the line Of
his legislative duties and has by his
vigilance in this way been of incaloula.
BILE service to the country. Mr.. Thur.
man too is hard worker. lie is now
Chairman of the committee Judiciary
to which is referred q very large pro.
portion of the legislative measures and
especially all those which involve ques.
tions OF law.
Besides the 2l0 lawyers in the House
there are 25 merchants, bankers, ;
capitalists, inventors, 8 manufacturers.
2 teachers, IL farmers, physicians, |
architect and builder, editors, . min.
isters, ] stone cutter, insurance agent,
2 millers, and owners and operators
Of transportation lines. The sldest
member OF the House il Mr.. Wait, of
Connecticut, who is sixty nine years of
age, aud the youngest member il Mr..
Frost, of st. Louis, who Is twenty eight
years OF age. Fernando Wood has been
longer q member of the House than
any of his associates, and next in point
Of long service Is Judge Kelley, of
Pennsy lvania. Mr.. Stephens, of deor.
eia. is generally spoken of as being
older than any other member OF the
present House. but Mr.. Wait has about
one year the advantage of him in that
respect.