The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-07-13
Senator's and Congressmen.

There are seventy-six members of the
United States Senate, fifty-nine of whom
are practicing lawyers. OF the 293 men,
bers of the House of Representatives
219 are lawyers The President and
Vice-President of the United States are
both lawyers, and nearly all the govern
ment departments, from highest to
lowest, are headed and directed by the
same profession. In the Senate, es-
pecially among Senators themselves,
each members ability is guaged by his
rank as q lawyer. When the status Of
an incoming Senator is under discussion
the remark is frequently heard: "He
is fine lawyer, and will make good
Senator" the general supposition being
that because a man is a legal light he
must, therefore, be "trimmed and
burning" for a first-class statesman
Why the people of this model republic
give such marked preference to the one
particular profession in selecting their
Legislators and rulers is conundrum
not yet satisfactorily answered--unless
it is because persons bred to the law
naturally become expert wire-pullers,
and know how to help themselves.
In the present Senate there is but one
physician; in the House only four. To
bring the Senate down to q fine point,
statistically, there are in that august
body eight merchants, two planters, two
farmers, one banker, one mine operator,
one editor, one doctor, one with no busi-
ness whatever, and all the rest are limbs
of the law.
Senator Hamlin is the oldest member
of the Senate, both as to years and in
point of service, counting from his first
election. Senator Anthony has been
longer in continuous service than any
other. He first took his seat in 1859,
and has been regularly reelected at the
end of each term. Mr.. Hamlin, who is
now about seventy one years of age, first
came into the Senate in 194S, but he
subsequently resigned when elected
governor of Maine. He was, however,
reelected to the Senate Immediately
after being inaugurated as governor
and afterwsrd again resigned to become
Vice President of the United States
Blanche r. Bruce, of Mississippi, whose
time has Just expired, was the youngest
Senator, being yet under forty. He wal
the last of his race in Congress, but is
consoled by having been called to the
present administration as register ot
the treasury.
Senator Edmunds, of Vermont, is by
many supposed to be the oldest Senator
by reason of his appearance, but in fact
there are but few younger than he. he
is not yet fifty two, but his STOPPING
posture and his hair and beard of sill.
very whiteness, make him look mucl
older than he is. Senator Thurman, sc
lately deposed, was ranked with Ed
munds as the best lawyer in the body
polite, and in their respective parties
are usually accepted as authority upor
questions of management and policy.
Besides the 219 lawyers in the house
there are twenty-five merchants, five
bankers, five capitalists, two inventors
five manufacturers, two teachers, twelve
farmers, four physicians, one architec
and builder, four editors, two ministers
one stone-cutter, one insurance agent
two millers and three owners and opera
tors of transportation lines. It will b,
seen by this showing that the pulpit i
more scantily represented than tn,
press, for the reason, no doubt, tina
editors are too poor and ministers toe
pious to meddle much in politics.
The oldest member of the House i
Mr.. Waite, of Connecticut, sevent,
years of age, and the youngest is Mr.
Frost, of st. Louis, who is twenty
eight. The late Fernando Wood was
member of the House longer than an,
of his associates, and the next in poin
of lengthy service is Judge Kelley, o
Pennsylvania. Alexander Stephens, o
Georgia, (ex-vice president of the Con
federacy) is generally spoken of as tn
eldest member, but Mr.. Waite wa
ushered into this vale of tears about on
year ahead of him.-Melo York Nacs.