Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-01-11
THE CONGRESSMEN.
Who and What They Are as shown
by the New Congressional DIree-
fnFv
Washington Telegram.

Inc ne" SOuGfSSSlOndl directory Is
an interesting study. OF the 400
members of the new Congress, count
ing the House and Senate, nearly 200
are new men. Naturally there is a
curiosity TO see what they have to
say ofthemselves. The compiler of
the directory sends out notices to the
members of each new Congress ask
ing them to send him sketches of their
lives. their age, business. the offices
they have held, ETC. These autobiog
raphies, analysed, compared with
each other, and the statements which
they furnish aggree ated, furnish some
interesting data. Perhaps the feature
most likely to strike the average OBJ
server in looking over the long list is
the very large proportion of lawyers.
OF the 401 members of the House and
Senate 260 are lawyers. Perhaps it is
quite proper that the lawmakers of
the Nation should be students of the
law. That is the general impression,
and probably the correct one. Next
to the law the manufacturers seem to
be the most available Congressional
material There are about 40 manu-
tacturers in Congress. Some make
pottery, some iron, and some wood
nulp; journalism comes next in popu
lar favor, though the journalists in
both branches of Congress only reach
es about bakers dozen, or three per
cent. of the whole There are half a
dozen farmers, a couple of doctors,
three or four railroad men and one
druggist There are no preachers in
this Congress, though the preacher
element of last Congress seemed to
size up about as well as the average.
In the South the lawyers seem TO be
more popular as law makers than in
the North, if possible, scarcely any
members from that section represent
ing any other calling.
1t is rather curious, and fact not
especially pleasing to record, that but
one-third of the members enjoy that
requisite for accomplished law max
ers, collegiate education. Out of
the 401 members less than $50 are
graduates Of any college. A larger
proportion of the Southern members
are graduates than of the Northern
men. Of tue Southern members near
ly 40 per cent. are graduates, while in
the North, as an aggregate, the pro
portion is little over 80 per cent
Even boosted New England only
sends go per cent Of graduates, and
Massachusetts, but IS per cent, while
New York has 40 per cent. In the
Senate a little over 40 per cent. are
graduates.
While there are nearly 200 new
members, the aggregated Legislative
experience of even this Congress is
something quite wonderful when
taken in such form. There are many
members who have seen as high as ten
years in Congress, in one branch or
| the other, and few who have more
| than double that Randall is entering
upon his twenty-tirst year in the
House; Cox has had twenty-one years
there already, and Kelly twenty two.
In the Senate Anthony, Dawes and
Sherman boast tWenty-six years in
Congress apiece, part of each having
been in the House before going into
the Senate, while Morrill, leads with
twenty-eight years service The ag
gregate number of years in Congress
of members of the Senate is 57l, while
the aggregate service Of the House
members is ever 800 years, making {
total of Congressional experience il
House and Senate of nearly /, 400
years. Besides this fully half of the
members have served in State Legis
latures before coming to Congress
and their aggregate experience there
has been nearly 600 years. making
grand total of legislative experience
in both branches of Congress of 2, 00t
years. And yet we talk of this as
''new Congress, and one with littl,
Legislative experience to guide it,
1t is very easy and sounds very nice
too, to talk about the North remem
bering her soldiers, but the fact i
that, 50 far as Congress goes, th,
North does not remember her heroe
with anything like the affection tina
the South does. OF the Southern
members of the House, over 10 pc
| cent. were in the Confederate army
while among the Northern member
only % per cent were in the Union
army. In the Senate the difference il
still more notable, the percentage o
Southern Senators who were in tn,
Confederate army being over 60, anC
of the Northern members o2ly 33 pc
cent. were in the Union army. Fiv,
members will have reason to refrain
from voting if the bill to pension the
Mexican veterans comes up, fer tina
number were in the Mexican war
Williams of Kentucky, Logan of II
linois, Maxey of Texas, George of Mis-
sissippi, and Forney of Alabama
One Northern man, by birth, is in tn,
list of ex-Confederates-Van Eaton
of Mississippi. He was born in Ohio
and lived there, it appears, until aftel
he became of age; was educated there
went to Mississippi at the age of %
and when the war broke out, thirteel
years later, went into the Confederate
army, serving through the war OF
that side, as he puts it.
There are twenty-five men in thu
House who are over go years old, anC
three who are past 20, though Waite
of Connecticut, who is "A, is still the
oldest man. in the Senate, Morrill, il
the oldest man-73. The average o.
members of the House is 43 years
those from the South averaging 45 anC
from the north 81. The average age
of the members whLn first elected tc
| Congress was Al.
Arkansas sends full delegation OF
x-Confederatcs, and Alabama sends
all but two from the same army. 1t is
worth while noting that there are six
members of the Confederate Congress
in this Congress Dunn, Singleton and
Barksdale in the House, and Pugh,
Garland and Vest in the Senate. There
is also a member of the Confederate
Cabinet, Reagan. who was Postmaster
General. There are three or four who
were members of Congress of tbs
| United States when the war broke out,
who withdrew and went with the Con
federaey and are now back in their old
seats.
There are twenty four foreign-born
citizens in the House and Senate, some
fifteen of them being from Ireland, the
remainder representing nearly all
parts of the world, not emitting our
neighbors on the south, as one of the
new members is native of Brazil.
New York is the birthplace of 50 menu
hers of the House, Pennsylvania of 80,