The Mineral argus., 1884-01-31
THE GONGRESSMEN.
Who and What They Are, as Shown
by the New Congressional Direc-
rorw

nLOT0stlug STUDY vi the 4OU memDerE
of the new congress, counting both
House an Senate, nearly 200 are new
men. Naturally there is a curiosity to
see what they have to say of themselves.
The compiler of the directory sends out
notices to the members of each new
congress asking them to send him
sketches of their lives, their age, bus
mess, the offices they have held, etc.
These photographers, analysed, COM
pared with each other, and the state
ments they furnish aggregated, furnish
some interesting data. Perhaps the
feature most likely to strike the average
observer in looking over the long list is
the very large proportion of lawyers.
OF the 4C1 members OF house and senate
$50 Are lawyers. Perhaps it is quite
the nations should be the students
Of the law. That is the
general impression, and probably the
correct one. Next to the law the manu-
facturers seem to be the most available
congressional material. There are about
forty "manufacturers' in congress. Some
make pottery, some iron, some wood
pulp; journalism m next in popular
:ayor, though the number of journalists
IN both branches of congress only reach
- about a bakers dozen, or 3 per cent.
Of the whole. There are half a dozen
armers, 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 we'll
rs the average. In the south the law
yers seem TO be more popular as law
mixers than in the north, If possible,
scarcely any of the members from that
section representing any other calling.
1t IS rather curious, an a fact not es-
pecl9lly pleasing to record, that but one
third of the members enjoy that requis-
tie for accomplished law makers, a col
legiate education. Out of the Adj mem
bers less than l5J are graduates of any
college. A larger portion of the south
ern members are gr ,duates than the
northern men. OF the southern mem
bers nearly 40 per cent. are graduates,
while in tile north as an aggregate, the
proportion is little over 30 per cent.
Even boasted New England only sends
Sd per cent OF graduates, and Massa-
chusset's but 5S per cent, while New
York has Al per cent. In the senate a
little over A percent are graduates.
While there are nearly 200 new mem
bers, the aggregate legislative expert
ence OF even this congress is something
gu te wonderful when taken in such
form. There are many men who have
seen as nigh as ten years in congress, in
n branch orthe other, and a few who
have more than doubled that. Randall
is entering upon his twenty
first year In the house; Cox
has had tW~enty-one years there al
ready and Kelley twenty two. In the
senate Anthony, Dawes and Sherman
boast twenty-six years in congress
apiece, part of each having beel an the
house. before going into the senate,
while Morris leads with twenty Ell Int
years service. The aggregate number
of years in congress of members oil the
senate Is 2Ll, while the aggregate service
of the house members is over 800 years,
making a total of congressional expert
in house and senate of yearly l,400
years. Besides this fully half of the
members have served in state ~legisla-
lures before coming to congress, and
their aggregate experience there has
been nearly 600 years, making a grand
total of legisl ltive experience in both
branches of congress of 2 600 years. And
yet we talk of this as q new congress-"
and one with little legislative expert
ence to guide it.
1t is very easy and sounds very nice,
too, to talk about the North remember
ing her soldiers, but the fact is that, so
tar as congress goes, the north does not
re member her heroes with anything
like the affection that the south does,
Or the southern members of the house,
40 per CEN were in the confedeT-
ate army, while among the north ern
members only % per cent. we're in the
Union army. In the senate the differ
is still more notable, the percent
lge OF southern senators who were in
be confederate army being over 60, and
the northern members only 80 per
;ent. were in the Union army. Five
members will have reason to refrain
voting if the bill to pension the
Mexlcln veterans comes up, for that
ser we're in the Mex lean war-Wil-
of Kentucky, Logan OF Illinois,
laxey OF Texas. George of Mississippi
md Forney of Alabama. One northern
by birth, is in tie list of ex-CDn-
edera e5-Nan Eaton, or MIssIssIpDI.
lie was born in Ohio, and lived there,
appears, until after he became of age;
vas educated there, went TO MississipDI
It the age of %. aud when the war broke
thirteen years later, went into the
confederate army, serving Through the
var on that side" as ne puts it.
I1ere are twenty men in the house
Who are over 80 years old, and three
Vho are past 40, though Waite, of Con.
Iecticut, who is "A, is still the oldest
Lar ] the senate, Morrill, is the old.
st man-73 The average of members
f the house is 43 years, those from
he south avera ing As and from the
.orth 81. The averag- OF the members,
1hen first elected 10 congress was Al.
Arkansas sends a full delegation of