The Russellville Democrat., 1888-04-19
THE ARKANSAS DELEGA-
TION.
One OF the Best In Either House
House of Congress.


CATION is composed OF young men,
so far as political life goes. The
oldest member, Mr.. Peel, who, unus
ual as 1t is, is the senior of both
senators, is only 90 years of age,
while the youngest, Mr.. McRae, who
is one of the young fellows of the
house, is barely SO years old. The
average for the whole Arkansas rep
resentation is but as years; so it
can be seen that we are represented
in public life. by comparatively
young men. Our own immediate
representative, Mr.. Rogers, is AZ
years old.
Every member from Arkansas,
with the exception of Mr.. McRae,
who was only 9 years old when the
war broke out, served in the confed
crate army, and TO our senior sena
tor, Hon. James X. Jones, belongs
the great distinction of being almost
the only private soldier who survived
the struggle. At least he proudly
affirms in his official history that he
was only "a private soldier on the
losing side" and it has often occur
red to your correspondent that he
must feel awfully lonesome in these
days when almost everybody is at
lowest a"colonel." Mr.. Jones is also
one of the few men in public station
who began a professional career
comparatively late in life, as he was
"a years of age when he enterered
upon the practice of law. 1t is
hardly worth while to say that upon
the principle of better late than
never" he has attained emlnence in
his profession, and for the benefit Of
others, it can be added that another
eminent lawyer, perhaps the ablest
on the supreme court bench, Mr..
Justice Miller, of Iowa, commenced
the law at the same age of "a. An
other member OF the delegation, Mr..
Dunn, was 80 years old when he
sought fame through the courts, and
Mr.. Peel was also well up in the thir-
ties before he began as lawyer. The
only member from Arkansas who is
not of the legal fraternity 10 Mr.
Breckenridge, who as is we'll known
stuck to the time honored southern
occupation of planter.
Reading the record of the lives of
the Arkansas delegation one becom-
es impressed with the fact that each
man worked out his own destiny, in
other words is self msde, and has Sc
cured influence and position without
the aid Of any advantageous circum
stances. Owing to the war they be-
gan actual life somewhat late in
years, with few exceptions, but 1T is
unnecessary to say that they have
faithfully made up for lost time and
of the sins to be laid at their door,
one at least, is not wasted opportu-
mites. No delegation in the CON
gress presents the same condition OF
set of men relatively young in
years but late in entrance upon pro-
fessional life who have quickly
worked their way up to eminence
and position.
Only two OF our members are col
Iege graduates, Messrs. Dunn and
Rogers, while but one, Mr.. McRse,
received thorough commercial edu
cation, unless Mr. Breckenridge could
be added, who received his training
in the practical school OF com merce.
One, Mr.. Jones, got classical edu-
cation, and all the rest came up from
common schools. OF them all Sena
tor Berry seems to have had the
least opportunities in early life, as
he was only able through the in.
structIon Of others To gain a"gmiteqq
education" Such men though as
Lincoln, not TO mention other or IL
lustrious examples, came forth from
the same limited opportunities and
have left indelibie suppression on the
pages of history.
Three of our representatives fail
ed to secure legislative training in
the state legislature before entering
the national eogncil-Brecklnridge,
Rogers and Peel. and two, Senator
Berry and Mr.. Rogers, have served
on the bench as judges.
when compared with the repre-
sentations from other states, Arkan-
sas fully holds hes ewI. In special
lied vocations there are men OF
greater fame such as Evarts as a
lager, ingalls, as debater, Randall
as a political and parliamentary tao
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