, 1889-03-06

Special Correspondencel
WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.-In a few DAYS
the semi-centennial congress of the
Unites States will come to an end after
fourteen months of work. at the close
of every congress a large number of.
statesmen retire from public to private
life, a few of them to reappear when the
conditions shall prove moro favorable to
their personal ambitions, but the great
majority to pass the remainder of their
days in comparative obscurity. On
March 4 not a larger number than usual
retire from the halls of congress, to be
replaced by other men from their states
or districts. 1t is noteworthy that SO
few of the disappearing statesmen are
senators. So far as Is definitely known
only five senators are to retire-Bowen
Of Colorado, Palmer Of Michigan, Sabin
of Minnesota, Salisbury of Delaware,
and Riddleberger of Virginia-thoughit
Is possible Chandler of New Hampshire
and Kenna of West Virginia will fail
of reelection. In the list not one great
historic name appears, unless it be that
of old Uncle Eli Salisbury. The remain
ing four outgoing senators are single
term men, having taken seats in the SEN
ate six years ago. Palmer did not care
to remain longer in the senate, Sabin and
Bowen were defeated for denomination,
while Riddleberger has entirely lost his
grip upon the politics of Virginia. Sauls-
bury, on the other hand, has been in the
senat eighteen years, and before his adj
vent the seat was for many years
occupied by his brother Willard.
After March 4 tho state of Delaware
will not be represented in congress
by either a Bayard or q Salisbury,
the first time such a thing has happened
for nearly half a century. There have
been two Saulsburys and -four Bayards in
the senate from Delaware, the latter occu-
pying one seat for fifty years. The re-
firing senator is nearly 70 years old, and
one of the qLaintest old figures in con-
gress. Considerably more than six feet
tall, he is very thin, and time has bent
the top of his figure till he greatly re
sembles a shepherds crook. 1t is a habit
of his to pace up and down in the rear
of the senatorial chairs with his head
nearly upon his breast and his long arms
half interlocked upon his back. lie is
an old fashioned man, very obstinate,
and his under lip protrudes like that of
n bull dog, giving his face an expression
of r~esoluteness and determination that
is not often met with.
-"
Bowen is n man whose career las been
full of vicissitudes and surprises, and he
has such n remarkable facility for shift
ing his base and bobbing up serenely
from below that he may be expected to
come back to congress from Oklahoma
or Alaska, or Utmost any place.
Palmer likes his ease and his stock
farm too well to remain in public life,
and Sabin will devote his attention to
manufacturing. Nobody knows what
will become of Riddleberger.
as
Another noteworthy fact is the small
number of members of congress from
the south who nave found it necessary to
retire to private life at the end of this
term. There is a belief that the people
of the south secure the services of ADLER
representatives than tho north for the
simple reason that in the southern states
men are generally chosen to go to con
gross on the score of ability alone, wealth
having less influence there than in other
sections of the country. 1t appears that
when the people Of the south get an able
and honest man in the house they de
light in keeping him there, and thus en-
abling him to grow stronger and more
influential as session after session adds
to his experience and prestige.
Certainly this theory is borne out by
the figures which the close of this con-
gress brings before us. OF the 10 senators,
OnE a-..,..t-t.-a. - o 1.Ia-.4. l..
the present congress, 400 in all, a little
more than ~one-fourth, or 11S, retire after
March 4. OF these 11S disappearing
statesmen only 80 are from the states
commonly classed as of the south, and
Of these 80 precisely t~wo-thirds, or Fl,
hail from tho border states" of Della
ware, Maryland, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia, kentucky, Tennessee and Mis-
souri,, leaving but a dozen changes in
the delegations from tho south proper
the two Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Ala
bama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and
Arkansas-or an average of but n little
more than one change to each state.
-Four of these dozen changes are in North
Carolina. South Carolina continues her
whole representation, Florida makes but
one change, only II new face will APP
pear in the great delegation from Geor-
gia, Alabama sends two new men, Louis
lana two, Arkansas but one, and every
one of the thirteen senators and repre-
sentatives from Texas retains his seat.
~
Political ambitions and rivalries must
DO keencr in the north, for hero the
changes arc surprisingly numerous. Fiji
teen new men will sit in the next house
from New York, where only five men out
of t%hirty-four have remained moro than
two terms. Moro than one-half of the
new delegation from Pennsylvania, or
fourteen out of twenty-seven, will be"
amateur statesmen. OF Massachusetts,
nine representatives in the present house
only three are returned. New IIamp-
shire makes n complete change. Only
one of the present members from Con
necticut is reelected. Four of seven
from New Jersey do not return. Illinois
sends six new men, Iowa five, Michigan
four and Minnesota retains but one of
her five present congressman.
The northern states which make no
,b,pro- Il, roprnc,pt,ti ,p ~ NI,;n,