Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-06-06
THE STATES IN CONGRESS
ROBERT GRAVES WRITES OF THEIR
RELATIVE STANDING.

The Great West Has "the Pull as I
Shown by the Places Accorded Its Rep
resentatives in the Important Com
mittees of the House.
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, May ga man sat next II
sme in the gallery of the house. Where Il
the New York delegationt' he asked
Estate lines are obliterated here / said tt
the inquirer, Gin SO far as the arrangement
of seats is concerned"
(Which one of the states has here tn.
most Influential, delegation2" asked th<
VISITOR
This was a question which could not hs
satisfactorily answered at a moments ne
tice.| But when l haxarded a guess my in
quisitive acquaintance promptly asked The
name of the leader Of that delegation
Again I ventured an opinion.
"And now" said he, ~ have heard that
the legislation of the house is really in the
handsG9 two or three dozen men. Who are
theyf"
my ftiend,"I replied, "you are Of an
inquiripg turn Of mind I see. But you
wantto know more than can be told up
here in the gallery, where the rules forbid
conversation. Give me your address and
I'll mail you a reply in full"
This was no easy task which I had vol
UNFAIRLY assumed. But as soon as l had
set about it I was impressed by the re-
markable influence welded by the newer
America, the great west, in the affairs of
state. There is no better criterion of a
congressman's Importance than the com
mittees to which he has been assigned, the
committee chairmanships which he holds.
There are in the house sixty committees,
standing and select. Thirty of these are
1~mportant-the big hoppers into which the
grists of legislation must first go for the
grinding. The chairmen of these thirty
committees, with the speaker and a few
others, are masters of the situation. No
fewer thar twenty of the thirty chairmen
OF important committees are from the
west, counting Ohio as a western state.
Illinois leads with five chairmanships,
Ohio. Kansas, Iowa and Michigan having
three each, and Nebraska, Missouri and
Montana one each. 1t is a little remark
able that the only New England state
which has an important standing chair
manship is Maine, which has also the
speaker. New York has four chairman
ships in the list of thirty, but not one of
them is of prime Importance. OF the three
chalrmanships held by Pennsylvania only
one is Of first rank.
There are seventeen committees through
whose hands pass four-hfths of the i'm.
portant legislation. These are elections.
ways and means, appropriations, judiciary,
banking and currency, coinage, weights
and measures, rivers and harbors, agri-
culture, foreign affairs, military affairs,
naval affairs, postotice and post roads,
public lands, territories, public buildings
and grounds, patents, and invalid pensions.
only three of these potential chairman
ships are held by eastern men.
On this showing Illinois is clearly the
most important delegation on the floor of
the house. Its representatives preside over
i've of these great committees. No other
state has such a firm hold upon the bust
ness OF the house. The leader of the Hi
nois delegation is unquestionably Joe Can
non,
y as member of the committee on rules
ne helps control all the business of the
house, and as chairman of the committee
on appropriations he holds the key to the
national cash drawer, and holds it vigi-
lantly and with full appreciation Of his re-
sponsibility: Capt. Rowe1l, chairman Of
the committee on elections, sits in judy
ment on questions of highest privilege
the right Of members to their seats. Gen.
Henderson, as chairman of rivers and har-
lar appropriation bills. Judge Payson,
one Of the strong men of the house, and a
possible senator from bis state, presides
over a Committee which for many years to
come will be of prime importance-public
lands. The courtly and able Robert Hit,
Secretary B%llaine's friend, is chairman Of
the committee on foreign affairs.
These five men are among the ablest and
most influential in the house, else they
could not hold such places. But they are,
by no means the only important men Of
this delegation. Mr.. Springer is q leader
on the Democratic side, and n of the vet
Grams of the house. Mason, of Chicago, is
recognized as one of the best orators and
brightest wits. Adams, of the same city,
is a polished debater and a man of great
information and usefulness.
The next most influential state delega-
ton is that from Ohio. The Buckeye State
in William Mckinley, Jr., the Napoleon of
protection, is master of the greatest COM
mittee of the house-ways and means. OF
course Mckinley is the leader of the dele
cation. He was its candidate for speaker,
he is a member Of the committee on rules,
he is a possible Republican candidate for
the presidency, and he is the recognized
Republican leader on the floor. Ben But
terworth, bright and genial, orator and wit,
is chairman of the great committee on
patents.
Ezra B. Taylor, the successor of Garfield,
presides over the committee on judiciary.
The Ohio delegation is a very strong one.
Besides these thres it has Gen. Grosvenor,
who is not excelled as a debater; Gen. Ken
nedy, n of the fighters of the war and of
the commons; Judge Thompson, a popular
and influential man; Judge Caldwell, a
hard worker and rising statesman; Judge
Seney, who was chairman of an important
committee under Democratic rule, and Mr..
Cultivate, a ready debater and close stu.
dent, who always commands attention
when he takes the floor.
The third strongest delegation is that
from Iowa.. Gen. Henderson, the one
legged soldier and orator, is its leader. He
is chairman Of the committee on militia.
Side by side with Henderson stands Gov.
ernor Gear, member Of the ways and means
a plain, earnest, Industrious statesman,
and the best authority in congress on the
sugar question. Mr.. Conger is chairman
of the very important committee on coin.
age, weights and measures. Judge Reed,
q npu nan,har haa alrao1v tobop ropL or