The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-10

Nativity, Age and other Facts About ITS
Members

New Orleans Democrat
The Congressional directory of the Fifty
first congress is at last completed. and gives
us an interesting insight into the history
of its members. II is especially interest
ing just now, because so many of the
members are new men, the present con-
gress having more about whom very little
Is known than any of It's predecessors
The foreign element is evidently not as
obtrusive in politics "a some know moth
ings pretend, for while it contributes one
eleventh OF the entire population, only
twenty members. or One-twentieth OF con-
gress. are OF foreign birth. Four senator's
are from other lands-TAsco of Florida and
Jones Of Nevada, both born in England;
Beck Of kentucky in Scotland, and Nc
MILAN of Michigan in Canada From the
expressions of some people. the idea pre-
walls that the foreign influence is very
great here; yet, as viii be seen, neither
the large Irish American nor German
American population of this country has
q single representative on the floor of the
Senate.
Again, the Irish and German elements
have fewer members in the Heuse of Rep
resentatiyes than one would imagine.
There are four persons born In Germany.
four in Ireland. two in England. two in
Canada, two in Scotland and two in Sweden
and Norway, so that every important for
eign-born element that contributes TO the
population of the country is represented.
OF these foreign-born representatives, five
are from New York. three from Wisconsin
and three from New Jersey, the other
thirty-nine states contributing only six al
together.
Nine states have chosen for representa-
ives and senators only native born citi-
zens, Maine. New Hampshire. Rhode Is
land. Delaware, Maryland, Virginia. West
Virginia, North Carolina aud South Caro-
lima, all but two OF them among the origi-
nal thirteen colonies. Pennsylvania might
also be included in the list, for of its thirty
congressman all but one were born in
the state, and he (DalzelD has lived
there ever since he was two years old The
New Jersey delegation consists of three
natives, four congressman born in other
states and two abroad. Only four of the
Illinois members arc natives. Only three
from Michigan and one from Wisconsin.
West Of the Mississippi, Missouri and
Arkansas are the only states which have
natives in congress. Iowa, Minnesota, the
two Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado, Montana,
Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada
and Texas, send natives Of other states to
represent them. Congress consists of 2a6
members and senators representing states
where they were born. and Is4 carpet bag
gers" as it were. from other states and
countries. There are no less than fourteen
New Workers in the Senate, four OF the
eight senators from the new states being
from New York. The Empire state has
one-sixth of the Senate and and one-sev-
enth of the House
Ohio has six senators and thirty repre-
sentassyes, Pennsylvania four senator's and
forfy-three representatives. New York four
teen senators and fifty -four representatives,
or a total for these three states OF las, or
nearly half congress.
Seventy-seven congressman served in the
Confederate and eighty-seven in the Union
army. The Republican papers have been
wont 20 dwell Co the large number OF ex-
Confederates sent 10 congress by the
Southern states and pretend 10 see IN il
some hostility to the Federal government.
The slightest investigation into this matter
ought 70 show them why this Is.
In the late struggle nearly every white
man in the South bore arms, and there
we're practically no civilians. The conse-
quenee is that all the older representatives
from the former Confederate states are ex-
soldiers, the civil element being represent
ed by the younger men who were not old
enough 10 hear arms at that time.
The Fifty-Grst congress is a younger one
than its predecessors. Ii has two mem
heFs only - and sixteen under IS, some
thing very unusual, while only five are
over 10; Louisiana's delegation averages
bat little over 20 and Is the youngest the
state has ever sent 10 Washington This
Is true Of other states also. The present
congress Is a phenomenally young one,
fnll Of activity aud spirit; and the country
has the right 70 expect much from them.