The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-02
IN COMMON SCHOOLS.
FEW MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE
COLLEGE TRAINED MEN.
Some of Them Have Known More of the
School of Adversely Than Of Any Acad-
envy, but They Are Not by Amy Means
uliterate.
Especial Correspondence.1

1
still remarkable fact that fully one-third
of the members of the new house of repre-
sentatives had no education save that af
forded by the common schools, and that
which they were able to acquire by their
own unassisted efforts while afterward en-
gagged in earning livelihood I defy any
one to analyZe the new house of represen-
tatiyes, with the educational qualifications
of its members in view, without becoming
| impressed by the manner in which our
successful men fight their way through
the difficulties of poverty and over the
obstacles Of humble surroundings to de-
gree of culture which in one way or an
other answers to the phrase, IAN educa-
tom
1t is commonly supposed that there are
many illiterate men in congressman who
cannot do much more than write their own
names, and whose photography and gram
mar are things fearful and wonderful to
behold. 1t is true that there are many men
whose schooling was limited, and not a
few who were solely self educated, but If
there is an illiterate man in congress l do
not know him, and to a greater or less ex-
tent know all the members. Only a small
number, perhaps one-fourth, of the mem
bers of the house graduated from well
known colleges or universities.
Nearly all of the New Englanders are
college men. Ex-Speaker Reed graduated
at BOwdo-n thirty-one years ago; Nelson
Dingley graduated at Dartmouth, and Seth
Miliken at Union college, New York
Boutelle got no higher than Yarmouth
academy. Mckinney and Daniels, of New
Hampshire were both common school grad
yates. Judgc Powers, of Vermont, gradu-
;.ted from the University of Vermont, while
his colleague, Mr.. Grout, received an AGA
demic education and special training in tbs
law at Poughkeepsie Law school Sher-
man Hoar, of Massachusetts,, represents
Harvard college in congress, and of course
is graduate Of that university, as well as
Of Phillips Exeter academy and the Har-
ward Law school.
John f. Andrew is also Harvard gradu-
ate and received the degree of Ii. B. from
Harvard Law school, as did his colleague,
Cabot Lodge. Cogswell and Mr.. Stevens
both went through Phillips academy, An.
dover, and graduated from Dartmouth.
George Fred Williams, who is sometimes
called the Dude Congressman" from Mas
sachusetts, graduated from Dedham high
school in 1868, from Dartmouth college in
1872, and later took extensive courses at
the universities of Heidelberg and Berlin.
Mr.. Randall of this delegation had an edu-
cation y hich was merely academic, while
Messrs. Morse, ONeill, Coolidge and Cros-
by were common school graduates. All but
one of the four representatives from Con-
necticut, as became sons of the Nutmeg
State, graduated from Yale, and the fourth
one, Mr.. Sperry, was a graduate of Am
herst. Mr.. Lapham, of Rhode Island, grad
uated from Brown university, while his
colleague, Mr.. Page, had the advantage of
no other education than that derived from
winter attendance at public schools.
Among the other college men are Clarke,
Herbert, Cobb and Forney Of Alabama
Little General Wheeler, of that state, is
the only West Point graduate now in con-
gress Four of the five Arkansas members
were collegiates. OF the six Californians
in this house only one, Mr.. Caminetti,
graduated from a college. Speaker Crisp
never had the advantages of a college
training, his only education being in the
common schools of Savannah and Macon
1t is a somewhat remarkable fact that
nearly all of the farmer congressman from
Mr.. Crisp's state Of Georgia enjoyed better
educational advantages than the new
speaker. Mr.. Moses, Mr.. Everett and Mr.
Lawson graduated from Mercer university,
and Mr.. VIM finished his studies at a
college in Virginia. Thomas Watson, an
other farmer statesman from Georgia, was
sent to Mercer university by his parents,
but was compelled to leave at the end of
the sophomore year on account of lack of
funds.
For a western state Illinois sends dele
cation of very fair educational acquire
ments, nine of the twenty congressman be-
ing college graduates These are Durbor
row of Chicago, Hopkins, Hit, Post, Gable,
Wike, Springer Williams and Smith. The
remaining eight learned what they could
in the common schools, excepting Mr..
Snow, who never attended school at all
Mr.. Shows case was somewhat unusual
He worked as a farm hand until he was
nearly twenty-One, meanwhile educating
himself by study at night, taught school
for several years, studied law, was admit
ted to the bar and is good Latin, Greek
and French scholar.
The Indiana delegation of thirteen mem
bers shows only six collegians-Messrs
Holman, Cooper, Parrett, Bynun, Brook
shire and Patton. Four of the eleven mem
bers from Iowa had the advantage of col
lege training-Seerley, Henderson, Hull
and Dolliver.
The farmer delegation of Kansas shows
educational qualifications somewhat sur
prising. Mr.. Funston graduated from the
new Carlisle academy and the Marietta
college; Mr.. Clover, the handsome agricuE
turist from the Third district, was accord.
ing to his biography in The Congressional
Directory, thoroughly educated, for he IRE
ceived his education in the common schools
of his native state and the school of expert
ence;" Mr.. Otis, of Topeka, whoisa farmer
and who looks like one, took an academic
course at Burr seminary, Vermont, and
afterward attended Williams college and
Harvard law school; John Davis. who looks
like John Brown, and who has been
farmer for forty years, graduated from the
Illinois college at Jacksonville forty-one
years ago. Mr.. Baker, another Farmers
Alliance member from Kansas, is not only
a farmer and stock raiser, but lawyer and
teacher, and is a college graduate. Jerry
Simpson alone of the Kansas farmers may
be said to be uneducated- When lad Of
fourteen Jerry ran away from home to be
come a sailor and for twenty-three years
was seamsn, a mate or captain. He Is
self educated.
Only one OF the Kentucky members OF
congress, Ex-Governor McCreary, received
classical education. lie graduated at
the age of eighteen at Center college, Ken
lucky, and soon afterward from the law
department of Cumberland university,
Tennessee, at the head of class Of forty
seven Mr.. Wilson OF that delegation
graduated from Tusculum college, Tennes-
see, Mr. Montgomery, from Georgetown
cojlar,a NJ Rra1h-irr-iser,N