The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-12-08
IN THE LOWER HOUSE.
AN INTERESTING STUDY OF
ITS PERSONNEL.

AN INTERESTING STUDY OF
ITS PERSONNEL.
How 1t Compares with Its Predecessor
In Numbers and Talent the Republicans
Gain While tho Democrats Lose - Old
Members Returned.
From the Capital.
Washington correspondence:
The lower house of the Fi.ty-th:rd
Congress will have decided Democra-
tic ma sority. yet the Republicans by the
recent election gained more than they
lost in numbers and talent, while the
Democrats lost many old and experience
Q ! members. In the House OF Repre-
sentatives OF the Fifty-seconl Congress
there are 235 Democrats, 80 Rcpubli-
cans and Farmers Alliance men,
making a total Of 3 q mem ers. In the
Fiftythird Congress the total member
ehip will be 1856, q gain OF u under tho
rapport onment of the new census. IL
is imT Tossible yet to safe definitely the
relative strength OF each party in the
House, because in many districts the
Official count will he necessary to de-
termine accurately the result. From
the returns already received, however.
It is evident that the Democrats will
have in round numbers 22O members.
the Republicans -, AMI the Populists
and Independents the remaining 6.
With such working ma ..ority as this
the Democrats will tic able to enact any
legislation they choose on the tariff or
| any other question:; and rs the Sena'e
will also have a Democratic majority,
the party will be ntrely responsible
| for whatever legislation is sent to Pres
| ident Cleveland for his S gnature.
A study OF the personnel of the newly
| elected House shows that remarkably
| few changes have been made in its
membership. considering the fact tat
| the Representatives were voted for at n
Presidential! election, when men cf both
| parties are naturally more anxious for
nominations than in so-called off years.
i There have baen pmpa.a.ively few
men of conspi, uous ability or striking
| personality in the lower house during
| the past few years, an the F1fty-sec-
| ond Congress WAS especially lacking in
| big men. The new Congress gains It,
tie if anything by tn, changes resulting
| from the elections, and ihe Democrats
have failed 10 make up in ability what
| they have lost in the failure Of old and
| capable members to be renominated or
reelected. The Republicans, on the
| other hand. in proportion to their total
| number, will have more men Of real
ability and parliamentary experience
than the Democrats.
Losses aud Gains.
| The Democrats will still have surh
| strong mea as Speaker Crisp, Judge
| Holman, Springer, the Breckinridges,
Bynum of Indiana, Eourke Cochran.
Amos Cummings, Col. Fellows, Hartes
| of Ohio, McAIili:n o: Tennessee, Rayner
of Maryland. and Blanchard OF Lou.
isiana; hut they have lost Blount OF
Georgia, Hert ert and Forney OF Ala
| bama, Hemphill of South aro:ina, HoaI
| and Williams OF Massachusetts. and
others. The three srst named have
| served long years in Congress, and are
| possessed of valu be knowledge and
| experience, which will be missed by
| their constituents and their colleagues
| in committees and on the floor of the
House.
The Republicans lost none Of their
| leaders, and the apt debaters, shrewd
legislators. and skiliful parliamentarians
that make up the little band who have
. stood so gallantly by their dethroned
Gar during the sessions of the present
Democratic House are all returned, and
will continue to f. low the brilliant, II
erratic and fateful. leadership OF Tom
Reed.
Among the members Of the Fifty
second Congress who were noted above
their fellows for some peculiar trait OF
cha acter, personal appearance Q, or Incl
dent in life, and whose names will
| no longer be heard in the roll call, are
Kittie Haivorsen, the Norwegian AL
lance ard Piohil ition member fr> m
Mime ota; the venerable Leon: :das NJ.
| Miller, OF Wisconsin, W o, as he sat in
the front row. his bald head bobbing
over his spectacles, bore a striking re-
semblance to Pickwick, who was born
in Greco tho son of a fighting chief
tain, who left him on the battlefield
after a fierce fight with tho Turks;
Sherman Hoar and George Fred Will
Jams, of Massa chuse:ts, VINO wept when
Mills was defeated in the speakership
Ct ucus, and refused forsooth to vote for
Crisp in the House; tom" Watson,
of Georgia, who wrote book to prove
that his colleagues in Congress were
drunkar,is, and the three Taylors," all
from Ohio, and all Republicans. There
will only BE- two Taylors in the new
House as against five in the old. Orc
is from Indiana and the other is from
Texas. There will be two Smiths only,
George W.. from Pennsylvania, and
Marcus A., delegate from Arizona.
His Last spnietal Days.
Mr.. Harrison Will get his last months
pay on February % or 20 in the shape Of
draft issued on a warrant signed as
usual by the Secretary Of the Treasury
and sent over to the white House by u
messenger. The amount Of this draft
would be 81, 1867, but four days extra
pay will be added for March. On the
evening of March he will so to the
Capitol, where he will scat himself at
the big table in the center of the
Presidents ROOM This is said to
he the handsomcst room in the world,
but the Chief Magistrate of the nation
only uses it once in two years. It has
velvet carpet with q pile SO deep that
the footsteps of one who walks upon It
are noiseless. Tho furniture is covered
with re leather, and the ceiling is fres-
coed in the highest style OF art. Mr..
Harrison will take chair between two
great mirrors, which 60 throw back each
others reflections that looiing in either
direction, he can see an interminabl >
line Of his own images extending out Of
sight. Up 10 midnight he will be occu-
died in hurriedly signing bills, in order
that they may become laws before the
expiration OF the Fifty-sscond Con-
gress. 1t will be his last night of power.
The next day he becomes private citi-
zen, with no more control over public
affairs than a newly naturalized for.
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