The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-01
THE SOUTH IN THE HOUSE.
uou sBr MAINTAINS HER STRENGTH
oy THE COMMITTEES.

sloR HrtIFluk
n.uocrots Awake TO the situntion-Innu-
.nce surely Increased by Length or Ser
x,.e-oneterm ConErcssmen Swept from
Their seat. in the Late Election.
u,sy,yeToS, Dec. 31.-Thirty-two OF the
,.-soven Cbairmen Of committees In the
tIonse OF Representatives are Southern Demo-
It. This. despite the fact that for the first
.ima in many years a majority OF the Demo-
III, representative come from north OF
us.o, and Dixon's line. These berths. as In
.ha Forty. ninth and Fiftieth Congresses. are
oi.d by men entitled to them by their length OF
sarylee in the House. Here are examples:
wu,,m Henry Hatch OF Missouri. Chairman of the
Committee on Agriculture. has been fourteen years In
Congress.
tits. on Coinage. Weights and Measures by speaker
r,,,n He has been . member for twenty years.
Jobn ]. uemphll of South Carolina. Chairman of the
comI,,.. on the District OF Columbia. 10 credited with
ten years. service in the House.
Cal. chas. T. Overall OF Virginia. Chairman OF tho
Committee on Elections. has also served ten years.
,ohn II, Alien of Mississippi. Chairman of the Com.
,I,,.e on Expenditures in tho Department OF Justice.
h,.rspresen,ed the Itawamba. oktibbeha. and Tisho-
ptnFn district for eight years.
don oates. Chairman OF the on Expendi-
,r,.. in tho Post ONCE Department. has been twelve
Years q member Of the House.
Ii.xnpder B. Montgomery OF Kentucky. Chairman OF
Oh. oomm,t,ee on Expenditures in the War Depart.
ment, has served six years.
jaime, II. Bioun, OF Georgia. Chairman Of tho Com.
mities on Foreign AHairs. mas oeen twenty years =
member OF the House.
samuel W, Peel OF Arkansaa. Chairman OF the Com.
mi.tes on Indian Affairs, has served ten years.
c.orps d. Wise OF virginia. Chairman of the Com
m,,,es on Inter. state and Foreign Commerce. Is serv
ing his sixth term.
"a. ,.,h.r.nr - . -a. VpaAs Oh aiprna M ~
the Committee on Judiciary. He has been . promt-
men, member OF the House fer eighteen years.
william H. II. Cow!es of North Carolina. Chairman
Of the Committee on Mines and Mining. has served
eight years.
mit,ee on Naval Affairs. has been sixteen years in
Congress.
George D. Tillmnn Of South Carolina, Chairman OF
tho Committee on Patents. has represented his district
fourteen years.
james D. Richardson OF Tennessee. Chairman Of the
Committee on Printing. has represented the Murfrecs-
boro district for eight years.
Iboma. c. McRae Of Arkansas. Chairman OF the Com.
ni,tes on Public Lands. has also served eight years.
TsomasC {. Catchings of Mississippi. Chairman Of the
Committee on Railways and Canals. has been in tho
House eight years.
Newton q. Blanchard OF Louisiana. Chairman Of tho
Committee on Rivers and Harbors. 10 . member of
twelve years standing.
Samuel ". T. Lanham OF Texas. who represents
ninetyseven count.es. and is Chairman Of the Com.
mittes on Irrigation OF Arid Lands. has been in Con.
rsss ten years.
Influence in the House depends largely upon
the length of service OF q member. The South
has heretofore welded great The
committees cut out the work md the Chairmen
Of the committees usually have charge o; bills
upon the floor.
In the next Congress-. II precedent is to be
followed. the South may lose some OF it's pros
tige. Many OF its old and experienced men,
bars are to retire. Georgia lost some good
men in the Fifty-frst Congress. and has lost
more In this one. This year North Carolina.
South Carolina. Alabama, Arkansas. and Texas
suffer severe losses.
The nation suffers as we'll as the State when
such men as James H. Blount. Hilary A. Her.
bert. William II. Forney. William II. Fl. Cow!es.
John J. Hemphill, George D. Tillman. Samuel
". Peel. Samuel W. 7. Lanham. Charles Stew
Art. and L. W. Moore retire from service.
The North is learning what the South is for
getting, that its interests are maintained and
forwarded by retaining its members until
their experience and length Of service give
them weight and power in the House. This Is
especially true OF the great cities. The ext
guhcies OF politics have heretofore seemed to
require that a member should serve no longer
than two terms. This idea still controls In
many rural districts. 1t is a mistake. however.
Two terms in Congress is simply an appren-
tcssfip In the art Of legislation. The new
member rarely reaches a position where he
can be OF service to his constituents. With
experience he gravitates into place and gains
influence proportionately.
AI tthhlladslphia has always recognized this;
sk amoSiEh 2 strong Republican city: she kept
yves twenty eight years. William d.. Kelly
served thirty years. Both died In service. She
s sHs ise' %t Gsn: aaF yyal gin Sha1Ies irS SrSs she First
4,li.sd 9: harmef from %n"' he E Fifth Ree di:t 4ha
ierisssa,. sHt aine. has AS k naFe Tone 9se heed F9f IL Gon:
veil g PHILADELPHIA. New YORK city has Just
term The dean q the State delegation. how
fo %r " lanes "; Covert. now serving his
Louisville S sava en'ihss &obi Rso SsshSllla s9 Saisi::
SSyihs example ss set By f FbH sdSsiGsntl' ST. Rtrfhn ouiss:
iOIovv ii,eans. and San Francisco have yet to
"ha1 ths South has lost is best shown by
tyuuasuhg 1t with what she retains. Take
aAoana- In this Congress among her Repre-
,'nsauVes are William H. Forney and Hilary
Mnefpet'. Gen. Forney has served eighteen
w ItrDeTL sixteen. In the mex
uuvusress heroldest Representative will be Will
MN"%c oates. who has served twelve years.
Nsstt 70 him stands Gen. Joe Wheeler. credited
h""fh years of service; and next to him.
,aues T. Cobb. with six years. There are
.aree new members. and three who have
49, ,our years. The term OF service OF
,Ss ss forney and Herbert is almost equal to
t %s entire term of the new delegation: and
...noueh the delegation has been In
ssssa one by the last census.
n.sasas loses Samuel w. Peel, with ten
mid service. She retains Clifton r. Breck-
,Ir'ass with ten years. Thomas c. McRae with
ts, Years. and William II. Terry with one
thon,, ..e's ten years is a net loss to her. al
th.Isa she has an extra Congressman under
nav sss apportionment. She will have three
/ DsiSsmoers in the next House.
now awats retains John W. Caussy. who IA
Of ssrr;" loses Robert Bullock with four years
two ysss and retains Stephen r. Mallory with
years 's.s loses James H. Blount. with twenty
.srri.. experience y Her Oldest member benin IN
q. Turn ~ me nsIt Congress will be Henry
IOis.sr Crisp has served ten ,sars s0d ysurs,