St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-12
CUT THEM OFF SHORT.
Minnesota's Policy Toward
the Men She Has Sent to
Congress. :
Before They Had Learned the
Rules They We're Sent
Home.
Two Only, Window and Dun-
nell, Were Treated With
Liberality.
Failure Of the Efforts to Gre
ate Discussions in the
Democracy. e
Special to the Globe.

WASHINGTON, May 11.-"Our delega-
ton IN the lower house of congress has
few good committee places and seems
to be behind delegations from smaller
states" This was a remark made by a
Minnesota mar the other day who had
had plenty of opportunity in the last
half-dozen years to know how business
is conducted in the lower house. But
he saw only the effect of a policy, and
never spent any time in specializing as
to the cause. Desiring to learn his
opinion in the matter, however, l asked
the following question:
SIS this because the state has been
sending weak men to congress?"
81 cannot say that it u.s." was the re
Spouse, ''because men of first rate abll-
ity have been sent to the lower house.
The trouble, in my opinion, Is that such
men have been given no chance to de-
velop. Judge Wilson, John b. Gillian,
Edmund Rice, S. q. Comstock and
eight OF ten years. would have been
able to reach the leadership class i'll
their parties, were cut off with one
term. Thus, while we have been chang
ing our representatives every two,
or five or six years the latter
length term the eXception-smaller
states have held to the policy
of keeping a good mau in for years.
Look at William M. Springer, in llli-
nois. He has been in congress nearly
twenty years, and has gone up, al
though he has not the ability OF either
Judge Wilson or John B. Gilfillan. Hol-
man and Bynum, in Indiana; Harmer,
O'Neill and Mutchler, in Pennsylvania;
Cummings, Fitch, Tracy, Warner, and
others, in New York; Reed, Boutelle.
Milliken and Dingley, in Maine: Outh-
waite, in Ohio; Crisp, Turner. Blount,
Barnes, and others, in Georgia; George
d. Wise, in Virginia; the Buckenridges,
Wilson, of West Virginia.; Buckner,
Barwig, Lynch and Hanger, OF Wis
consin; Culberson, of sTexas; Oates. of
Alabama: McMillin, Enloe, and Wash
ington, of Tennessee; and B%oatner, OF
Louisiana, and Burrows, OF Michigan
these all owe their positions in congress
to the fact that they have been given
long leases Of power" 80.
That there is a great deal in this
DltCl SldlClI0IlG Nv III WI SiJ ~
takes two terms for the ablest man to
become acquainted with the rules of9the
house, and from eight to ten years for
him to win first-class places OH commit
tees. Minnesota, unfortunately for her
self, has been, as the gentleman above
quoted SAYS, one of the states given to
making frequent changes in her delega-
ton in the lower house of congress-
With the exception of two cases
the late secretary OF the treasury, Hon.
William Window, who served ten yeaIS
in succession in the lower house, and
Hon. Mark II. Dnnnell. who sat
for twelve years-Minnesota has
giving no one longer than three terms.
Mai. Strait served twelve years, but he
missed two years, from 1879 to 1881.
The result of this shOrt-Slghted policy
has been to keep Minnesota in the back
ground in the house. The work of con-
gress is done in the committee rooms,
and chairmanShips OF the important
committees go to members OF eXpe-
rience and long service. In 1855 Mime
sofa elected five Republican members
to the lower house, but only II had
served in the previous congress. and ne
had not had time to win his spurs. The
result was that no important CHAIRMAN
ship could be given the state by Speaker
Reed, however kindly he might feel to-
ward the state. 10 show the short.
sighted course of Minnesota, a list OF
the members she has sent to congress
in the last thirty-tiye years, with the
years EACH man served, follows:
j. M. Cavenaugh, Dem, May Il, 1858, to
March 4, IS59-ten months.
W. w. Phelps, Dem, May II, 1855, t. March
4, 1S59-ten months.
William Window, Rep, March a, 1859, to
March 4, 1S60-ten years.
Cyrus Aldrich, Rep, March A, 1859, to March
4, 1S63-four years.
I~gnatius Donnelly, Rep, March 4, 1868, to
March 4. 1895 years.
Morton s. Wilkinson, Rep, March A, 1869,
to March 4. 1S7l-two years.
E. NJ. Wilson, DEM, March a, 1863, to March
4, 1S71-two years.
John r. Averill. Rep, March 4. 1871, to
March A., 1S75-four years.
M. II. Dunnell, Rep, March 4. 1871. to
March 4, 1SS3-tWelye years.
II. Il. Strait, Rep. March 4, 1873. to March
4, S79-siX years.
W. S. King, Rep. March 4, 1875, to March
4, 1ST7-two years.
j. H. Stewart, Rep, March 4, ] 1877, to March
4, lS79-tWo years.
W. ID. Washburn, Rep, March 4, 1879. TO
March 1. 1855 SIX years.
II. Poehler, Dem, March 1, 1879, to March
4, 1S81-tWo years.
H. B. Strait, Rep, March a, 1881, to March
1, 1SS7-six years.
Milo White. Rep, March 4. 1888, to March
4, %1SS7-four years.
j. B. Wakefield, Rep. March 4, 1888, to
March 4, 19S7-four years.
K. Nelson. Rep, March a, 1888, to March 4,
1889 six years.
j. .Gilfllan. Rep, March 4, 1855, to March
4, 1SS7-two years.
Thomas Wilson, DEM, March 4. 1887, to
| March 4, 16S9-two years.
John Lind. Rep, March 4, 1887, to March 4,
1993-siX years.
j. L. Macdonald, Dem, March 4, 1887, to
March 4, 1S89-two years.
Edmund Rice. Dem, March 4, 1897, to March
4, ISS9-two years.
NJ. II. Dunnell. Rep, March 4, 1889, to March
4, IS01-two years.
D. S. Hall, Rep, March 4, 1889. to March 4,
1S9l-tWo years. z
S. P. Snider, Rep. March 4, 1889, to March
4. 1S9l-two years.
s. G. Comstock, Rep, March 4. 1889. to
March 4, 1S91-two years.
w. II. Harries, DEM, March 4, 1891, TO
March 4, 1S93-two years.
j. n. Castle, Dem, March 4, 1891, to March
4, 1S93-two years.
K. Halvorseu, ALL, March 4, 1891, to March
4. 1S03-two years..
This completes the record down to
the members of the congress that will
meet in the next few months and it
fully explains the failure of the Mime
sofa men to win positions of command
ing influence in congress. While the stare
may have in the past sem some very
pool sticks to the national house, she
has also sent some men of marked
ability. The trouble is Minnesota has
never treated her public men right, ex-
| cept in one case, and this case fully re-
| warded her Tor the exception. and Will
[ lam Window made a record for himself