New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-28
TWO MODEL CONGRESSMEN.
GOVERNOR DINGLEY, OF MAINE. AND
MIR. RICHARDSON, OF TENNESSEE.
THEY POSSESS THE QUALITIES WHICH ENABLE
THEM TO GUIDE AND CONTROL THE
HOUSE WITHOUT EXCITING ENVY
OR RESENTMENT.

In the dsrespectful but not wholly nappropri-
ate phrase of Washington. the House Of Repre-
/ sentatves Is bear garden" There Is no
doubt that TO the average spectator OF its pro-
! ccedinSs 1t does seem to be a wildly disorlcrly
! pody. 1t seems as II It must be the that
NOBODY, however experienced. however familiar
| with the scenes Of the House. can possibly make
mead or tail Of what is going People sit in
! the galleries constantly saying to one another
! with regard 10 some member on the floor who
Is shouting himself red and hoarse; do you
Know what that man is talking about?" Two
minutes later somebody else will arise, and sud-
denly the great hall Of the Representatives be-
comes as quiet as a tomb. And this man, speak
Ing In easy conversational tones. is heard in
every nook and corner of the chamber.
Now the reason of this difference lies In the char
acter of the two speakers. A man gets his place
In Congress much more justly and swiftly than
he is liable to get 1t anywhere else in America
The memorable law Of the survival of the ittest
never was better illustrated than by the quick
and inevitable processes that fix member In the
estimation OF his colleagues. lie does not have
to talk long or often before they know just
about what sort Of a man he Is His moral and
his mental quality both revealed to his fell
lows. The man TO whose vociferous noise no.
body listens never by any possibility says any
thing which the men around him need 10 hear
The man whose voice and presence bring the
House to an immediate stiffness is the man who
never speaks without saying something that is
informing
But the House Is not always disordery when
to the unpractised observer 1t seems So II may
appear that nobody Is listening but that Is only
an appearance. There are always a dozen or a
score who know precisely what the subject
md dfcrr
is saying about it. The of the House. know
ing this. may be attending TO other business
But let the debate take unusual turn and al
most sooner than 1t takes to tell 1t the entire
membership Is alert and attentive. For the
House in its noises is good deal Ike a sawmill
The buzz may be confusing enough to strangers,
but the mill men understand IT, and as long as
1t goes on naturally they may seem TO give 1t
little heed. But at the very first suggestion Of
a new noise every man Of them pricSs up his
ears ana opens his eyes.
There is small body OF men in the House
on whom unconscIously, perhaps, but not the
less certainly. the entire House depends. They
are men who have been there long while and
who are known 10 be thoroughly familiar with
the proceedings. Industry IS their forte. They
always In their seats. They never retire TO
the cloakrooms. They never wander about the
lneE TareIN, II ever, go uOWH 10 III"
restaurants They seldom make set speeches.
Their names never get into the newspapers in a
sensational way. But In the routine proceedings
Of the House they are of more consequence than
all the rest Of the members put together. At the
very head and front Of this little body Is Gov
ernor Dlngley OF Mao. Mr. Dingley IS a
natural legislator. His mind is both analytical
and constructive. He has no opinions that are
not subject 10 revision He does not know any
thing which he is not willing 10 know better. lie
gathers information instlnctivey and retains It
without effort. II is not an exaggeratlon TO say
that among contemporaneous public men In this
country he is one OF the most widely Informed
and unparalleled, and that he has no purpose
Interior to that Of being right. 1t follows that
he is singularly useful man to his fellow
citizens.
Governor Dingley is sixty-two years old and
has been In public life more than half OF that
time. He served in the Legislature Of his own
State five years and was Speaker twice. lie
was twice Governor Of Maine and he has been
in Congress twelve years consecutively. The
people Of Maine pursue most intelligent policy
with regard 10 their public men. When they get
a good man In office they keep him there grad
ually promoting him and avang themselves 10
the end OF his life Of his accommodating experiences
and his growing capacity for service. senator
Hale for instance. has been servant OF the
State Of Maine for twenty-seven years. Senator
FRYE for thirty-three. Mr. Reed entered public
life in 1864 and has been a member or nine
Congresses Mr.. Mlken has been In Congress
,ye,ve wears consecutively. and 80 has Captain
Routele. And the competency OF every one OF
those men has increased with every additional
wear OF his service. In the case OF Governor
n,nglev this is especially true. for he possesses
he enable
% turn experience to good account. The busl-
mana ~ the House is. after all. an inev.taDie
routIne and Governor Dngley Is master OF
routine and detail. He knows the operations OF
tho Government in every bureau OF every ue-
nartnent He knows the duties and responsiDih-
Ties OF almost every officer. lie has "atcheu 'ne
growth Of the country and has participated III "'e
oa,o,r,c,,on NJ the governmental machinery by
which each new situation has been dealt WIN
rrbere % no vinegar in his speech, no malice III
his purpose He aims TO enable the GOVERN
man, ~ the United States 10 carry out the pur-
noses for which II was constituted, ana al MS
words and efforts are directed to tha'. lhiS IA
~ thoroughly understood Of him that although
be 10 one OF the most frequent speakers. par
t,c,nat,ne constantly in the business OF the
tIouse he IS always listened to by frienus ana
onnonants with a great measure Of respect. lie
400. nat win noisy victories; but 1t Is the
nreclse truth that his suggestions with re-
80, 20 tho construction Of bills are more gen
Ill, followed than those OF any man In the
1Iousa He does not lead his party In political
oeeoulte hut he constantly leads the House by
eentIer methods in all sorts Of business legisa-
ton
on the Democratic side there Is man whose
methods and manners are not unlike those Oh
Governor Dingley. Mr. Richardson OF Tehnes-
gee has come into considerable prominence dur
ing the last two Congresses. He is tall shght
man. actually fifty. and looking forty-two' with
q broad Southern pronunciation an unfailing