Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-10-10
CoNGREss Anp PRESIDENCY.


dency this year have had expert
ence in Washington, says the
New York Sun. Major Mckinley
was for more than twelve years
member of the House of Repre-
sentatives from the Canton dis.
trict, and in the last year of his
service he occupied, as chairman
of the Ways and Means Commit
tee, the place of Republican
leader. Mr.. Bryan achieved what
little national distinction he had
before the meeting of the Demo-
cratic Convention in Chicago as
member of the House of Repre-.
sentatives for two terms. Both
candidates, therefore, have had
previous Congressional expert
ence, something which has not
occurred in Presidential contest
in the United States for many
years. Mr.. Cleveland, who was
for three campaigns the Demo
cratic standard bearer, had no
Congressional, or indeed, any
Legislative experience at the time
Of his first nomination in 1884.
Neither had General Hancock,
who was in the service Of the
United States Government when
a candidate; nor Mr.. Tilden.
Horatio Seymour, though he
had held many Offices, was never
a member of Congress, and neither
was General Mcclellan.
In order to find Democratic
candidate for the Presidency with
Congressional experience and SER
vice before Bryan, it is necessary
to go back to Stephen A. Douglas,
who was for four years a member
of the House of Representatives
aud for fourteen years a member
of the United States Senate. On
the Republican side candidates
for the Presidency with previous
Congressional experience have
been more numerous in recent
years. Fourteen years before his
election to the Presidency Mr..
Lincoln represented the Spring
field district of Illinois in Con-
gress. General Grant had no
previous experience in Congress,
but Andrew Johnson had repre-
scented one of the mountain dis
tricts of Tennessee in Washing
ton for ten years. lie had been
a United States Senator for five
years before his election to the
Vice. Presidency. Hayes had been
a Congressman, elected in 1864,
twelve years before his installa-
ton in Office as President. When
a candidate for Congress in one
of the districts of Cincinnati in
1872 he was defeated. General
Garfield had sixteen years of con-
secutive service in the House of
Representatives before his nomi-
nation for the Presidency, and lie
was at the time Senator elect
from Ohio. General Arthur had
no previous Congressional ex-
perience. President Harrison
had served six years in the United
States Senate. Buchanan had
been a member of Congress for
five terms in the House and one
in the Senate before his nomina-
tion to the Presidency. Pierce
served four years in Congress.
Willard Fillmore had been a
Congressman from the Buffalo
district, and Polk was for fourteen
years member of Congress and
twice chosen Speaker Of the
House before his nomination for
the Presidency. Tyler had been
q member of Congress from Vir-
ginia. Andrew jackson was elect
ed for the House of Representa-
tives from Tennessee, and after
ward was a United States Senator.
John Quincy Adams was men,
Der of Congress before his election
to the Presidency, and so was Jas.
Monroe of Virginia. James Madi-
son was eight years in Congress
before he became Secretary of
State, and after having been Sc
cretary Of State he was elected
President. John Adams, the sec.
ond President, and Thomas
Jefferson, the third, were both
members of the first Colonial
Congress, and both were siguers
of the Declaration of Independ-
ence. George Washington was
elected a delegate to the first