The times., 1898-09-19
SHORT TERMS.
rev Members of Congress Who
Have Been Long i'm the Bouse

nave Been Long i'm the Bouse
IL is noted that only one member of the
national House has served as many con-
secutive terms as Thomas Bracket Reed
Ihis Is Alfred C. Harmer, of Philade,uhia
A writer in the Chicago TTmes-Herald oh
serves that at rhe end of the present.
or fitty-hfth, Congress each will there
Iore nave served eleven consecutive terms.
In total years of service, however. Mr..
Harmer has an advantage of four wears
over the Speaker. having been a member
of the Forty-second and F'orty-third Con-
crosses. though not of the Forty-fourth.
Inc Same writer says: "Illinois has one
representative whose total years of SER
than do Mr.. Reeds. This is Joseph q
Cannon. of Danville. who began his Iegis-
iatiVe duties at Washington in the Forty
third Congress. two years later than did
MT. Harmer. His record on consecutive
ness was broken. though, when the Dem
ocratic landslide barred his entrance into
the Fffty-second Congress, Samuel T.
Busey capturing his seat for one term
by narrow majority. Silver Dick Bland
OF Missouri equals Mr.. Cannon in total
years OF service, but his record for con-
S~SN'ihC ori diSo suffered from a land
slide. in his case 1t being in favor of the
Republicans. when the Fifty-fourth Con-
sress was chosen These three are the
only ones in the present Congress whose
length OF service can be compared with
Mr.. Reeds
An interesting study is presented when
one slances over the membership of the
present House and notes how few of the
national legislators have served nota-
Die length of time and how these few
nave been honOred. Taken in alphabeti-
cal order. Alabama comes first with
tighting Joe" Wheeler, who has eight
terms TO point to and another In sight
Dy unanimous vote. During the heated
DEBATES on Cuba his was a potent voice
and invariably raised in support of tha
Government. Arkansas presents Thomas
q McRae. with seven terms California
mas Eugene F. Loud. of postal bill fame
win four terms. Colorado points to John
e. Bell. with three terms Connecticut
has Charles A. Russell. of the WAYS and
Means Committee, with six terms. Del
aware has new man in Levin l. Handy.
Florida can only boast of Stephen j
Sparkman. with but four years of sery-
ice- Georgia has given five terms 10 Ru-
fus b. Les,er, of the First district Ida
no has James Gum for his first term.
Illinois. besides Congressman Cannon and
HIT. proudly points TO Albert j. Hopkins.
a power on the Ways and Means Commit
lee and eubernatorial possibility.
Major George W Steele. with six
terms and denomination. holds the rec
ora Tor Indiana since the death of OBJ
Jector Holman. and prominence on the
ways and Means Commit &c Is one of his
rewards. Iowa halls the veteran David
y. Henderson, with sixteen years of ser
wee and the chairmanship Of the Judi
ciary Committee. Kansas has given four
consecutive terms TO Case Broderick.
Louisiana has done two better for Sam
uel NJ Robertson. Besides Speaker Reed
and Chairman Dingley. Maine can boast
OF Charles, y. Bouteile, with seven terms
and the Craftsmanship of the Committee
en- Naval Affairs. Maryland presents only
Sydney f. Mudd. with three terms Mass
achusetts has a man of great present
power in Joseph II. Walker. who with
ten years of consecutive membership at
his back. has opportunity for yeornan4
service to the nation as chairman OF the
Committee of Banking and Currency.
Michigan has collection Of six men WIN
only two terms each-George Spalding.
John B. Corliss. William a Smith. Hor-
ace G. Snover, Roswell P. Bishop. and
Rousseau o. Crump. Minnesota presents
James A. Tawney. James T McCleary.
and Loren Fletcher, each with only three
terms but each, nevertheless. of great
power in debate and in COMMITTEES work
Mississippi has Private John NJ Allen.
the wit of the House. and the volub'e de
batter Thomas c. Catchings. each with
fourteen years of service Montana has
voted three terms to Charles s Hartman
Nebraska has done the same for David
H. Mercer. Nevada has followed suit
with Francis G.. Newlands, one of the
prominent free silver advocates New
Hampshire can point TO only Cyrus A
Sulloway. with two terms. while New
Jersey has given three each TO Henry C.
LOudenslager and John J. Gardner.
'One would think that the great En-
pire State would play a leading part in
the national Legislative halls but her
voters do not seem to have learned the
lesson of keeping good men in Congress
John H. Ketcham holds the present rec
ord for New York. with nine terms, and
he has attained little prominence. North
Carolina has Harry Skinner, William F.
Strowd. Charles II. Martin. Alonzo c.
Shuford, Romulus z. Linney and Rich
mond Pearson, each with only two terms.
North Dakota has given Martin y. John
son twice that number. Ohio's record
holder is Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor. the
Mckinley statistician, with twelve years
of service. Oregon has retained William
R Ellis for three terms. Aside from Mr.
Harmer, Pennsylvania has cause for
pride in the late Samuel J. Randall and
'Pig-Iron' Kelley, also departed. Mel
VILE Bull has secured two terms thus far
in Rhode Island. but John L. McLaurin
doubled this in South Carolina previous
to his recent election to the Senate South
Dakota has two new men in Freeman
Knowles and John E. Kelley Tennessee
has placed trust for twenty years in Ben
ton McMillin, whom many deem the
present legitimate leader of the minority
despite the selection by his party of
Young Mr.. Bailey Utah is trying Viii
liam II. King for the first time Vermont
has voted eight terms to William w.
Grout. who has very active finger in
the apportioning of appropriations VIII
liam A Jones has represented Virginia's
First District for eight years James H
Lewis and William C. Jones represent
Washington for the first time Black
burn B. Dovener, Aston c. Dayton and
Warren Miller have each had two terms
from West Virginia. Wisconsin has done
only one better for Henry A Cooper,
Michael Griffin and Joseph W. Babcock
but the ability of the latter has been
rewarded with the chairmanship of the
Republican congressional campaign COM
mitttee Wyoming brings up the rear
with John E. Osborne, now serving his
first term
Mary Stuart's Watch
{From the Philada!Dhia Reco-d