The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-22
LONGS HIGH HONOR
How 1t Came to Him, and
What a Place Signifies
ON THE WAYS AND MEANS
Other KanSanS Well Looked
After in Assignments.

| OF Congressman Chester 1. Long of tn
Seventh district of Kansas to a mem
bership on the committee on ways an
means is the biggest thing that has hap
pened to Kansas for twenty years.
The reception of the announcement o
this assignment by the Kansas colon!
here, and the congratulations Mr.. Loni
received from his colleagues and the con
gressional habitues, is proof that TIT
above statement is true.
1t was twenty years ago and more thai
Dudley c. Haskell, then representing th'
Second district of Kansas, went on The
WAYS and means committee. He was the
first .Kansan thus to be honored. He be-
came. in years, the ranking member OIL
the committee In 1888, ''Pig-Iron" Kelly
Of Pennsylvania wa chairman OF the COM
mittte- Haskell was the ranking mem
Der. President Mckinley was next to
Haskell Kelly was broken down in health
and in the tariff revision of that year,
the work devoIved upon Haskell and
Mckinley. The work was such that It
shattered HaskeIs health and resulted
in his death the next year. President
Mckinley became the ranking Republican
member and kept the place until 1890,
when he was chairman of the committee,
and received the honor OF having the bill
of that year named for him. On the
strength of it, he became president. What
might have happened had Haskell lived,
is, Of course, purely a matter of specula-
ton. But this one thing, besides its his
torical accuracy and the fact that 1t was
Kansas first great honor, shows the vast
Importance of a place on the committee
on ways and means.
Mr.. Long was a member Of the Fifty
fourth congress, but not of the FIFTY
fifth He now comes back to the Fifty
sixth, but the fact that his two terms
were not consecutive makes him, to all
intents and purposes, f1rst-termer.
Members who have Iapsed in consecutive
service are generally so regarded. Thus
it is. then. that Mr.. Long is alone in
the honor of being a frst-termer who
secures place on the committee of ways
and means, with but two single excep-
lions in the history Of the house. These
two exceptions are: William ]. Bryan of
in the Fffty-second congress,
and Walter Evans of Kentucky, in the
congress.
In 1891 Mr.. Springer of Illinois, late
Judge of the federal court in the Indian
Territory, was chairman of the commit
tee on ways and means, which was DEM
ocratic. Bryan had been a law student
in Springer's office, and the latter felt es-
pecially kind to the young Nebraskan.
He therefore insisted on the latter being
placed on the committee. In 1895, Mr..
Evans OF Kentucky, who was new
member, was given a place on the COM
mittee, purely because he had been COM
missioner of internal revenue, and Mr..
Dingley, chairman of the COMMITTEE,
wanted Mr.. Evans valuable services be-
cause of his experience. Mr.. Long is the
third new man to secure this great honor,
which is a considerable distinction, GER
-ainly, and sufficient cause for pride to
the people Of the Seventh district and Of
Kansas.
Mr.. Long IS the only Republican men,
Der OF the commit, e from the Missouri
liver to the Philippines. He thus repre-
sents as far as the majority Is concerned,
i very large and important territory. This
s one of the big things in connection
with tht place. Mr.. Newlands of Nevada
silver Republican. represents the minor
ty in the same territory.
Among his associates on the committee
are: Soreno E. Payne of New York,
chairman and house leader; Dalzell of
General Grosvenor of Ohio,
Jonathan 2. Deliver of Iowa, Albert J.
Hopkins of Illinois, who was a formidable
for speaker; Steele Of Iniana, !
Mccall Of Massachusetts. Tawney of Min |
lesota. Russell OF Connecticut and, on
he minority. Richardson Of Tennessee. !
house minority leadtr; Newlands of Ne |
ada, Mcclellan Of New York Samuel NJ. |
Robertson Of Louisiana, Swanson Of Vir-
,inia and Cooper OF Texas.
An interesting thing about this com |
nittee is the inseparable chain formed |
" the states representa- on the majority |
ide Beginning with Massachusetts. /
here next comes Connecticut, then New
fork, then Pennsylvania, then Ohio. then /
indiana, then Illinois, then Minnesota, |
hen Iowa and then Kansas. These /
tates form an almost unbroken line from /
tart to end, and show the vast country /
epresented on the committee.
Mr. Long wir-s tht place because OF sew
raj reasons. as: First. his service on the
ommittee OF elections in the Fifty-fourth /
ongress brought him to the notice OF the (
.ouse leaders, among whom was the
resent speaker. General Henderson; sec
nd. Mr.. Longs participation IN the Rob
rts case a few weeks ago. and his as
lstauce to Ar Taylsr and the others.
With the knowledge he displayed in con-
lection with the case, brought him -still
urther INFO notice and distinction here;
bird. the Kansas delegation united in
skiing int place for the congressman
rom the Seventh district: fourth. and BY
10 means least. the leading public men
Z Kansas. men who are known n ma
theirs. including 2 number who knew
General Henderson for years asked this
svo- At the Iowan's hands All these
our reasons counted powerfully IN the
ccompnshed end, and Kansas obtains a
istinction which again places her IN the
ank OF states which are well thought az.
gives Kansas something ike the Posi-
ion It occupied years aEo when Plumb
I'd ingalls, were in the senate, when Ry-
y. Ptrkius Peters NORTH ana Han
sck We're IN the house. when Republican
1ajoriues q s7.eod were given. ana when
here wasn't anything ulueh too good for
be Sanfowsr state Z begins 70 look as
these favorable conditions are cont
gain. and 10 stay. tais time
Kansas Jared very vel In the assign
lent - COMMITTEES TIE ether members
Z tie delegation are wsH p!;asad over
-hat they have obtained Here 3 tnei-
ssigugusnt;