Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-28
Mississippi Valley Grows Stronger
in Congress.
IOWA WILL CONTROL IN THE HOUSE
Appointments by speaker Henderson
Leave Leadership of Twenty-two
Committees In Hands of Cen.
trail Western States.

Washington, Dee. 26.---Slowly but
surely the active control of the house
of representatives is drifting to the
west. For long time the states in
the Mississippi valley, though possess
ing 4 numerical control in the house
on the republican, side. lost their adj
vantages by their unfortunate habit of
| retiring representatives and substitute
ing new men at frequent intervals. Re-
Gently. however, there has been a
marked change in this respect, and
throughout the Mississippi vaney good
Representatives are retained, and, as Il
! necessary consequence. they gradually
work themselves to places at the heads
of committees, and thus become parts
of that inner circle watch initiates and
conducts legislation in the house. 1t
has already been shown that Illi-
nois. now has the chairmen of eight
| committees, with only fourteen repub-
lican congressman, but an inspection of
the list submitted by Speaker Hender-
favored this section of the country,
| representatives from the different near
bv states. by length of service and
ability, largely control the committees
of the house.
Four years ago Maine was the
strongest state in the union in the
house, as ii had the speaker, while its
other three representatives were all
chairmen of important committees.
lowa bids Fair to Control.
| Now Iowa bids fair to become the
leading state in this regard. 1t has
eleven representatives. Five of these
are new men. who accordingly go down
| TO the bottom of the list. Of the other
half dozen one is the speaker, with all
the power Mr.. Reed ever M while the
| five Others have chairmanships, and
the state is well represented on some
of the most important committees of
the house. Mr.. Hepburn is not only
chairman of the interstate commerce
committee, which will have to do with
the pooling bill and the Nicaragua
canal, but he is also comfortably fixed
as member, of the new committee on
| insular affairs, one of the most i'm
portant in the house, and on Pacific
railroads as well. in which his state is
directly interested. Dolliver is one of
the members of the ways and means
committee. membership in which is
equivalent to craftsmanship. and is also
chairman of small committee on eX-
penditures in the. department of JUS
tice. which gives him committee
room of his own. with clerk and 9TH
er privileges. Cousins, another Iowa
orator, is at the head of the eSpendi-
lures in the treasury department, while
he is member of the committee on
the election of the president, vice presi-
dent and representatives, and is also
provided with a berth on the foreign
affairs.
General Hull is chairman of the COM
mittee on militar- affairs and is also
on the affiliated committee on militia.
Lacey is chairman of the public lands
committee. which is associated with the
Development of the west, and also has
a seat in the committee rooms on In
dian affairs and civil service. OF the
five new members, Lane is on banking
and currency and territories; Haugen
on agriculture and war claims; Hedge
on coinage, Mississippi river improve
ment, and pensions; Thomas on cleo
tions and claims; and Mcpherson on
postoffiee and the special committee on
! the Roberts case.
| NUScp,IOo,, tp, fsn,x1