The age-herald., 1900-12-23

store, worked on a farm and edited a news paper. Robinson of Nebraska worked as a mechanic in a hinge factory. Gardner of New Jersey was waterman. Daily of the same State a molder by trade. Spald- ing of North Dakota left home at Il to earn his own living. Ryan of Pennsylvania was employed about the coal mines as a mule driver. Graham of Pennsylvania was employed in a brass foundry and enlisted at IT, Breazeale of Louisiana clerked in a dry goods store while studying law. Wheel CT of Kentucky worked on a farm summers and attended school winters. Baker of Ma ryland worked on farm until he was S2 H. c. Smith of Michigan worked on farm and in factories, and after he entered col lege did chores for farmers for his board teaching school in vacation. William AL den Smith was a page in the Legislature Tawney of Minnesota, leading member Of the ways and means committee. was a blacksmith and machinist until he began to study law Champ Clark worked as hired farm hand, clerked in country store, ed- ited a country newspaper and practiced law So the list might be continued. The men who have made records in Congress have had to fight their way.
 Debaters and Managers.
 "The best debaters in the Senate are Chandler of New Hampshire and Spooner Of Wisconsin, Chandler is the keener and more caustic of the two. Spooner has the advantage in the spectacular surprises of a running debate. Chandler is more feared as an opponent than any other man. He has genius for discovering the vulnerable point in the enemys armor, and he is mer- ciless in sending his weapons home. Both he and Spooner are invariably good-humor- ed. Neither of them was ever known to lose his temper in debate. The best de- baters in the House are Cannon of Illinois and Moody of Massachusetts.
 'The number of newspaper men in Con- gress is constantly increasing. In the pres ent Congress are twenty-three Senators and Representatives who have been at some time connected with the press as ac- tive newspaper men.
 "The political manager of the Senate is Aldrich of Rhode Island. He is the strate- gist to whom all Republicans look for guid- ance. The Democrats have nobody to act as leader in the same way that Aldrich acts for the Republicans. German of Ma ryland was the Democratic manager while he was in the Senate. It takes peculiar qualities to lead in the Senate, and men who have had wonderful success in leader ship fall behind there. Mark Hanna has influence because he Is chairman of the Re- publican National Committee, and because he is supposed at times to express the pref erences of the administration. But aside from this he has no particular weight In the Senate councils. The men who decide on policies and measures and determine what shall be pushed to the front and what passed over are men who have grown ac- customed to the peculiar Senate atmos- 'phere and who understand the intricate ways of legislation Aldrich is a prince among these. Others are Allison, Platt, Chandler, Lodge, McMillan and Carter.
 Average Length of oervice.
 The average length of a career in Con gross Is four years.
 There are 134 members of the present House who are serving their third term or better. Of the men who are called leaders in the present House Speaker Henderson Is serving his ninth term. Joe Cannon of H. linois, the chairman of the appropriations committee. his thirteenth; Dalzell of Penn sylvania his seventh; Grosyenor of Ohio his eighth; Hit of Illinois his tenth; Hopkins of Illinois his eighth; Moody of Massachu- setts his third; Payne of New York his eighth; Richardson of Tennessee his eighth; Russell of Connecticut his seventh; Dolli- yer of Iowa his sixth. There are others than these who count for something in leg islation, but very few whose names would stand for anything outside great Congress sional directory.
 .Once in while at rare intervals there is flash across the dull legislative sky