Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-08-02

about them, just for the reason Judge
Mcpherson gave. There is one mans
word against another's; nothing can
be proved, and hence nothing should
be said. Sometimes people make i'm
proper offers to congressman and mem
bers of legislatures without really
knowing that they are doing wrong.
| remember a man came to me hon
estly and sincerely when I was in the
legislature. and told me he would givs
me half of a certain claim he had
against the state if | would help him
carry it through the Legislature. / am
sure that man did not know that he
was doing wrong. But, usually, those
who attempt to influence congressman
with bribes know what they are
about. Moreover, when any senator or
representative seeks a bribe, he knows
what he is doing"
"One of my regrets at leaving con-
gressional life," said Judge McPher-
son, 'is the fact that | shall BE obliged
to give up the association with and
friendship of so many good fellows.
| mean good fellows in the highest
sense of the term. OF course. there
are mediocre men in the house of rep
resentatives, and some men of only
average ability in the senate and in
the executive departments: but, as q
general rule, it may be said that one
meets here in congress and congress
sional environments the best men
from the various parts or the country
Every man in official life is possessed
of education of some sort above the
ordinary. Generally they are blessed
with superior natural abilities also.
Association with men of superior abil-
tiles and attainments is necessarily
elevating, and, therefore, desirable
and pleasing"
This latter statement is worthy of
some elaboration, because it is so
true and so few people realize it. AS
a young man beginning a course of
study at an eastern university the
writer received similar impression.
His associates were graduates of col
leges and universities from various
sections. Their conversation, man.
ners, habits, All impressed the writer
with the marked fact that the en-
vironments were different and ele-
waited, requiring careful attention to
department, in order to keep in the
forefront of students of this caliber.
Just such impressions are made upon
the observant congressman when they
first enter the atmosphere of the cap
itol. They find themselves talking
with and associating with men who
are bright, quick alert and bristling
with intellectual acumen.
This is as it should be. 1t is an
other manifestation of the once de
bated theory of the survival of the
fittest In every congressional district
there are so or more of the ablest
men striving for the honor of nom-
ination and election to congress. The
people look them over and usually Sc
lect the best man of them all Con-
sequently, when 356 men thus selected
meet together in the national capital
there is a gathering of the choicest
minds in all this land.
When it comes to the senate. each
member having been elected by the
Legislature of a sovereign state, we
have body of truly superior men. The
members of each state legislature are
the best men of the various counties,
all of them men of more than 0rdi-
nary abilities. When in their COM
bined wisdom they elect a man to
serve his state in the senate of this
reP'saaic it seldom has happened that
they se.ect any other than the ablest
and most cGEspicuously capable of alb
ambitious asH!-.n:s.
Therefore 1t is true, as Judge Mo.
Pherson said, that zone meets hero
the best men from the various parts
of the country" and it is no wonder
that the severance of association with
such men should be cause of regret,
even to one who is honored with life
position in the judicial branch of the
general government.
SMITH D. Fry
IN haor > ar1