The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-04
OUR NATIONAL LEGISLATORS.

Friends of Representative Lanham pre-
dict that he Will be the next Democratic
Governor of Texas The contest for the
ggbernatoriaI nomination has already
commenced, and candidates are springIng
up in almost every county in the Lone
Star State. Mr. Lanham vas first eject
ed to the Forty-eighth Congress ana
served continuously until the Fffty-sec-
ond Congress, when he voluntarily re-
tired He was elected again to the Fifty
| fifth Congress, and he mas returned ever
since. AS an orator, Mr. Lanham STANDS
in the front rank, and no speech was
more eloquent nor received with greater
applause than the one he delivered IN the
House when war against Spain was de-
cIared.
The new chairs in the House of Rep
resentatIves are really things OF beauty.
but they cannot be described as a JOY
forever, because shortly before the House
met yesterday morning Representative
Slayden OF Texas, man of fine physl52e'
tipping the scales at about two huaared
pounds, leaned back in his seat suddenly,
when something snapped and the Texas
statesman narrowly escaped q fall to the
floor. A new chair was Immediately sub
stftuted for the broken one
The members of the House are expe-
riencing some little trouble in aceuston1-
ing themselves to the changes made in
the cloak rooms. Yesterday, after the
House adjourned, Representative Fleming
of Georgia. who served with distinction on
the Judiciary Committee in the last Con-
gress, could not find his overshoes- He
had left them IN the old open fireplace.
and when he looked for them they were
gone But there was some consolation,
for the member who took his rubbers
left pair that 1T the Georgia statesman
like kid glove
One of the most popular men in the
House is Representative Joseph B. Crow
ley Of the Nineteenth Illinois district
Mr.. Crowley has way of winking his
right eye while talking, and he is one Of
the best stery-teIlers in Congress The
Crowley wink eaptivates everybody It is
said that all he has to do to win over
the opposition . any Of his pet measures
is to give the merry wink while talking
4 to member who is inclined to be frac-
/ tiOus. and that member Will 90 away
i promising TO do all he can for Mr. Crow
/ Iey's bill.
/ If you want to know anything about old
/ books, books out Of date. Just consult
! Senator HeitfeId- It is not an uncommon
/ thing to see the Idaho statesman search
/ ing through The shelves Of the second
/ hand book stores of the city for rare
{ -
/ finds some particularly ancient work he
/ carries it away for his library. 1t IS said
/ he is the possesser Of more curious and
I interesting books centuries old than any
other man II the Senate.
When the old soldiers OF Ohio want
anything they write to DR.. James A. Nor
ton. the Representative for the Thirteenth
Buckeye district The doctor is q veteran
! Of the civil war and made a record that
speaks for itself. He believes in a liberal
I construction OF the pension laws but he
is decidedly opposed to pressing special
/ pension bills granting large pensions to
/ camp followers and others who try to i'm
/ pose on the Government IN the last few
/ sessions Of Congress ne has not hesitated
to fight pension legislation that placed the
/ old soldiers in the position OF beggaTs.
/ Dr.. Norton IN the last Congress served on
| the District Committee He is for every
measure that viii improve and beautify
the National Capital
The successor to the most picturesque
member Of the House ii the last Con
} gress, RomuIus z. Linney, is Representa-
tive Spencer Blackburn. who was Assist
ant United States District Attorney dur
! ing NcKinIey's first Administration Mr.
/ Blackburn is 4 young man He is tall
well pTopoTtIoned. and attractive. AS a
! lawyer he stands we'll to the front It is
! believed that the Speaker viii appoint
him on The Judiciary and Elections Com
| mittees.
A smooth-faced man Of medium size,
neatly attired and with an air that seems
to suggest that Washington is bit new
10 him, sat cOnVersing with friends in
the lobby OF the Riggs. The gentleman
succeeds to the seat vacated when Mr..
Bailey OF Texas went to the Senate, and
his name is c. B RandeIl. Mr.. RandeIl-
the accent is on the last syIlabIe-gave up
when ne left his law Office in Sherman to
come to Congress the most lucrative prac-
tfce enjoyed by any attorney in northern
Texas. His record at the bar is extraor-
binary. and his friends down in the Lone
Star State. knowing his talents and his
| tireIess Industry predict for him as sue
cessfuI a career in the House as he has
| had at the bar
| Marcus AuraIius Smith of Arizona. who
is a record breaker for length of service
! as q Delegate in Congress. is often seen
| in the lobby of the Shoreham smoking
! an imported cigar. He is a Kentuckian
/ by birth, and has practieed law in Cali
fornia, as well as in the Territory he rep
resents If Arizona is ever admitted 70
| Statehood, and the Democrats have the
Legislature, M Smith will be the first
! United States Senator chosen, and then
! the country VIII come to q quick Fealiza-
I ton Of the fact that he is one CT the best
speakers il public life. In the House he
! has talked rarely, for the opportunities
Afforded Delegates are few, and then the
themes are not of absorbing interest.
Representative Cooper of Texas, who
was a day late in being sworn In, would.
on a vote of the House, probably get the
| first prize as the most amiabIe man in
that body. He is liked by everybody, and
one of these days his admfTfng constftu-
ents viii proceed to elect him Governor
of the Lone Star State. Mr.. Cooper lives
| in Beaumont the centre OF the new oil
| district, the fame Of which has spread
! over the globe. His friends here had sup
posed that by this time he had added sew