Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1902-01-11

Philadelphia. Alfred Harmer, one OF
her congressman, was q member OF
the naval committee for 10 years.
Unusually rich was the reward
reaped by the foresight OF her citizens
in retaining their delegation. o'Neill
was a member Of the committees on
commerce and appropriations, and
Gen. Bingham has been on the COM
mittee on post offices and post roads
IA years. For eight years he has
held leading place in the committee
on appropriations. and for six years
has been in the direct line of success
sion to Joseph G. Cannon. Philadel-
phia has furnished successfully four
fathers of the house. Charles O'Neill
succeeded William d. Kelley, Alfred
Hcrmer followed O'Neill and Harry
Bingham, Harmer. Rarely did dele
CATION work more tremendously than
did this from Philadelphia in its long
years of public service. There seemed
to be no jealousies among them. Each
did his level best for the city he rep
resented. If an appropriation for
public building or for League island
was sought each member turned to
and worked like beaver. All under
stood the science of logrolling, and
never were they defeated. Their sue
cessors are young men, who have al
ready acquired places on Influential
committees and are yearly becoming
more useful.
1t was term of service that gave
the south a preponderating influence
in legislation before the war. Indeed,
it has retained it since the confiict
In Randall's first term as speaker (the
Forty-fourth congress), the south
had 80 committee chairmanships and
the north 81. In the succeeding con-
crosses up to and including the Fifty
third the south led in committee
chairmanships. These figures appar-
emily indicate that the speakers from
the south favored their own section
at the expense of their northern col
leagues. The truth is that the as
signments were made, with very few
exceptions, in accordance with prec-
edent, those having the longest serv'
ice having the preference.
Georgia has always recognized tho
benefits to be derived from long serv-
ice. James Fl. Blount was 20 years
a member of the house, and served
for years as chairman OF the commit
tee on the post Office and post roads,
winding up as chairman of foreign
affairs. He also served on the ways
and means and on appropriations. To
Paramount Blount was Georgia in
debted for many Legislative tidbits.
Nor is the empire state of the south
needless of the lesson learned so
many years ago. She is one OF the
few states that reelected her entire
delegation last year. Her Oldest MEM
Der in legislative experience to-day IL
Rufus E. Lester, of Savannah. He has
served 12 years, and was a favorite
presiding officer in committee OF the
whole when Crisp was speaker. Sa-
vannah has reaped her reward for his
long service in liberal appropriations
for her harbor and public buildings.
Leonidas F. Livington, who has rep
resented the Atlanta district for ten
years, is already in line for the chair
manship of the committee on appro-
priations whenever the democracy re-
gains the house.
Nor is the northwest behind in the
procession. Minnesota has evidently
taken in the situation. She is the
only one of the great western states
who has reelected her entire delega-
ton. With Tawney on ways and
means and insular affairs, McCleary
on appropriations, aside from the
Craftsmanship of the committee on IL
brary, Morris of the Duluth district,
on rivers and harbors; Stevens on mill
brary, Morris, of the Duluth district,
fairs and chairman of the printing
committee, Fletcher on the Missis-
sippi levees and Frank Eddy chair
man of mines and mining, it would
look as though she had bitten on
more than she could chew. At all
events she is in a fair way to reap
her reward for keeping the most OF
these gentlemen in the house for the
eight years past.
Iowa shines with peculiar brillian-
cy. The speaker is Of course her
most Respondent jewel, but there
are others of the first water. Gen.
Henderson had an experience OF Is
years in the house before he aspired
to the speakership, Hepburn, OF Mic
aragua canal fame, has had IA years
in congressional life, and Hull, who
ran the military committee so ably
during the Spanish and Philippine
war, has spent ten years in the ma
tional school of legislation. Lacey,
the head of the committee on public