The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-21
VALUE OF EXPERIENCE
LONG SERVICE IN CONGRESS GIVES
STASbise AND INFLUENCE.
This Fact Recognized by Some Of
the States, and Acted Upon ey
Them-Some Of the Meubers who
Have Been In Service for Long Pc
r~iods-FoIiy to Allow a Coed Rep
resentative 90 Rettre-No new Men,
her OF Much wctxht.

h houses Of congress. which has been
long understood by a number OF the
states. but lost sight vi by others. and
portant. in obtaining d standing in
those bodies. In the system OF n ar
rangement OF the committees. land
nearly all work OF necessity Is done In
the committee rooms) seniority OF ser
vice IS the requirement and the rule
In awarding the committee appoint
ment.
No member Is considered OF much
weight. unless he as teen long service
and under the present complicated rules
1t takes many years to comprehend
them. and to become IA successful kgfs-
lator.
In the house OF representatives men
who mould opinion are not the men OF
four, six or eight years service but
those OF ten or more years of service.
1t takes years to make a statesman n,
and IL is wisdom TO heed his truism.
Mr.. Richardson. the democratic lead
er. Is serving bis ninth term. or Is years
In congress. Mr.. Henderson. the re-
publican speaker. is serving his eiey-
n term. or % years. while the fol-
lowing constitute the length OF service
OF the chairmen Of the more Important
committees:
Mr.. Cannon, Illinois. appropriations
committees years.
MIR. Payne. New York. ways and
means committee-20 years.
Mr.. Hepburn. Iowa. interstate and
foreign commercials years.
Mr.. Hi (. Illinois. foreign affairs COM
mittee-2 % years.
Mr.. Steele. Indiana. manufacturers
committce-16 years.
Mr.. Grosvenor. Ohio. merchant ma
rfne committee-1S years.
Mr.. Wadsworth. New York. agricul.
ture committee-16 years.
Mr.. Hopkins. Illinois. census commit
tee-1S years.
Mr.. Grow. Pennsylvania, education
committee-30 years.
Mr.. Sherman, New York, Indian af-
fairs committee-I4 years.
Mr.. Loud. California, postoffce COM
mittee-l4 years.
Mr.. Smith. Illinois. private land claim
committee-4 years.
Mr.. Ray. New York. judiciary COM
mittee-12 years.
And OF the other committees the hair
men will average about ten years. or
five terms Of service.
In the house. on the democratic side.
the principal leaders of debate are Mr..
Richardson, CTenn..) IL ears: Mr.. Will
Hams. CMiss.) 10 years: Mr.. DeArmond.
CMo). IL years: Mr.. McRae. fArk.l IS
years; Mr.. Williams. md. 10 years:
MFR. Clark. (Mo.t. s years and Mr.. Un-
derwood. s years; while the silent men
who WELD the greatest influence are
such men as Mr.. Bankhead Is years:
Mr.. Elliott, Of the Charleston. S. C.
district, Il years. Mr.. Lester. OF Sa-
vannah. Ga, Il years: Mr.. Livingston.
Atlanta, Il years. and Mr.. Cummings.
of New York. IS years.
On the republican side the leaders or
debate are all members who have seen
long srvice extending yer many years
such as DalZell. (Penn.t. 1s years: Bling
ham,. (Penn.). "a "ears: Grosvenor,
(Ohio). is years; Hepburn. uowaD. 16
years. and last but tot least. Speaker
Henderson. Uowa). % wears.
Maine. Massachuset =. Pennsylvania
Iowa. Illinois. and New York early com
pretended the importance OF keeping
their men long in service. while % ~
southern states. Virginia. Tennessee
Mississippi. Georgia. and South Caro-
lima. and possibly Texas seem alone &c
have grasped the situation snd profited
by it.
1t is self-evident therefore that nc
state can have her representatives &c
achieve a national reputation unless
sucD state selects GOOD men. or ABILITY
character n applicduun. and when
f. secures them once send them back
continuously: and then only VIII they
have trusted public servants who viii
become useful public men ard states
men-ornaments to their state and
nation.
1t is the blindes folly 70 allow a good
representative. when once secured, &c
retiro after one. two or three terms OF
service. AS the goveI nment grows III
administration becomCs more cor1pii-
Gated. ard h greater beco-es The ne
cess.ty for experienced legislators. II
an Industrious. sober. able representa-
tive Is once selected. e. perience and op.
~rortunity will bring him to he front
II Ia said that here are many very
able. well educated. ambitious men In
congress today atively unknown
They o-lv l"ck ~oDportunitv and INF
comes sfter long service Or from good
corarittee assignments. Out OF q mem-
hershfp OF 357 member Of he Seth and
5Tth congress about rs have SERVED
tE;ree terms or moTe-The Morning
Post.
Saved Him FROM rorrure