Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-04-12
CONTINUOUS SERVICE
IN CONGRESS, BY REPREsENTA-
TIvEs sefnGs THE BHsT RESULTS.
Long Time Occupants OF seats Have the
Greatest Power I'm the Law Making
work Of This Nation

WORK Oh THIS NataOn.
No CONGRESSMAN can secure any
recognition of moment for his district
in one term at the seat Of the Nation
al government. That has been demon.
strated so often that it has come to be
generally recognized all over the coun-
try and districts that become power
full through their representatives in
Congress are those who return we'll
tried servants to continuous terms in
the great law making body.
An old time and experienced politi-
c1an who mas had 3 grasp on affairs.
asked this question the other day:
What State in the Union comes
nearest controlling the great National
law making body of the country" 1t
appeared to be a stumper but it was
easy. Iowa is the State. Everybody
in Washington knows that. Why2 Be-
cause when thew elect man to the
House Of Representative or the Sen
ate and find that he is made of the
right sort of stuff they keen him there
just as long as he will serve In con.
sequence he becomes power through
the verv mistake other districts make
IN electlng one-term men.
II man elected to Congress is any
good ii ought 70 take him at least two
terms to show it, The first term he
ought TO sit still and learn and then
the second term, if he has learned anv.
thing of value to his constituents he
oughtto show it. In that wav the
people he represents may get some
benefit out of his services.
Aston Gordon DAYTON is q fair ex-
ample of this rule In the second dis
trlct for the Republicans and Hon.
William l.. Wilson was q fair example
for the opposite party. Mr.. DAYTON
defeated Mr.. Wilson in the memora-
BILE upheaval of 1894. He went to
Congress and modestlv held down a
seat and listened Unkind critics who
saw him in the place vacated ty the
distinguished Wilson remarked that
West Virginia had elected pigmy in
intellect to take the place of IA giant.
But Day on was modes+ He kept
still and listened. What little COM
mlttee work he had to DO he did 1t
well, and kept his counsel. AT the
end Of his first term he had done moth
ing brilliant but when his name was
called he always voted straight on all
auestions of moment. So his district
having protited by the greatness a
chieved by Mr.. Wilson. gave Mr.. Day
ton another nomination again and he
was elected.
From 1897 to 1899 Mr.. DAYTON did
not appear to do much. But he was
working. When he emerged from this
term and again asked the people TO
SEND him hack to Congress he had an
appolntment on one of the most inn
nortant committees il Congress He
was q member of the naval com nittee.
The people of the Second thought that
was pretty good, and they apain sent
HIM back. Now in 1902 the people IN
the Second West Virginia district fiji
in their member of Congress the prac.
tical head of the naval committee and
as such one of the most important fig
ures of the great lawmaking body OF
the Nation.
Dayton worked and the people were
patient. If Dayton keeps his head as
we'll in the future as he has in the
past he will mark the high notch in
achieved by few and
.....l.r.,l H.