The Iola register., 1902-05-09
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

OneOry tnat ike attracts like, IL is not
surprising that President Roosevelt
should have appointed Representative
William H. Moody, of Massachusetts,
to succeed John d. Long as Secretary
of the Navy. Physically Mr.. Moody
bears so striking a resemblance to the
President that he is very commonly
referred to as the Presidents double.
He has many of the Presidents mental
and moral characteristics also. He is
not so impulsive perhaps, or SO snappy
and energetic in his movements and
his speech; but he is just as earnest,
just as honest and takes just as lofty
view of the duties and responsible.
ties of American citizenship.
In the House, where he has served
for seven years, he has the highest
standing, and his appointmentygave
unqualified satisfaction to members
on both sides of the political aisle.
Without assuming any of the preroga-
tives of leadership, he has yet been
recognized, almost since his firt term,
as factor with which any one inter-
ested in important legislation had to
reckon. Without being in any sense
an orator, he has always been able to
command the attention of the House,
because on the few occasions slwhen he
arose to speak, the members all knew
that he was expressing the most earn
est and sincere convictions, and that
his conclusions had been reached only
after an exhaustive1 study of the ques-
ton under discussion. Among other
things he had made careful study of
parliamentary practice, and was one
of the few men on the floor of the
House recognized as. an authority on
that subject For thisireason, as well
as for the knowledge that no personal
or partisan sentiment ecould ever per-
suade him to make ruling that would
vary the width of hair from his con-
viction of what was right, he has been
prominently mentioned as an available
candidate for Speaker whenever the
present incumbent Eshould retire or be
retired. With this prospect before
MIN in the House, and with proud
and enthusiastic constituency behind
him, his congressional future looked
bright indeed, and there has been no
affectation in the regret ne ha4 freely
expressed in making the change. EX-
pressing this regret to the writer yes
terday, his last day in the House, he
added:
sit ends a service which has been
agreeable and inspiring, and sewers
the relation with considerate and
generous constituency. But | take
away many pleasant memories, After
seven years service here | have a firm
and abiding faith in Congress. | be-
lieve that il is truly representative of
the best there is in American life, and
in large degree is composed of men
who are earnestly striving for the
public welfare. Through the widely
differing opinions there seems to me
to run current of devotion TO the
country. 1t is not confined to any
party or any section, and is the saliva
Cion of the republic"
He is admirably equipped, however,
for the new duties upon which he en-
ters. During the past seven years he
has been a member of the naval com
mite and on this account he has been
brought into intimate relations
with the great department over which
he is now to preside. A student by
nature and habit, he has made it his
business during all these years to
familiarize himself with all the details
relating to the support and manage
ment of the navy, and he will be able
TO take up his new work with full
ness of information touching all the
duties it will involve which few of his
predecessors have had. That he will
administer the Office with discretion,
energy and great wisdom nobody need
have the least doubt
w
Nearly every visitor who looks in
upon the House of Representatives for
the first time remarks that the major
ity of the members are much younger
men than he expected to see. AS a
matter of fact the average age of the
members IS forty-nine years. But
there are probably more under that
age than over it, a great number of
them being between forty and fifty.
Ralph Faxon, Mr., Longs secretary,
took the trouble to figure this matter
out in some detail recently and dew
eloped some rather interesting facts.
He found that out of the entire MEM
bership ffty-seven are men of forty
years or younger. OF the Kansas
delegation, four-Mr. Long, Mr..
Curtis, Mr.. Jackson and the writer
we're born in the same year. Mr.