The Washington times., 1902-05-20
Senator Jones Will Be Missed.

Senator John Percival Jones of Nevada,
who has informally announced his pur-
pose of retiring TO private life at the ex-
piration of his term, March 4, 1903, will
then have served thirty years continuous
ly as member of that body He is one
of the two Fathers of the Senate the
other being Senator Allison of Iowa They
we're sworn in together on the 4th Of
March. 1878. and are among the Oldest
Senators in point of years. as we'll as in
length of service, although neither looks
it. Mr.. Jones is seventy-two and Mr.
Allison is seventy-three years OF age.
Senator Jones has been an interesting
and somewhat picturesque character in
Washington public life. but so far as his
public acts have indicated he has never
been interested in any subject except that
OF finance. incidentally he has made his
influence felt when tariff bills were under
consideration, but the money question is
the one that has commanded his atten-
tion at all times.
Like his colleague. Senator Stewart, Mr..
Jones has had his ups and downs in a
financial way. first being very rich and
then very poor. At present he has hopes
of being rich again. At one time the
Joncses were a striking figure in the So
cial life of Washington, but of recent
years they have taken little part in the
fashionable life OF the Capital. The Sem
ator. in fact. has spent much Of his time
away from Washington for the past ten
years, and 1t is only occasionally that he
has appeared in the Senate
Formerly he was much given to speech
making on financial questions, and once
talked for four days, delivering one of the
most profound and exhaustive addresses
on the financial question ever made in
Congress.
For over twenty-five years he has been
chairman of the Committee on Contingent
Expenses, and as such must o. x. every
voucher for expenditures authorized by a
resolution of the Senate. In former years
the appointment of pages and other en-
ployes connected with the body were also
subject TO the approval of the chairman
Of this committee, and Mr.. Jones, in his
long service. has signed away a vast
amount of public money. His chairman
ship of this committee accounts for his
frequent and regular visits TO Washing
ton. IL has been noticed for many years
that Mr.. Jones would appear in the SEN
ate for a day or two. and then disappear
for the rest of the month. To the un-
Alt4ilsL'i lufS' bNfdHiuudl VISITS Were ]
mysterious. but the old Senators have un-
derstood.
The Senate contingent fund is a very |
elastic budget. and no complete report I
of its receipts and expenditures is made I
public. Mr.. Jones knows more about IL .
than any man living. and perhaps when I
he ceases TO be Senator he will tell .
what he knows. He is a genial kindly .
man. and a great story teller. but little .
known to the new men of the Senate. He /
will be sadly missed. however. from the |
cloak rooms end committee rooms. MIR.
Jones was barn in Hertfordshire. Eng
land, in 1880. His parents settled in Ohio
about a year later He lived in Cleve-
land for a few years after concluding his
common school education. before moving
10 Gold Hill, ,Ncy-, where he became a
miner, and aiterward Il bonanza mine
owner.