The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-20
INDIANA is NOW WELL
REPRESENTED IN HOUSE
Four Members of the Republican
Delegation at Head of Impor-
tant Committees.
HEMENWAY AT FRONT
One Of the Five Men Who Com
pose the Kitchen Cabinet"
of the Speaker.
HEMENWAY AT FRONT
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 19.-Indiana now oc-
cupies the center Of the legislative stage.
In the present Congress the voice OF the
! State will be heard in the legislative coun-
ellis of the Nation as ii never has been be-
fore
| Indiana is one of the pivotal States OF
the Union in political sense. When party
representations are making. up their figures
| in national campaign, anxious eyes are
directed toward Hoosierdom.
LAS New York goes so goes the Nation.
| That is an axiom that used to be accepted
| by politicians of both parties. So promi-
| nent political prophet as General Gros-
venor, of Ohio, cannot be induced to pre-
dict that the Republicans will carry New
York next year. But he claims Indiana.
1--WE may win without New York." he said,
''but We must have Indiana"
Indiana's place OH the political map has
! long been fixed. But in legislative affairs
the State has not exercised, until the past
few years, the influence that her population,
| immense resources and power as political
factor warranted.
For many years the East dominated both
| branches of Congress. The reason was APP
parent. Old States like those of New Eng
| land and many of the Middle Atlantic group,
had a habit of retaining in the national
| legislature men who had been tried and
| found fit.
| In the Fifty-fourth Congress Maine had
four members in the House Of Representa-
| tives. The State then held the speaker
| ship and four of the most important chair
manshlps In the House organization. Maine
stu! has four members, but she does not
| a r. ai rr1na 1Ghi In he
| tlfty-fourth Congress Maine was repre-
sented in the House by the big four
| Reed, Dingley, Boutelle and Milliken, all
| veterans with years of service behind them.
| To-day the State is represented by raw ma
| terial. They must take their places at the
| foot of the ladder and work upwards as
| did their distinguished predecessors.
| The East no longer controls in the House.
1t has been superseded by the more siren
| uous and vigorous West The speaker comes
| from Illinois and the chairman of the COM
mittee on appropriations is an Indiana man.
The States OF the Middle West, and some
in the Far West are following the policy
of the older commemorative of the Atlantic
coast In retaining their representatives In
Congress, term after term. In the case of
example In the present Congress-the re-
ward of such policy is enlarged power and
| influence IL the legislative branch of the
federal government.
To-day Indiana has four important chair
| manships in the House organization. The
| State heretofore has had a greater num-
the Forty third-but they were of minor i'm
portance. At no time before has Indiana
had representatives at the head OF such
committees as appropriations, postoftices
and post roads, census and printing, held
| respectively by Hemenway, Overstreet
Crumpacker and Charles b. Lands.
| Experience makes statesmen" said an
old leader recently. Some of them are
naturally equipped but most Of them are
the product of evolution. Mckinley was a
| terms. So, also, were Dingley, of Maine.
Cannon, Of Illinois, and others who might
be mentioned. Experience brought these
The position of Indiana in the House to-
day is due 20 the continued service Of the
the State viii participate In the considera-
ton of all the great public questions press
ing for action. Indiana, cooperating with
four or five of her sister States in the Mid
die West is in position TO exercise DOM
| mating influence on the legislation of the
lower branch Of the Fifty eighth Congress.
More than 81. 500, 900 900 were appropriated
in the Fifty-seventh Congress. OF this
enormous expenditure the committee on ap-
preparation authorized nearly billion dol
lars. Appropriations is undoubtedly the
choicest plum in the House organization. 1t
is a working committee at all times, 1t is
overshadowed by ways and means only
when measures affecting revenues are under
|
and the committee on appropriations pro-
vides the wherewithal. All Of the great
most of them are handled by the commit
tee on appropriations. In years gone by
this committee had jurisdiction over all
bills INVOLVING expenditures of public
much power was centralized in one COM
mittee, and finally several of the appropria-
ton measures were assigned to other sub
divisions of the House organization. But
the committee on appropriations still has
the lions share of the work. 1t drafts all
the deficiency bills. the pension appropria-
tions, the legislative, executive and judicial
bills, the District of Columbia bill, and the
sundry civil. the biggest reported to the
| House.
The chairman of appropriations is one of
the active floor leaders; in fact. in the past
three Congresses, especially since the death
| of Dingley, of Maine, Joseph @. Cannon,
former chairman, bore the brunt of the
work in leading the Republican member
ship. Payne, of New York, carried the rib
at the head of the committee on ways and
means, but It was Cannon who came to the
rescue when the battle was the hottest.
Xxx
James A. Hemenway, of Boonville, Ind,
chairman of the committee on appropria-
tons, represents Speaker Cannon on the
floor of the House. He has already demon
strated his ability to hold his own with the
best speakers of the Democratic minority.
1t was stated in a recent publication that
of the four or five mon who comprise the
Kitchen cabinet Of the speaker that Hem
enway was the only one that had not been
tried. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Hemenway served his apprentice
ship under the watchful eye OF the Illinois
man. Ii is true that there is warm friend
ship between Cannon and Hemenway, but
the latter's elevation to his present position
is not due to that fact. In selecting men
for chairmanships in the House, friend
ships were not considered by the speaker.
He desired a successful administration as
presiding officer, and in perfecting the or
ganization he worked with that object in
view. Hemenway was selected for the chair
manship, first. by reason of hfs rank, and
secondly, for fitness The latter qualihca-
motion than any thing else. No one knows
the capabilities Of Mr.. Hemenway better
than Speaker Cannon.
Speaker Cannon IS not regarded, even by
his most enthusiastic friends. as a brilliant
man. He won his spurs after long years OF
service. In a certain sense Hemenway is
such a man as Cannon, especially In the
possession OF good, hard common sense
tactfuness. rugged honesty. ability to meet
and handle men, and in the confidence he
II impartS TO those with whom he comes In
daily contact. Hemenway is not an ex-
pertinent he has arrived, not at the full
zenith of his powers practical legislator
and floor leader, but as a known quantity
to successfully fill the position which he
now occupies. He is as popular with the
Republican membership in the House as