The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-04
CLOSING CONGRESS.
Big ApprOpriatIOus-The Siren
uous Old and Young.

Washington. March Much has been
said during the past eighteen months
about the rise of brilliant and strenuous
young men. Citizens, old. middle aged
and young, have had it drummed into
their heads by newspapers, magazines
and orators that the present is a strenu-
GUS age in which youthful statesmen
and business men are eroWding out
their elders, and taking the reins of adj
miniStration into their own hands.
Probably the youthfulness of the chief
executive, which is made apparent from
time to time in acts of impulsiyenesss
has had much to do with this feeling
that the young men are coming to the
front and the old ones must take
back seat" Perhaps it is high time that
there be called to the attention of the
American public the fact that young
men do not have it their own way al
ways and entirely. The old heads are
quietly thinking things out in their
methodieal. calm way, and they are
quietly having their say in most eff
feetiVe manner. There is not much
splurge about It, but they cast their in
fluence in this side of the scale or that,
according to their best judgment and
preference, and, whichever way they de-
eide, the decision IS very often final.
Such is the case with the present con-
gress. The wonderful experience and
ripened knowledge of the most influ-
entail of those veterans who are here as
the nations selectmen is just as much
a feature now as it has been heretofore,
though there are some brilliant excep-
tions.
The cratic citizen. George Francis
Train, was asked d few days ago, on his
sixty-seventh birthday. how old he was.
Like a shot from a pistol came the
words: Sixty-seven in years: ACT in
experience" This chara cterfstic answer
of the talented citizen would hardly be
an exaggeration if applied to some OF
the wise men of the United States sem
ate.
one member of the senate is 81 years
OF age: ten over "A: thirteen over 81:
and only seven under so OF the 357
congressman, there are only ffty-seven
under so years of age. Forty-three are
over so One is 80: another rs, and an
other =. Ten in all are more than 81
Senator Pettus of Alabama, is 81 years
old, Just twice the age Of the youngest
member of the senate, Mr.. Beverage, of
Indiana. Mr.. Pettus has seen the Uni
ted States grow in territory and popu-
lation. He was an officer in the Next
can war, rising thereafter to the rank
of brigadier general. He has been a
delegate to every Democratic national
convention since the Civil war except
the first and last one. and was elected
senator in 1897 with practically no OPP
position.
Alabama evidently retains its conf
dence in men who bear the burden Of
age. Her other senator, John T. Nor
gan, is the second Oldest in the upper
house of congress. a coincidence is that
they both come from the same town,
Selma. which is only little place
Senator Morgan has had a great CT
reer. He DractiSed law, was an officer
in the Confederate army, advancing to
the rank of brigadier general, was cho-
sen a presidential elector for his state
Al large in 1876. and voted for Tilden
and Hendricks was a member of the
commission appointed in 1898 to pre-
pare a system of laws for the Hawaiian
Islands. Twice he visited Hawaii. He
is now serving his sixth term in the