The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-19
FARMERS AS SOLONS
They Have a Bit the Best Of the
Cities When It Comes to
Statesmen.
The Personnel Of Congress Shows the
Heavy Men Come From
Rural Districts.
From The Journal Bureau, Room 45, Post Build
ing. Waahinrton - ~.


ing, Washington.
washington, Sept. 15.-When 1t comes to
representation in congress, the farmer has the
best of It, The most influential, because the
m pom a ahs senators and
furnish dismally disproportionate number
This is apropos the protest sent up by the
cut in recent magazine article, and gener-
ally In eastern publications. Whatever he
may be in other respects the farmer does
tors.
A few examples will illustrate The speak
er Of the next house will be Uncle Joe Cam
takes pride in his farmerisms, and all his
talk and personal habits SAVIOR of the SOIL
He is the most powerful single personality
in the popular branch
The committee craftsmanship which Can
non resigns-.-perhaps the most important in
the house-the committee on appropriations,
one of the most rural districts in Indiana.
1t embraces the famous county of Posey,
also Pike, Gibson, Spencer etc., and Hemen-
way himself comes from the village Of
Boonyille.
The house committee on foreign affairs
has long been presided over by Robert R.
Hit, Of Mount Morris, III. He is a native
of Ogle county, and represents one Of the
richest farming districts in the Mississippi
valley.
Other men whose names are familiar to the
in congress-are the following rural repre-
sentatives: Serene Payne, Auburn, N. Y,
chairman of the ways and means committee,
Grosvenor, of Athens, Ohio, Of the rules
committee; James D. Richardson, of Muir
freesboro, Tenn, leader of the minority;
Charles E. Littlefeld, Of Rockland, Maine,
who was conspicuous in the trust legisla-
| ton and powerful speaker on several occa-
| sions; James A. Tawney, OF Winona, MINI,
VINO Is nd member d OF q tne CO. IN
Der of the committee on rules in the next
congress; Militant P. Hepburn, of Iowa. In
the senate there are from rural enyiron-
county county l farmer; stephen ,. Eikins, Of the
town OF Elkins; William P Frye. president
Nelson, Of Alexandra, MINI; Thomas c.
Platt, of Owego, N. Y; Redfeld Proctor, OF
Proctor, VT. BENJAMIN R. Tillman, Of Tren-
ton, S. c., and Albert ]. Beverage, coun-
| try boy brought up on farm in Illinois,
and finally a settler in Indiana and resident
| of the overgrown country village of Indian
! apolis.
These are few names whose familiarity
! bear witness to the position their bearers
/ hold in national legislation. They might be
| multiplied, and all the most conspicuous
| figures in national life in this generation
| gone over, and scarcely a man mentioned
4 from: one OF the great metropolitan centers
Mckinley, Reed and Dingley were all sent
| try school teacher. The. present secretary
/ of state came from rural Illinois. There Ii
no occasion to go back to Garfield or Lin
A Turn to the New York city delegation ant
!. name them as they come. See how man!
have become Industrious. Here they. are
Storm, Fitzgerald, Bristow mot the fourth
assistant postmaster general, who is coun
try editor), Hanbury Wilson, Lindsay, Less
Ter (of naval scandal flannel, Dreamer, Gold
Clelan, Belmont, Douglas and Rupert.
/ Any name to conjure among those?
And even the delegation from Chicago, witt
| the exception of James R. Mann and Henri!
Sherman Boutelle who has begun to play
part in national legislation, there is no burn
ing luster shed by the names Of Feely, vii
son. Foster, McAndrews or Mahoney.
There ara a few exceptions to the rule tina
city members do not count. Senator Aldricl
is from Providence, R. l.; Hanna is from Cleve
land Ohio, and C Ca Dep sg,r is from p
as his home, but he is practically Phila
delpnian,
Country eongressmen are much closer t
i man sends out ten times the volume Of liter
4 ature to his district that is sent out by tn
city congress nan. There are thousands o
the number CT tteir district, who the
1 congressman is; in the country every farme
mas more or less of personal Acquaintance
with his congressman. Country congressmer
are held closely to account for all their pub
lie acts; the voters in their districts know
how they vote on every important measure
1 ingly. The average country congressman il
better informed on all public matters than Il
i the average city member. He voices great
! er and more intelligent interest il
such matters than is found in the great
4 er municipalities. The city congressman i
4 ephemeral, He comes and goes and ever
4 if he is an intelligent man and able to maxi
an impression he is not often kept in con
gress more than long enough to serve an ap
premiership. The country districts know tn
. value to themselves of congressman VIII
has been in Washington long enough to lear
4 the ropes, and to work up to a position in tn,
legislative organization where he has som
power. The cities, passing around the homo
as reward to members of political una
chimes" are practically not represented. N
man is allowed to remain long enough, evel
If he mas ability, and it is must be admitte
that in majority of instances the city mem
Der is no match for his rural colleague il
education or native ability. The best intel
lfgence Of cities is not represented by tn
men who are picked out by the politician
to do the representing. Generally the cit
glad enough to quit after one or two terms
. To use the vernacular, he has not been ST
! it, at any stage of the gam~