The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-03-03
The Size Of Congress.


The Fifty-eishth congress, which met
in its fist regular session on Dec. Z, Is
the largest numerically that has eve.
met il the United States. The senate
consists Of 81 Republicans and 80 Dem.
ocrats, a total Of 80. The house con
tains 2O1 Republicans, ITS Democrats
and vacancy, making total of 1856.
While those figures seem large for de,
Lucrative bodies. we must lecoliect that
some in Europe are much larger. The
British house Of lords contains $50
members and the house of commons
go. The French senate contains 300
and the chamber Of deputies sol. The
German reiciistag has 400.
In 1889, when the constitution be-
came effective, there were but sixty-five
members of our national house of rep
resen;a tives, there being one for each
10000 Of popula ton. Since then the
ratio has been raised after almost ev-
cry census until now, since the census
of 1900, the average number Of con-
situents represented by each member
of the house Is 19I, 1872, according to the
enumeration made three years ago.
This is big increase, but it is not
very evenly distributed. For instance,
Names first representation in the house
consisted CT seven members. 1t has
now dwinlIed TO four. In 1920 Mis-
souri, came in with one and now has
sixteen.
It will be remembered that some
years ago a great committee of the
house went on an exploring expedition
to discover what the words 1.-The United
States" mean. Not very much was
added to the sum total of human
knowledge. Now Senator Benjamin
r. Tillman OF South Carolina is invit-
ing his compeers to go on another legis-
lative wild goose chase in order to
learn what "a recess of the senate"
means.
Hon. Perry S. Heath, ex-first assist
ant postmaster general and at pres
ent secretary of the national Republic
an committee, sticketh to his job closer
than a brother. He beats Aunt Jemi-
mas plaster in adhering. President
Roosevelt has intimated, so it is said,
that Perry should resign, but Perry
answereth, NAY, nay, Pauline" The
only way that Colonel Roosevelt can
break the hold of General Heath on the
Republican committee teat is to pry
him loose with a crowbar. Perry
In hot Gc&o Nd;
Bristow's report and the presidents
comments he is as good as any Repub-
lican on that committee, and he doesn't
propose to plead guilty to being worse
than his pals by resigning. Without
being prophet or the son of a prophet.
l make bold to predict that the commit
tee will not have the nerve to demand
Perry's resignation and in case of his
failing to resign to fire him. Perry
knows too much. He might peach:
hence Perry will stick.
When General Charles R. Brayton OF
Rhode Island sent out advance notices
of his intention to cut down southern
representation in the Republican ma
tional conventions 1 advised him in
these letters that he was tackling
larger and tougher proposition than he
imagined. 1t was easy to hold high
language up in Rhode Island about
what he would do to the Lily Whites
and the Black and Tans down south,
but when he arrived in Washington and
encountered all sorts Of opposition and
heard all sorts Of objurga tions-espe-
cially those Of the Afro-American
league-the general wilted and cooed
mildly as sucking dove He explain
ed that he never intended his reduction
process to apply to the convention of
1904. which was some relief to the
ravenous. tub to the whale. sop to
Cerberus. but proposed to begin with
1908. He not only cooed gently, but
became scared when the Afro-Amer-
lean league raised the cry that he was
endeavoring ito draw the color line"
'NOugh said. Plan dropped.