The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-04-13
BY LONG SERVICE
POWER IS GAINED
And Thus Influence to
Serve the State.
TERMS In CONGRESS
North Carolina Awaking to the Fact
That With Able Men in That
Body Changes are InadWsa-
bic. Object Lessons
Given.
(BY W. H. BAGLEY.l

Washington, D. c., April 12.-John
Sharp Williams, the Democratic leader
OF the House of Representatives, believes
that the strength of the South in Con-
gress is in the ascendency. Toe Cannon,
the Republican Speaker of the House,
holds his position at the heau of that
body on account of the very conditions
which John Sharp Williams cites as re-
sponsible for the hopefulness of the fu-
ture from the Southern standpoint. The
South is finally appreciating the value OF
time, the necessity of long-term Congress
men, who have learned the ropes ana
know how to pull the wires in order to
accomplish all that should be accomplish
ed for their constituencies. To explain
this docs not require a very long story.
The opinion held by the general public
as to the workings of the Congress OF
the United States Is erroneous. Having
undergone very great change in recent
years, people still think of Congress as
The great forum it once was where ques-
tions of public import and proposed leg
islation were fully and deliberately debat-
ed AMI in which debates any member OF
this, the greatest legislative body on
earth. was free to participate. In those
days ability was the only necessary
quality to rise to prominence and intlu-
ence. Then the membership OF the body
! was composed of a little more than half
the present total membership and was
nothing like so unweldly. .4e increase in
numbers, together with close majorities,
has brought forth rules of procedure that
make the House of Representatives
great machine, recording the wills and
wishes of only few Of it's membership,
sometimes only OF the President of the
limited States. This seems true about
the few matters of gravest import. The
work is done not in the open but by com
mittee and ratified or rejected by the
House: and in the brief hearings in the
Committee of the Whole as a rule, only
those who are members of the particular
standing committee representing the meas
ure under consideration can participate
in the debates. In fact if any other does,
it is by the grace OF the chairman or min
ority leader of the particular committee
having the matter in charge.
Influence today is obtained only by
committee assignment and place on i'm
portant committees comes only from
length of service; other qualifications of
course are considerations, but length of
service is the one important requisite.
These methods have brought about pos
sihilities of any one section of this coun-
try eXerting such an influence upon ma
tionai legislation as to be all out of pro-
portion to its representation. Importance
or comparative ability of those represent
ing it and only because 1t has kept its
Representatives in Congress for long
terms; that in turn has brought chair
manships or minority leaderships OF I'M
portant committees.
1 wls speaking today with an old and
| intimate friend of eXSpeaker Reed who,
though always a great admirer Of the
statesman from Maine, fully appreciated
the apparent mediocrity of the ex-Speaker
during his first term in Congress Reed
had difficult time becoming known, but
with the wears of service he became the
lwreatest power that ever held sway over
! the House of Representatives.
| The great influence exerted upon ma
| tional legislation by the four members
who represented the State of Maine has
made the names of Reed. Dingley, Bou-
telle and Milliken household words in all
this nation, and not the electorate but
death and resignation broke the power
of the Pintetree state The average term
of these four members was more than
eighteen years, and if you Take into ac-
count the Senators from the State, the
average service Increases TO twenty-five
years. Maine got what it wanted for
itself, to say nothing of its influence upon
all national legislation.
A few of the central Western States in
the present Congress offer illustrations of
the good that comes from long service.
Their influence today emphasizes this
subject. The State of Indiana with
Hemenway as chairman ef the Committee
on Appropriations, and Overstreet chair
man Of Post Offices and Postroads-each
with ten years of service behind him
with other members of the Indiana dele
cation who have desirable committee
places. Illinois, with Mr.. Cannon, a ma
ve-born North Carolinian, by the way,
and with thirty-two years of service on
the floor of the House behind him, has
the Speal.ershjp. Mr.. Hit (twenty-four
years. chairman of the Committee on
Military Affairs; Mr.. N,Graff chairman
of the Committee on Claims, has had ten
years of service: Mr.. Foss. with ten
years service. is chairman of the Commit
tee on Naval Affairs: Mr.. Smith. with
Continued on Third Page.)