The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-03
ODDITIES

her sav of himself in the sketches fur rishad for the compiler of the Congress eional Directory? The old member is apt to he brief-unless he be Senator Depew- and the new member is voluminous. The old member ordinarily states his party ahiliation. the date and place or his pirtn. his profession and the more distinguished public offices he has held, if any, conclud- ing with an enumeration of the Con- xresses in which he has sat. If he has seen service in the army-who is not proud of having been in the army?-he states his rank on entrance, his promo tion and gives the battles in which he fought. The new member, unless he has been tutored, wants you to know some thing of his ancestry; he likes to tell you he was brought up on a farm: that he worked his way through college. blowing during vocation;. he will furnish you q | list of his college honors; will tell you of his privations while he studied for the z bar: who examined him for admission; his large and lucrative practice; whom he married. the first time and the second time, perhaps. with the number and names of his children. boys and girls. His membership in secret organizations is duly noted and so carefully that one could almost fancy that the New and Improved Order of Renowned Whack-
  a seat in Congress for one of the broth erhood. Phenomenal maJorities, the new member sets gravely down and when a district is rescued from the days of the opposition he writes about it in a way that makes you feel sure he would love to see that particular portion of his sketch printed in bold-face type. The new member is at once subjected to an edu- cationAl process. He takes up his copy Nf hA xnJith l,t n printed on the cover. a name that looks up into his face with contended fond ness, as if to say, At last, dear John, we are where we ought to be and where if the district has good sense, 1t will keep us for many day. He turns, of course, first to that sketch-what sketch? Is there another sketch in the Directory oth- CT than the one he read aloud to his dear wife and children before it was dispatch ed to the Compiler at Washington. He reads this once rapidly and again less rapidly. He gets. the proportion in the il statement of his achievements and with a hurried blow of the eye satisfied himself that 1t looks right. reads right, sounds right he turns the leaves. The further he goes in this cursory examination the more steadily is It borne upon him that the really big fellows in Congress have the feast to say in these sketches about
 
 the Senate, March 4th, 1873, and has been longest in service there of any member. His biography is one of the briefest in the Directory Speaker Cannon appeared sn tlie House the same year and with the exception of the Fifty-1second Congress, has been there ever since. Half the sketch of him of less than seven lines. is taken up with an enumeration of the Congresses of which he has been mem ber.
 These glances here and there generally bring a graver tinge into the new Con- gressman's reflections. We know this, for invariably the next edition of the Direc- tory shows a sketch considerably toned down.
 Has it been said every sketch has been toned down? This does not apply to Sem ator Depew. His first account of himself sprawls upon the pages and runs riot: t continues to sprawl and run riot. In 1901 the Directory appeared in November. An event was to take place in the life of the Senator of deep import. He was going Ao be married in Decennber. This could not be omitted. Down it went as a fact accomplished.
 Running hurriedly through the volume, ''CongresAional Directory. Extraordinary SessEon 18th Congress-" and taking the sketches as they come. many grave and many uuuUFOus VIII De eH- countered. 1 omit quotation marks gen AraIly They can easily be supplied.
 And was in many battles" says Sem mtor Pettus of Alabama, speaking of his service in the Confederate army. And was in many battles" has Homeric ring.
 Senator Clarke of Arkansas informs us he was elected Attorney General in 1892, but declined a renomination and was elected Governor in 1894, declining a re- nomination to that office also. MT. Macon of that State has never known a home outside of his native county. Phillips; He was left an orphan when 9 years of age and without resources: was put to work on a farm, where he remained until large enough to shove himself away from the blow handles.
 Mir. Robinson of Arkansas was an cleo toral messenger in 1901 and July 4, 1902, defeated Hon. Sam NJ. Taylor for Con gress-he means tine nomination-by vote of 49 to 10. the proper vote of the district being two to one in MT. Robinson's favor. ! He defeated his Republican opponent at i the election, his vote being the largest Teceived by any Democratic nominee for Congress at that election in the State Oe Arkansas and his opponent the smallest received by any Republican.
 Mir. Wallace of Arkansas beat Floyd, Republican. overwhelmingly in the midst or an alI-uay uOWnpOur Ol rain through out the Seventh District.
 Senator Perkins, Republican, of Cali fornia, solemnly assures us that in Jan uary, 1903 he was again reelected on the first ballot receiving every vote of the Republican members of the Legislature. Senator Bard states the fact that he was the only Republican elector for California in 1892
 MT. Livermash Union Labor member from California studied law the better to understand journalism. MT Needham of that State was born in an emigrant wag- on in Nevada.
 MT. Lamar of Florida, who is urging the impeachment of a federal judge down there was elected Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives and declined the honor. most unusual circumstance surely
 Senator Hepburn of Idaho archly an- nounces that he was not affected by the silver craze of 1896 and was largely in- strumental in maintaining the Republican organization in his State during that cam paign and since. Mr. Emerich, Democrat of Chicago. began his public career in Maryland, being apointed ward commits longs to so many secret and benevolent orders in Chicago and has held so many positions in connection with these that the eyes darken and the brain reels as they are marshalled before you on the printed page. MT. Marsh of Illinois, confesses defeat for the office of States