Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-05-02
VIRGINIA coNGREssMEN.

Richmond Times Dispatch has the fol-
lowing to say of the Virginia Congress
mel
Representative Rixey, of the Eighth
district, took an active part in framing
the naval appropriation bill. He con-
sistenily fought the propositions to IN
crease all neutrality-suspicious., and while
he was invariably defeated, it is also
true that he succeeded in keeping down
the appropriations. He will be the chair
man of the naval committee when the
democrats secure the House. Mr.. Rixey
introduced a great many bills during
the session, some of which were enacted.
He made a strong fight for his bill,
providing for the admission Of COnfeder-
ate soldiers TO national soldiers homes,
but when he discovered that the Cooled
crate veterans themselves were fighting
the bill, he ceased to p,ess it. he viii
have it up at the next session, and 1t
would not be surprise if 1t became a
law.
Representative Swanson is the busy
bee of the House. One moment be is
seated at his desk listening 10 the de-
bate. In minute he. is on the other
side of the House urging republican
to see the error of the position On some
measure, and moment later is in the
cloak room, impressing his views on n
colleague who cannot look at pending
bill as Swanson does. Mr.. Swanson is
one of the bardest-working men in The
House. There is nothing which may af-
feet his district and the State of Vir-
ginis generally too small to receive his
closest attention, and be given his hard
est work; and within the next ten min
utes he may be at the north end of the
Capitol urging Senator Martin or Sena-
tor Daniel to help along a measure be-
fore the Senate, in which he was inter
ested when it was up in the House. 1t
is said that Mr.. Swanson can come to
Congress from the Fifth Virginia dis
trict as long as he chooses, which ls not
surprising, but he is determined to be-
come Governor of Virginia. sunny
tempered, always ready to laugh or to
listen to a good story, there is one way
10 which the ire of the nervous Filth
district representative may always be
excited. Just say to him that it is ru-
mored that he is about to announce bis
withdrawal from the race for the guber-
material nomination. That is a never
failing way of making Mr.. Swanson re-
veal his ability to get mad. 81 had
rather be defeated twice than stay whip
ped after being beaten once" IS
favorite expression. Mr.. Swanson is an
exceedingly valuable member OF Con-
gress. He is man of wide influence
on the democratic side, and be has much
to show for his work in past years, though
he has not obtained much legislation in
this Congress.
Mr.. HAY, of the Seventh district, is
one of the most prominent men on the
democratic side. alluded to the fact
Saturday that he had not missed one roll
call at the recent session. He reaches
the House early and stays late. If
there were to be democratic majority
in the next House of Representatives, he
would not be far from the leader OF that
body. Mr.. Hays resolution for the in
yestigation of the affairs of the Postoffice
Department, the only one of many intro
duced which was adopted, brought to the
House the information from the Fourth
Assistant Postmaster-G General implicat-
inc members in postal frauds, as that
official termed it, but in reality only
showing that they had worked to secure
all they could for their constituents.
Mr.. Hay made speech short time be-
fore the session ended, in which he pre-
sented facts showing that the civil SER
vice record of President Roosevelt, the
great apostle of civil service reform, was
far worse than that of any OF his prede-
cessors. and that he had had the
civil service rules suspended in order
to appoint friends to positions many
more times than Cleveland, Harrison
and Mckinley put together.
1t was chiefly owing to the efforts OF
Mr.. Hay that Senate bill providing foI
marking the graves of Confederate soldiers
who died in northern prisons was reported.
He also fought successfully for the bill
providing for national commission tC
: have charge of the national parks, and
succeeded in having incorporated In 1t
nrovision that one Of the commission
should be a member of the Army o
T Northern Virginia, thus insuring tha
all of the parks 10 be established IN th'
future should not be located on held'
fought over by the western armies
! Mr. Hay was one of the cOnferees on th'
army appropriation bill, in which capaci
ty he was instrumental in preventing
. large increase in the size of the army
G and also in preventing an approprl
c alton of two hundred and fifty Thousand
c dollars for the commencement OF con
9 struction of wagon road in Alaska
: which would have finally cost tn
n government FIVE million dollars. Mr.
Hay secured the passage of seyeralp pen
c sion and claim bills, and was th
patron of large number OF bill
affecting his people which never becam
laws.
CtoufIfnU Test