The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-01-16
THEIR GIVEN NAMES.
Many Williams. james and Johns,
Bat Only One Solomon in the
House of Representatives.

There Is but one Solomon in the
Ftfty-eighth congress. He is a repub-
lican member of the house, from the
state of Pennsylvania. Likewise there
is but one Abraham Lincoln in con
gress. He is a republican representa-
tive from the state of Indiana. Yet it
would not be fair to infer that all of
the wisdom and all of the patriotism in
the national law-making body is to be
found on the majority side, says the
Washington Post. Indeed, the situa-
ton is somewhat relieved by the fact
that there are two George Washing
tons, n an Indiana republican and
the other an Alabama democrat, both
members of the house.
Many interesting things may be
found in the congressional directory if
one has the patience to read carefully
that more or less able collection of au-
photographers. Perhaps not the least
of these intel esting features is the an
alysis of the names bestowed by doting
parents on boys who have since reach
cd the congressional stage on the road
to fame, 1t would appear that to be
named Reuben, for instance. is to
handicapped in the race for high public
station, for there is but one member of
congress, so far as the directory shows,
who bears that title. On the other
hand, to be christened William is to
have the pole, as horsemen would say.
Reuben is a republican representative
from Pennsylvania, while there are SO
Williams in the house, 10 being repub-
leans and II democrats. Six of these
Williams are from the state of New
York, three each from Georgia and Hi
nots and two from Missouri. There are
seven Williams in the senate, making
43 members of congress who bear this
name by christening.
John m next, there being 40
Johns in all, 90 democrats and IL re-
publicans. making 81 in the house,
while there are six Johns in the senate.
John appears to be a favorite name in
the south, for there are three represen-
tatives of that name from Mississippi,
and two each from Missouri. Alabama,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
Next to William and John
James. there being 81 representatives
and four senator's of that name. OF
the 81 representatives. 13 are demo-
Gratis and is republicans. Other Chris
tian names in the order Of frequency in
which they appear are: Charles, rs
representatives and two senator's;
George. 81 representatives and two
senator's; Henry, II representatives and
four senators; Joseph, IA representa-
tives and seven senator's; Robert, II
representatives and one senator;
Thomas, eight representatives and five
senator's; Edward, nine representatives
and Frank seven representatives.
In the house Benjamin Franklin does
mt fare any better than George Wash
ington. Two members bear Ben's
name. an Illinois democrat and a New
York republican. There are two repub-
licans and one democrat bearing the
single name of Benjamin, however, and
one republican Franklin. Three demo-
Gratis and one republican are called Da-
vid. three republicans and n demo-
crat Frederick, and two democrats are
named Martin, while there are two re-
publican Richards. Names which natu-
rally would be thought common, but
which appear only once in the direc-
tory, are Rufus, Amos, Stephen, Harry,
Timothy, Oscar, Arthur and Walter.
There is but one Michael. Singular as
is may appear to observers of political
events, this Michael is a republican.
There is no Patrick. Among the men,
bers of the house there is one Jack, one
Sam and one Joe. They are from the
breezy southwest, where familiarity in
the use of names is not unusual. Jack
and Sam are Texans; Joe is from Ar
kansas.