Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-03
OLD MEMBERS
IN EWC0NGRESS
Ex-SPEAKER KElFER MAKES
APPEARANCE
Some Of the Present Senators and
Representatives Who Were
With the ohIoan In Pre-
vlous Sessions
Special Correspondence to The Herald

Special Correspondence to The Herald.
WASHINGTON, Nov. ga rather
tall broad-shouldered man. with gold
rim glasses and the air of n gentleman
like western farmer, carrying a small
leather satchel hardly big enough for
more than two packages OF tea. walked
into a lea ling Washington hotel the
other night. Approaching the desk. be
succeeded in registering before any one
recognized Gen. j. Warren ISeifer, who
welded the gavel over the Forty-sev-
enth congress.
The former speaker OF the house,
after a lapse of over a quarter Of a
century was reelected to the Fifty
ninth congress from the Seventh Ohio
district, having made his campaign
chiefly on the Crumpacker idea Of re-
ducing southern representation in con-
RresS. Those in a position to know
declare that Mr. Keifer's efforts along
this line this winter will be unavailing,
especially If he is relying on any COM
Tort from the administration as Mr.
Roosevelt has many irons of his own
In the fire at present and will incur no
needless opposition among southern
congressman. Gen. Keifer re- enters the
world of politics and begins his career
anew He has received something Of
that consideration and respect which
was shown to another and older re-
turning speaker, Galusha a. Grow Of
Pennsylvania
Death sweeps away the figures in
the moving row Of politics so swiftly
that an almost forgotten person emerg-
ing after long disappearance is apt
to find no welcome. In the senate there
are still a few of the men who sat in
II when Keifer was speaker. Maine
still sends Frye and Hale Platt and
Gen. Hawley of Connecticut are dead
as also are Sherman, Benjamin Harri-
son, John A. Logan, Vance, Wade
Hampton, John ]. Ingalls,, James b.
Beck, Justin Morrill,, Voorhees,, Isham
G. Harris, Ransom, the witty and amia-
Bile Vest, whose enfeebled body tried to
punish him for the brilliancy of his
mind; Window. Hoar, David Davis, in
dependent, who was president pro tenn
of the senate and acting vice president
and Malone, readjuster, who was
smoked out in dramatic style by Ben
Hilf of Georgia, who for lofty satire
keen inVective and invincible rejojnder
rose to those sublime heights seldom
if ever, equaled on the floor OF the sem
ate.
Leading Senators
Among the living senators of that
congress who still. .adorn the scene are
Morgan. Allison (with his forty years
of public service), Aldricll. Teller and
German. And on the retired list are
that noble Roman. Cockrell, George p
EdinundS. Henry Gassaway Davis and
Henry w. Blair, who breathes great
philanthropies from New Hampshire,
which loves him too much to send him
to Washington again.
1t was a time of angry debates. close
decisions. great partisan bitterness and
still more intense bitterness between
the Stalwart and halfrbreed wings of
the Republican party. Conkling and
Platt of New York quarreled with Gar
field and resigned their seats in the
senate with contempt The assassina-
ton of Garfield soon followed and
Arthur was president. Tho Republican
majority in the house was of the scan
tiest. In the senate it was nip and
tuck-thirty-se Democrats and
thirty-seven Republicans.
The so-called tidal wave of 1882 cut
down the Republican representation in
the house from 152 to 11S and swelled
the Democratic side from 130 to 1876
In view of the conditions, there was
nothing to be wondered at in these
changes. Speaker Keifer. therefore,
had a hard task. But those old ami
mosities, so noisy once, are silent now,
and the words "stalwart" and half