The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1906-04-13
INFLUENCE IN CONGRESS.
Depends Largely on Mem
bers' Long Tenure in Office.
WEST SHOULD TAKE HEED,
Follow the Example of the Eastern
States.
From Northwest Press Association

From Northwest Press Association
In recent speech IN the Senate
fayorirg the joint statehood bill,
Senator Hopkins, of Illinois, said
that the west seemed to think 1t was
necessary to admit Arizona and New
Mexico as separate states in order to
| maintain balance Of power in the
Senate. Carter of Montana immedi-
ately pointed out that the west was
divided and that there was no unan-
unity of opinion on the question. A
little later Hopkins was talking
about men who were long In the ser
vice Of the Senate, civilian M.
Evarts came to the Senate with
reputation as the leader of the Amer
ican bar" he SAID. "He had been
| Attorney General and Secretary Of
State, and although senator of the
| great and wealthy state Of New York
| he was placed at the foot Of the
| judiciary committee and a man from
| the little state of Vermont domi-
mated the committee" He also called
attention to the state of Wyoming,
saying: "The census Of 1900 gives
that state population of 92, 900, and
yet her people have had the good
sense and good fortune to keep her
senators here term after term, until
today the junior senator is chairman
of the committee on military affairs
and the senior senator is chairman of
the committee on the judiciary. And
I submit, Mr.. President, that these
senators from the west who are rest
i've because the larger and more I'M
portant committees of this body are
controlled by the east and New Eng
/ land ought to appeal to their people
to keep them here, as the people of
Wyoming have kept their senators,
until through length of service they
can acquire an influence in this body
+, that will protect the rocky mountain
region without perpetrating such an
injustice against the great middle
west as the admission of Arizona and
New Mexico would be IL admitted as
separate states"
Hundreds of instances could be
cited where men from small and
relatively unimportant states have,
/ on account of their long tenure of
, Office in both the Senate and House,
dominated the affairs of both Houses
to such an extent as to secure greater
benefits from National legislation
than their states were entitled to,
and at the same time states possess
ing immense wealth and resources
and in great need of legislation have
gone neglected. Iowa is today pro-
badly the most favored state from q
standpoint of national legislation ir
the Union. Allison has been in tht
> senate thirty-three years and can ge
. for Iowa anything he desires. In th'
. House Iowa has the veterans Hull
e Hepburn. Lacy and Cousins. Eacl
of them the chairman Of an import
le ant committee, and with tenure o
sr Office Of from eight to twenty years
The secret, If it can be called secre
i of Iowa's predominating influence !
n both Houses of Congress is that sh
has selected plain hard-worklng me
as her public servants, and has cor
n. tinued to return them term afte
v term.
l. This is true Of many other states
ed but more especially of New England
A short time ago probably no sta,
was SO we'll looked after as Connect
cut. She had o. H. Platt and Haw
ks ley. Each at the head of an impor
v. ant committee 10 the Senate. The
of are both now dead and new men ha'
lrs been selected to take their place
he So today Connecticut has no more II
l fluence In the Senate than Utah.
" is said in Washington that eve
duck pond and creek In New Englar
1t has been cleaned out by GoyernmeI
as, appropriation, and it is almost tru
Is The newer states of the Uni(
Igs have always manifested tendency
ale frequently change their represent
nd ton, and for that reason they ha