The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-05-28
THOSE NEW MEMBERS
How Eighty-TwO Worked Their Way to Congress
washington Starr

Here is the story OF how elgnty-JWO
boys came to congress. These four
score and two lads whom we shall con-
slider are the new members of the pres
ent house of representatives. From
their careers in general we can draw
many deductions, although they are
mixed and motley company. possessing
among them well-nigh all characters
tics American, which means cosmopOl-
itan.
The road to congress is often a maze
and a labyrinth. hard and strong trail
through the slough of despond, and
through gates guarded by hungry
lions. Again, it is a short and velvety
path, at the rear end Of which the goal
looms UP with a surprising suddenness
and with little less Of the sweat Of the
brow. Yet, after all, there seems to be
beaten path, one we'll worn by trav-
elers who have tramDed ii for years.
who have cleared through the wilder
ness a bare, winding road. which others
may follow If they but start right and
equip themselves for the journey
The toll gates along this beaten path
are the law Office, the prosecuting It
tOTney's Office, the state legislature. In
other words, If we should reduce what
new members tell of themselves to a
diagram Of cuTveS-aS the scientist does
when he condesCends 10 impart his pro-
y y
we find that the crests of the curve
represent these milestones mentioned.
Six Out of Ten Lawyers.
Six and one-haIf out of each ten Of
our new legislators are lawyers con-
siderable majority. This. no doubt. is
as il should be- for the makers of our
laws should be lawyers themselves.
While dUlling the Imagination Of the
brain upon which 1t rests and sapplng
all Of the poetry therefrom, the bar
riSter'S wig has ever been welcome
ornament in great legislative bodies
So. then, young man. in your journey
Congressman enter through the gate
labeled law" Though the toll is cost
". the road viii he suTer thar that
shorter cut through the tUTnstiie along
side, where there is no fee TO re paid.
but a DO lUs. perhaps, to tempt YOU.
But after entering this gateway of the
law YOU have ycur choice of two paral-
lei lanes. the law school or the stu
dents ante-room Of the lawyers Office.
Of the lawyers among the new mem
bers of the freshly assembled house
there are twice as many who have been
admitted the bar through the law
office as those who have come in
through the law school. But IL is dan
gerous to draw a direct deduction here,
as the majority Of these BOYS grew up
school. and the greater part Of them
read their BlaCkstune's book in the
days when law schools were few. and
state laws as to admission to the bar
were lax, as they are still in a few
states.
College Men in Minority.
Less than a haIf Of these boys got
TO cOlIege-Onlv four out of ten were
so fortunate. Hence we did not. uOon
the basis Of the data at hand. mention
the college as one Of the stepping stones
along the most beaten path. Yet It
would have been safe to say that
large majority would have made great
er speed toward their goal had they
dOnned the gown and mortar board,
but in that event the goal Of many
would very likely have been a higher
pinnacle even than the dome of the ma
tiOnaI capitol Nearly all Of those who
nave sheepskins received them from
colleges that are obscure. Only five
passed through our great universities.
and one vas graduated at Annapolis.
Three out Of five of those who were
admitted TO the bar were later elected
to some legal office. The greater num-
Der of these became town. city, prose-
cutting or district attorneys. Eight be-
came judges of some sort No Office
open to the young man I'm his imme-
date community can try his mettle
more. can render him more Conspicu-
Gus to the public eye than that Of pros
ecuting attorney. If he DleaSes the
popuIace in this role il seems to be his
fate, in what We might term the aver
age case. to be elevated to the legisla-
ture. and, in some cases, directly TO
congress.
Legislature Great Training School.
OF all elective offices which have
helped these young men to congress
that Of state legislator has been the
most potent stepping stone. Three out
Of eight have thus represented local
constituencies for higher legislative
services. A state legislature is a mlnia-
ture congress. and no other training
school could so we'll At for a seat in
the capitol at Washington either law
yer or layman. Other public offices
which have lifted these men TO con-
gress are lieutenant governor. mayor.
postmaster, police commissioner, alder
man, prison commissioner, school SUI
perintendent. health officer. prOthOnO-
tary, court clerk and city clerk.
Many Were sehooImasters.
The schoolma stership, next after the
attorueyship, was the opening through
which the next greater number Of these
boys passed on toward success. One
days. and thus served his apprentice
ship in leadership Of fellowman. To a
considerable number the school room
was but a vestibule to the law Office
Some read law while teaching, others
taught to save enough money for a
college course.
AZ 10 the remaining vocations that
served as steps upward we find that Of
finanCier figuring in sixteen cases; far
mer in fourteen; merchant in eleven;
soldier and journalist, six; manufac-
turer, FIVE: mine owner. four; physician
and railroad man. three; druggist. pat
ent medicine manufacturer, fruit grow
er, lumberman and day lab0reT, two;
stone dealer, nurseryman, milliner,
drug clerk. bookkeeper, carpenter, slate
picker. carriage builder, carriage
PAINTER and blacksmith, each one. A
very large majority are married, a da-
tum to be well digested by those pes
tered by the congressional bee. Six are
foreign born, and over three-fouTths
were born in the states which they