The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-30
BANKHEAD ON BIG COMMITTEE May Get Place on Rivers
 and Harbors. IS A MUCH COVETED PLUM Many New Members for the Next
 Senate. New Senators Are Not Usually As- signed to Important Committees.
 Must Walt and Take
 Their Turn.
IS A MUCH COVETED PLUM
BY A. J. sroFER.

Washington. June )- When Captain Bankhead takes his seat in the Senate next December. as the successor of the late General John T. Morgan, he will. of course, not be for tunate enough to be assigned to any of the big committees of which Sera- tor Morgan was a member during the close of his long and brilliant career. New senators seldom get anything along this line to boast of.
 The Senate Commerce Committed will have one Democratic vacancy It, was brought about by the defeat of Senator Berry, of Arkansas, by Cover nor Jeff" Davis. This committee ham dies the river and harbor bill after 1t is passed by the House. It is barely possible in view of the fact that Cap tain Bankhead served on the House Rivers and Harbors Committee so many years that some of hia Demo- cratic associates might be willing to step aside and let him have the place. but 1t is not probable. Na
 Senators are too keen and anxious to be assigned to a committee that deals with appropriations for the im- provement of the waterways of the country. Senator Clarke of Arkansas, for instance would have, under Senate usages the right to demand this eonn- mittee plum. He is from a section of the country that not only Is so greatly interested in river improvement, but is from the State Colonel Berry repre- scented for so many years. and the chances are he will be given the pref erence over all others, In the last Congress MT. Clarke served on the fol- lowing committees: Canadian Rela- tions, Civil Service and Retrenchment, immigration. Mines and Mining. Terri- tories and Transportation Routes to the Seaboard, Immigration and Terrl- tories are the only two worth serving on, the others seldom have meet ing
 In this Congress there will be no Democratic vacancy on the Public Buildings and Grounds Committed. There is a field in whicn Captain Bankhead is thoroughly at home, for in the last Congress he was the rank inR Democratic member of the House committee. But as Congressman Liv- ingston, of Georgia. remarked the oth- CT day, Captain Bankhead has had an experience that will be valuable to him as a senator. Although he will not be able to have important committee as- signments during the first two years of his term he will be in a position to continue work along the lines he fol- lowed for so many years while a menl- Der of the House, and which all who know him, agree was of such great benefit to the South.
 Made Few Speeches.
 Captain Bankhead. during his terms as a member of the House, made very few speeches Indeed, they could hard ly be called speeches They were mere ly explanations of items in bills in which he and his constituents were deeply interested. He worked dili- gently in the committee rooms and his efforts as a rule brought forth results.
 In this respect he will be the very opposite of the late Senator Morgan, for the latter probably during his thir- ty years in the Senate probably con tributed more pages to the Congress ional Record than any man who served in that august body. And just here it is timely to note that since the death of General Morgan, numerous refere- e ces have been made to hls attitude towards the Panama Canal. Some of the papers of the land have tried to make it appear that because Senator oMrgan could not carry his point in having the Government select the route for a canal through Nicaragua, he endeavored to thoroughly discredit the Panama project. That Is an er- roneous impression. General Morgan's speeches and interviews will prove that.
 And by the way 1t will doubtless be of interest generally to recall that shortly before the late Senator Hanna sprung the proposition to buy out the rights of the French company in the Panama scheme the assertion was made on the floor of the Senate that 1t was a hazardous thing to attempt to dig a canal through Nicaragua. by req son of the fact that the country was voIcnnous. and if the ditch was ever successfully dug 1t was liable Ut any moment to be blown up. senator Nor gan set to work at once to enliShte1 inc Senate and the country on the sub iact of volcanoes. He had only few days of preparation. It was astound- Ing to his hearers. The greater DOT tion of his very long speech was off- hand. It filled many pages of tho Re cord There were jaw-hreakins names in it. too Once before General Morgan had made a long speech on Tn- dian affairs. That speech was fuil Of Indian names.
 Before that the official stenograph- CTS had always boasted that two men they renorted never revised their re- marks-Senator Morgan and former Senator Edmunds of Vermont. Thy smoke so clearly and distinctly and oc- cupving front seats. it was not neces- sary to have them look over the proofs. The reporters could record accurately every word they uttered. But nor so when it came to Indian names and vol canoes.
 Even though he could not carry hls noint. senator Morgan always believed the Panama Canal could ultimately be buiIt. but as is well known he stirred m Lawyer Cromwell and others at a lively rate, and had he lived until next session he was fully bent on contin- uing his investigations of affairs down on the isthmus, for he stoutly / T. tended that unless Congress kep, close eve on operations the Coy ment would be defrauded and the& pletion of the canal delayed Th
 years.
 Senator Bankhead will not be the only man on the Democratic side who prefers committee work to making speeches. There's Senator Taliaferro. of Florida. Having had a thorough business training he is equipped for