The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-11
At The CAPITAL,
Senator Long Of Kansas Has a
Peculiar Honor.
Assigned to Committee Room
Once Used by Daniel Webster.
WORKING FOR EMPORIA
-" ---t-~-e
Efforts Being Made to Secure
an Appropriation.
Would Erect Needed Addition
to Federal Building.
FOR EMPORIA


mer committee room of Daniel Web
ster, the expounder of the constitution.
Members of the delegation, when the
news was gently broken1to them, had
the doubts about living with the senior
senator after this disclosure of an his
torical fact; but time has proved that
he Is very modest over the glory and
renown of the room in which he daily
labors.
Mr.. Scott was inclined Ito be rather
jealous of the historical room occupied
by the senator until he, too, fell into
an Enclosure whose four walls possess
ed some fame. The committee on ag-
riculture is an old, old room, and
adorned by frescoing, beautifully
tinted walls. etc. There is one grand
scene Of Cincinnatus as he received
his call from the pillow to repair to the
forum and greater glory, and the artist
left his name and the year 1854 in the
corner of the scene to prove to posterity
and to Mr.. Scott that he, too, has some
thing to brag about. -
Up to date, no other members of the
delegation has been able to produce
anything in the way of SURROUNDINGS,
decorations, and the like, to match Sen
ator Long and Mr.. Scott; so they stand
out conspicuously and somewhat to the
envy and jealousy of the rest of the
delegation.
Senator Longs room is on the first
floor of the old capitol. west front, ov-
avenue, near the center of the build
ing. 1t is in the first stage of the
capitofs growth. The original build
ing of really ancient history is that i'm
mediate1y beneath the dome-although
In those days there was no dome. 1t is
the part that was burned by the British
during the war of 1912. 1t is now prin-
cipally occupied by the rotunda. where
all the famous paintings are, and a few
committee rooms, of which Senator
r .,er,s, to
wings, shortly after the war of 1912,
where the house and senate met for
many years. This was in Webster's
times, and the famous debates We're in
those days The senate chamber of
then is now the supreme court room of
today; and the hall of the house Of rep
resentatives is now statuary hall, that
great Valhalla, or reposing place OF
marble and bronze heroes of different
states. After the war of the rebellion
came the present house and senate
wings. in the meantime, the great
dome was constructed. -
The advent of William James-not
William pgs-Bryan, United
States senator from Florida appointed
by his friend, Governor Brownard, is,
awaited by the capitol, the attaches,
and the sightseers, with more than
usual interest. Senator Bryan Is not
yet 32 years of age. will be the young
est member of the great body he will
enter. and is not two years past the
constitutional age at which senator
may enter that body.
For the past ten years, Albert J.
Beyeridge has held the record as be-
ing the youngest man at the time Of
entrance into the senate. He took his
seat in 1899, being at that time but
Burkett of Nebraska and Nixon of
Nevada were but 35 at the time of
election to the senate. This made
each of them. at the time he became
a senator. a man of more than usual
interest. 1t was particularly true in
the case of Senator Bailey, who had
been for eight years previous a mem
Der Of the house of representa- tives;
and Senator Burkett had served six
years in the house. But real boys in
the house are not so unusual as in the
senate.
is Simon Guggenheim of Colorado. He
reached his fortieth birthday during
holiday week. Senators Burkett and
Nixon are each just past forty.
Very young senators were not I'M
usual in the early history of the gov
eminent. but for many years, barring
the few examples cited above, there
have not been many youngsters. Mid
die aged men largely make up the
membership of the senate, though
there are quite a number of>very old
men. Among those Of middle age in
the forties and fifties, are the Kansas
senators, Long and Curtis, the for
mer Al and the latter nearly 4S.
OF the old men Of recent years, two
passed away during the past summer
who held the age cham pionship for
many years-Pettus and Morgan of
Alabama, IS and SO years respectively.
They were the nestors of the body,
and, though Senator Morgan was quite
feeble in recent years, Senator Pettus
was active mentally and. physically
practically up to the time Of his death.
The death of the Alabama senators
did not greatly deplete the ranks of
the clusters, however. There are left
such as these: William Pinckney
Whyte of Maryland. Germans sue
cessor, who will be senator until 1903.
and who is nearly 81 years of age; /
Allison of Iowa and Stephenson of
Wisconsin, each in his seventyninth
year, and Plat and Depew of New
York, Frye and Hale of Maine. Proc
tor of Vermont, Teller of Colorado,
Collum of Illinois, and Burrows of
Michigan. ranging from seventy-one
to seventy-eight years
tors are both feeble. though Depew
has partly regained his health. ALL
son was sick much of last winter, but
does not show the effects of age or
at present He is one of the
most robust appearing senators among
the old men. and is a candidate for re-
election Stephenson Of Wisconsin
may not remain longer man 1909, the
period of the unexpired Spooner term.
FRYE and Hale will remain in the SEN
ate as long as they live. and each is
good for many years of very hard
work, yet, apparently. Next to Ali
son, Hale is probably the real SEN
ate leader with all the work that
fact entails Teller will retire when
he is 10, in 1909 Collum has only re-
Gently entered upon his fifth consecu
tive term in the senate. Burrows
looks good for many more years.
Representative Miller and Senator