Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-06
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
Seniority in Congress.
(Boston Herald.)


When YOU have good man. keep
him This is automatic in business:
it should be 80 in politics. But the
policy of change and change about is
too often employed without due re-
gard to the quality of service that is
rendered to the public. The congress
sional elections are coming on, as well
as the presidential. and Boston will
do well to act upon the axiom. II it
has a good man in Congress. keep MIN
there The reason is not merely that
such a man should be rewarded. but,
what is of far more importance, that
his constituency, and his city, may
benefit by his experience.
A mans standing in Congress Is
gained by seniority. His influence
there comes from length of service,
provided, of course. that it is the right
kind of service. New men. no matter
how ambitious and Jealous, have very
little influence. They do not. and
cannot begin their work where their
predecessors left off. Speech making
does not bring them influence. work
brings it-commttee work. Members
rank in their committees by seniority
Besides, new members do not get, and
cannot get, in the usual course or
things appointments to the more i'm
portant committees. These appoint
ments go to the tried men. who. by
length of service, coupled with ability.
are chosen in the House for the
vacant places. Some constituencies
know this and act accordingly. some
constituencies ignore the fact and gain
nothing by ignoring it. In fact they
lose weight i'm the councils of Con-
gress by frequently changing their
representatives simply to crafty the
ambitions of local politicians. Boston
loses in this way. .,,... .
There are many congressman who
have served several terms. Some
have served five terms. some SIX.
eight ten Mr. Sherman, the Repub-
lican candidate for the vice-presi-
dency. has been in Congress twenty
two years. or eleven terms: Mr.,
Dalzell. of the committee on rules. has
been there twenty years; the Speaker
is serving his thirty-fourth year, Mr..
Tawney. the chairman of the COM
mittee on appropriations, has served
sixteen years: Mr.. Payne. chairman of
the committee on ways and means.
dore Burton. chairman of the rivers
and harbors committee, has served
sixteen years; Mr.. Foss, chairman Of
the committee on naval affairs. has
served fourteen years Mr. Mccall,
chairman of the library committee. IS
serving Sis sixteenth year. and on the
important committee of ways and
means he ranks next to Dalzell. who.
by seniority, is second. What is true
of Republicans is also true of Demo-
Gratis in Republican Congress. Sem
iority determines their places in COM
mittee as representatives of the minor
ity party. John Sharp Williams has
been sixteen years in Congress.
Champ Clark sixteen. De Almond is
in his ninth Congress, Jones of Viz
gina is in the ninth. Livingston of
Georgia in his ninth. Bartlett OF
Georgia in his seventh. and six other
Democrats in the House have served
as long: twenty-five are in their sixth
term, eleven in their fifth, seventeen
in their fourth, and thirty in their
third term Seniority is absolutely
essential to the influence of minority
members in the House. Minority
members cannot obtain chairman
ships. but seniority ranks them in
positions where they can effectively
serve their party and their country.
If policy be adopted whereby the
representatives are withdrawn after
two or three terms, the constituencies
are at a disadvantage, because the
new member cannot begin where his
predecessor left off He must begin
at the beginning. Constituencies
should remember this.