Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1908-10-02
How U. S. Senator's Work.

! Inc homes OF the various United
State Senators ut Washington are
looked upon rs the most interesting
centers Of social life and of political
activity in the capital.
Every Senator is member of half
dozen or more important committees.
Practically every bill introduced in
Congress passes through the hands
0t more than half a dozen Senators
before it becomes law. or before ac-
tion Is taken upop it in senate ut all
In addition IL the committee work
which is mainly in progress during
the session of Congress. always from
three To fJnr III Jnth> ont of the year,
are the commissions for gathering in
formation on great matters to come
before congress at the next session.
These commissioners are more exacting
from point of time than are the COM
mitt3c assignments and frequently Il
senator is obliged To take a trip half
way round the world in quest of
data and testimony required for safe
handling of the subject under cunsid.
Grafton by congress.
Such trips as that of Taft's to the
Philippines with the Philippincs
Commission, take many weeks. This
one alone consumed two months i'm go-
ing and coming, another month in the
| Islands, and weeks of work preparing
the data gathered while in the islands.
| Senator Morgan, of Alabama, whose
advoracy of the Panama canal was un-
tiring for quarter of Il century sat OH
~ many commissions that he simply
moved !rn's Alabama hi. home, and
| lived his whole time in Washington.
where the archives and records were
under his hand. Other senators imi.
tatcd him. Sherman of Ohio. who was
| almost great man every day of his
long life. spent less than two months
out of the year in his Ohio home,
though it WAS only IL nights journey
from Washington. James G. Blaine,
who WIS one of the greatest senators
that ever sat in the forum, spent almost
his entire life in Washington, and
year to retain his voting residence.
1t is practically impossible for
senator who has been i'll office very long,
to spend any of his time mt home with.
out carrying his secretaries with him
and working on governmental matters
while attempting To attend to his
private business, if he has anv, or TAX.
ing, what To some men, would bc a
vacation.
The cry has been raised in many
states that the u. S. Senator is soon lost
to his state through the fact that he
lives for such u short time in the state
William NJ. Stewart, honOrcd this state
with his presence about once in six
years. Jones lived in home at Gold
Hill that belonged to IA mining com.
pany. He did not pay the taxes on it.
Both these men came to Nevada i'm
early days, lived here less than dozen
years and bought Il seat in the u. s.
Senate from which they never returned
except TO buy it again.
The incumbcnts, Senators Ncwllnds
and Nixon. spend more time in Ne
vada than any senator ever did he.
fore. Senator Ncwlands especially
comes To Nevada Us quickly as posi-
bic after the session. when com.
mission work will allow, and spends
all his time ont Of congress ut his
home on the Truckcc river heights
In Reno. Senator Nixon has only
been in congress one session and has
not been drafted for much heavy
work yet. but his large business in
tcrcsts keep him out of the State
tho greater part Of the time. Scna
tor Ncwlunds, spends two or three
weeks year in San Francisco where |
he has property interests, but with /
the exception of the six months an |
nual residence in Washington ncccs !
sary to congressional work. the bal.
ancc of his time il spent in Reno, and
in travelling over the state looking into
irrigation and other matters in which :
he has hcCn the prime movcr.--Statc
Committee
g.