The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-05-05
(By United Press)

proud mother who wants her son
to grow up and become statesman
can gain valuable information as to
the proper procedure by consulting
the Congressional Record. The
biographies of the representatives
of the people give the clew.
In the first place, the aspiring
parent ought to choose the honest.
rugged name of William. There are
more congressman with this cogno-
men to the square inch in the
house of representatives than any
other-50 out Of the total of 1893.
John Is also favorite, with 81
bearing that front name in the
present membership. But William
is better. bill" sounds good with
the masses.
Thirty-one members answer to
the name of Charles; % to that of
James; II were baptized Joseph;
Is bear the surname of George;
there are II Henrys: 10 Thomases;
2 Roberts, and the same number
of Franks; 5 Edwards; 4 with the
historic George Washington" as
their two first names, and one who
scorns adornment and calls him
self plain "Jack"-Beall OF Texas.
Then, too. the far sighted par
ent should carefully choose an oc-
cupation for the child destined for
congressional fame. BY all means
he should be lawyer-there are
245 legal lights in the present
house, which is away and above
every other profession. Second
choice is newspaper work.
Twenty graduates of journalism
or proprietors of newspapers are
members. There are 10 who con-
fess to farming in their biOg-
raphies, IA bankers and lumber
men or manufacturers of forest
products. There are three telegf
raphers, two practicing physicians
(who by the way always get well
advertised whenever anyone is sud
denly taken sick around the house
chamber, as "Dr. So-and-So, men,
Der from Such-and-Such state, at
tended the patiently and one actor
Julius Kahn, of California, who
still affects a poetic flowing tie and
Is given to gestures.
or course, it's possible for men
with other professions to break
into congress-John X. Tener, OF
Pennsylvania, u professional base
ball player at one time, for in
stance, achieved the feat. And so
did Representative Anderson, of
Ohio. who, like the heroes In Oliver
Optics books, arose from the hum
BILE walk Of newsboy and boot
black. Murphy, Missouri, and
Cushman, of Washington, both are
proud to write In their little biog-
raphies that they were at one time
railroad section hands. There are
quite number who declare they
were cowboys and cowpunchers.
To be a real representative of
the people, however--especoially II
one comes from rural district
It sounds best to be able to state
in biography that "he was born
and reared on the farm"
Exactly 81 representatives claim
this distinction in the latest edition
of the Congressional Directory.
Two others---Webb of North Caro-
lima and Carter of Oklahoma
how, have this beat to a FRAGILE, ="
when they first saw light In a log
cabin. That is master stroke.
Needhan. of California, has dis.
tinction which he makes much of
In his biography-he was born on
an emigrant wagon enroute to the
great state of California.
When an aspirant for congress
sional honors is able to tack a war
record on his career 1t undeniably
helps. The Largest biography in
the directory of congressman
that OF Representative Keifer of
Ohio, who tells about himself In n
matter Of $50 words-has a whole
lot ABOUT services IN the Civil and
Spanish-Americau wars. Keifcr,
however is the only eX-speaker
now member of the house. so he
Is entitled to devote little more
space to himself than anyone else.
The nearest approach to this Is
Soutnwick, OF New York. with 450
words, and Soutnwick wasn't even
war veteran, let alone an eX,
speaker.
Speaking of wars. Il is noted that