The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1909-01-09

States Influence Weakened 10y
the Recent Deaths.

Louisiana through the death. first
Of Gen Meyer, and then of Re
preventative D"vey Both were
senior members of the committees
on Naval Affairs aud Interstate
and Foreign Commerce. SeninIi
ty counts in Washington Dis
tricts that send a man for one, two
or three tel ms do no. get the con
sideIatiOu that do those that send
their men for indefinite periods
1t is no reflection on Judge
Watkins, who succeeded to the
vacancy Oh Naval Affairs rreate!
by the death OF Gen Meyer that
he can not have the Influence that
his predcc. ssor ba lie has not
been here az long
Very little come. To til. man Of
sheer ability who happens to be
elected to the House. That body
is worse than the Senate in insist
ing that the youngster shall serve
his apprenticeship. 1t is organ Il
Ell and managed on the theory thar
unless a man has an indefinite
lease on his seat he Is a negligible
quantity. He will bc Out IN Il
year Or two.
What is a man who may ieas.n-
ably expect to serve even four
terms III comparison with Cannon,
Bling ham, Dalzell, Hepburn and
other men who have served from
eight to seventeen and eighteen
term? Nothing. 1t is only after
a man has been elected for the
fourth time that the leaders begin
taking notice of him. A hustling,
bustling chap like Burke Of Pen
nsylvania may, in two terms, if
his backing at home Is very strong
aud if he is good advertiser Of
himself and his works, get pretty
far in the public eye and he may
even attract the eye of the Speak
er, but in a contest between him.
self and some of the veterans the
is lost.
MIR. Davey was the ranking
member 70" the minority on the In
terstate and Foreign Commerce
Had the Democrats
been in power he would have been
the chairman instead Of Hepburn. |
The rate law would be called the
Davey Law instead Of the Hepburn
av.
Representative BrOussard hopes
70 be named for one of the vacan-
lies on the Ways and Means Com
nittee caused by the retirement
# Representatives. Cochran Of
New York and Granger of Rhode
sland. Thus far Champ Clark Of
Missouri, the new Democratic
eader, has not openly said what
10 intended doing with regard to
hose two places Privately he is
aid to have remarked that a
prOtecti0nist can hardly
Ope to he placed on the committee
0 fill a vacancy caused by the re-
'rement Of a Northern Democrat.
Clark himself is a very low tar
i man.. The lower the better 1t
'0uld suit him. He is not even
Filling to accept the palpable fact
hat the Republican protection
Octrine has become practically
he settled policy of the country
nd fight for the interests in his
tate. In that he differs from
le Louisiana men, who view the
latter IN i sensible light by argu.
g that they would be foolish to
ot do all they can to get the high
It measure Of protection for the
|terests of their section possible.
The Democratic leader can
ace a refusal to appoint MIR.
roussard on the ground that the
'utbern Democrats are fairly
ell represented on the committee 4
w, and thus avoid raising the
sue IA to whether it is meet TO!
Louisiana Democrat to proceed
ION the assumption. after the .
untry settles on the protective
'llcy, to get the best he can for
) constituents.
Clark regards himself as
utheln man, and he thinks he
II remain on the committee in
lad of taking the place on rules
" held by DE Almond. The