The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-07-12
Leaders of House Usually Jakes'
It Is a Curious Fact That Most Of Those in the 'Front Rank"
Class Come from the Rural Districts.
~ aoDERIck

/ ~ RoDERIck CLIFFORD.
| Washington, July Ibid you ever
Observe" remarked . veteran en-
ploye Of the house. that the members
Who are ranked as leaders on both
sides OF the chamber hail as a rule
from what are termed country dis
riots? OF course not; for the eason
,sat when a member looms up in the
;dblic eye the people speak of him
snj OF his state; not of his district.
Tut the fact is, the member who is
! spoken OF as a leader, and SO looked
,pon by his colleagues. represents a
/. Constituency largely composed of
farmers. And this explains, in a e
ire, why the agricultural class gener-
al!y get the legislation they demand.
Now. there is Speaker Cannon. He
! is the republican leader and for years
has held a front rank position in the
House. He comes from a country dis
,rict. Then there is Mr.. Payne of
New York. His district is largely agri-
cultural. He is the republican floor
leader. and has held that responsible
position ever since the death of Mr..
Dingley of Maine. Next to Mr. Payne
in point of influence. m Mr.. Taw-
ney of Minnesota, and Mr.. Smith OF
Iowa. Farmers constitute the major
ity Of their constituents, and it is the
farmers votes that keep them in the
house. Even Mr.. Dalzell of Pennsyl-
yania. while he comes from the great
busy city OF Pittsburg, part of his dis
trict is agricultural. and it is in this
part of his district where the opposi-
ton to him is strongest.
On the democratic side of the house
you will find by glancing over the
congressional directory, that minority
leader Clark, of Missouri represents
for the most part farmers. They keep
what they want and knows just how
to get it. Then there is Mr.. Under
wood Of Alabama. He represents the
Birmingham district which contains
many craftsmen, but it's the men who
till the soil who keep him there. Mr..
Burleson of Texas, and Mr.. Clayton of
Alabama, who take prominent parts
in the proceedings, belong to country
districts and they have made good as
the record shows.
Now and then a member from a city
district will be kept in the house until
he quits of his own accord. And it
is but fair to say that in such in
stances the member from the city
makes good in his leadership. The
late Speaker Randall of Pennsylvania
and Representative Bingham Of Penn
sylvania, is another Of this class. He
is the father of the house by reason of
his long continued service, and up to
within the last few years he took a
most prominent part in the house pro-
ceedings. II the cities kept their rep
resentatives as do the farmers the city
folks would fare better in the matter
Of legislation"
An Official of the United States SUI
preme court, talking to a party OF his
friends on the subject of the recent
railroad legislation, made this observ-
alton.
1T is a mistaken idea to suppose
that congress does not respond to the
desires Of the people for laws to cor
rect abuses which exist in the minds
OF the voters. A close study of the
statutes will show anyone that con-
gress has never hesitated to pass laws
So far as the laws being constitutional
we're concerned, the law makers never
lost any sleep on that account. They
wanted to make a record that would
meet the approval of their constit-
uents; the court could pass on the con-
st%itutionality Of the law.
That is what you will witness with
the railroad law before many o
Questions as intricate as railroad con-
troll by the government should not be
rushed through congress, but should
be considered in all its phases. But
the desire to hurry up and get through
the public business precludes the con-
sideration that such an important
measure should receive, and hence
it follows that the courts will soon be
called upon to pass judgment on the
work of congress. You will find this
true of nearly every important law
enacted by congress during the past
% years. The most notable case, you
will admit is the Sherman antitrust
law and its application to labor un-
IONS"
Congress proved to be rather liber-
al in the matter Of public buildings FOR