Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1910-07-02
WHAT HAVE THEY
DONE FOR STATE2
West Virginia Representatives 10
Congress Are Failures.
YET SOME ARE INFLUENTIAL

They Have Accomplished But Little
For Constituents Who Sent Them
There Correspondent of Wash
inston Says That a Change in Rep
resentatives Would Be a Benefit.
Washington, June 27.-Just at the
adjournment OF Congress. when the
administration papers all over the
country are asserting that the Con-
gress was about the most remarkable
that ever assembled in respect to
achievements, and when the Presi-
dent is being held up as being unsur-
passed by any other President In the
amount of legislation he has had
enacted, it might be we'll for the West
Virginian to pause and consider in
what way he has been benefited by
the second session of the Sixty-first
Congress.
When a firm employees a man 70
look after its affairs, 1t watches very
closely his accomplishments. 1t goes
over his work periodically and IL he
lis accomplishing all the firm expect.
ed or more, he Is continued in the
same position, perhaps with increas-
ed salary. If he has failed to DO that
for which he is employed, he IS noti-
fed to seek for other work and an
other is placed in the position to see
what he al do.
The maintenance OF representa-.
tives in the Congress of the United
States is to a state a good deal like
the employment of representatives
by a business firm. And II is well
for the people of a state now and
then to stop and ponder as the EN-.
ployer of the business man would do,
and figure out whether it Is profit
able to keep the same persons in the
same places, or whether some other
one could not do better.
Senators Elkins and Scott have
been represented as holding impor
tant positions in the United States
Senate, and they do hold such posi-.
lions. There are few more infuen.
tial men in the Senate than Elkins
And he Is even more OF a power
there since the passage OF the rail
road rate bill which he introduced
and worked so hard to get through
He Is scarcely second In influence
to such men as Aldrich and Lodge
and in the event OF their leaving the
Senate he would doubtless become
the real leader of the Senate.
Senator Scott Is a powerful in.
~iuence on the public building and
pension committee. He Is u good
"log roller" and gets many favcrs in
exchange for favors granted. He is
a regular and a sta~nd-patter of the
strongest type and this stands him
in good stead with many of that fac.
ton of his party. AS a member for
years OF the Republican National Com.
mittee, he is in touch with the In
f~iuential men OF the dominant party
and Is in a position to accomplish
much for his constituents.
Among the members Of the House
from West Virginia, Representative
Gaines is regarded as especially
strong with the Speaker and conse-
quently in a position to do much in
the way of legislation. Mr.. Sturgiss
Is so highly regarded by the Presl-
dent that the latter is said to have
taken an active part in shutting of
opposition to Mr. Sturgiss' re-nomi-
nation. Mr.. Hubbard is said to have
been backed to a considerable ex-
tent In his candidacy for the Senate
by the President showing his in
fuence. Representative woodward
is a close personal friend Of Speaker
Cannon, vino put him on the rivers
and harbors committee to show his
favoritism for him. Representative
Hughes stands we'll with the crgani.
cation OF his party. having been pick
ed for West Virginia member of the
Republican Congressional Committee
and having been made chairman OF
an important committee by Speaker
Cannon.
Not one OF these men IL too mod
est to admit, in a confidential way.
that his denomination would mean
more to the people of the state than
anything which could be done for
many years by a new member In his
place. With the exception of Mr.. Elk
ms, whose campaign has not yet
started, and Mr.. Hubbard, who has
voluntarily given up his seat in Coz
gress to aspire to the o~enatorship,
each of these is now a candidate for
reelection, and all are running on a
platform asserting the Importance to
a constituency of having old and ex-
perienced members to represent them
and Of important public services rem
dered.
The uHacfior ear MynrA yTtwcyfugan.