The new era., 1910-08-18

sons and to inability to get Office compelled to
geturn home.
There are plenty of evidences that former rep
resentatives who have chosen after having once
been defeated in the home district, to stay away
from the native heath. not altogether free
from the criticisms of the home people, and per
haps there is no reason why they should be. When
who has spent his entire life among GER
tain people is weaned away from them by short
residence elsewhere, 1t seems that resentment
springs, and few denials probably will come to the
statement that good many of the former Off
ciala who stay in Washington in preference to go
ing home not without frequent lntimations
that the people back in the district regard them in
some degree deserters
OF course there are exceptions to every rffie
aud in the case of senators and representatives
Of long service. who are poor and perhaps too
old to the practise of the law, or to take up
again their mercantile business where they dropped
1t to their constituents there is excuse for
the acceptance of Office in Washington in order
that the way of old age may be smoothed
Then again there the cases OF men who
have been in Washington long representing
their states, or their districts, that Washington
has become their real home, and here they stay
after change of party administration has re-
moved them from representative office
OF the men who stayed in Washington because
the place was like home there should be men
toned former Senator Stewart, Silver" Stew
art of Nevada, who died recently. He was no
TED figure on the Washington streets all through
CONGRESSIONAL
s1,ars of his retirement prior his death. Stew
s hair and beard white as the snow
the top of the Nevada mountains but until
within few hours of his death he was apparent
ly as strong as any tree that grows below the
mountain timber line.
Frequently the former senators and represent
atiyes who live in Washington appear upon the
floor of congress. They have the right there 10
appear because of their former services. There
is one marked and shining exception, however, to
this rule of occasional return to the chamoer
where the Legislative service rendered When
Senator Spooner of Wisconsin left congress IN
1891 to be gone six years, he declared that ne
would never appear upon the floor OF the senate
while he was out of office, nor would be go TO the
capitol unless his professional business called MIN
to practise before the Supreme Court Spooner
kept his word. He always had objected 10 the ruie
which admitted former senators to the floor OF the
senate. He did not say so, but he thought that III
some few the lobbying opportunity mlght De
too strong to be resisted by some OF the senators
who were not above using their personal infiu-
ence with their former colleagues on behah Oh
specific legislation.
In the spring of 1907, John c. Spooner resigned
from the United States senate After the SIX years
of his absence from congress was ended ne hao
been returned again to the upper house. but In the
spring three years ago he resigned to enter the
prictse of law. Since the day that Senator spoon
left for this supposedly the last time, ne mas
not been seen in the senate of the United Sta<es'
nor has he been seen in the corridors OF the cap
itol. He is in law practise in New YORK, ana oc'
casionay he comes to Washington, but unlike
many other former representatives ne shuhs lne
actual scene Of his legislative activities
Gen. Charles Grosvenor of Ohio, who was IN
the house of representatives for years, ana VINO
was considered Of its most picturesque chaf.
actelA a man lively and energetic In debate and
appeAing personal qualities. stays In the BUCK