Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-04-14
The New Congress.

eight new representatives and six
teen new senaorS, the new con-
gress begun its active career in
the capitol at Washington. The
proportion of strange faces Is
greater than has been seen at any
opening of congress for a score
OF years; the absence of familiar
faces in the legislative halls In
more marked than at any open
ing session since the Civil war.
Hale of Maine, the erstwhile
nestOr of the senate, is not there
and in his stead is Charles +.
johnson, the first Democratic SEN
ator elected in Maine since .1847.
This is the most radical Ofall the
changes, perhaps, but is is indica-
tive of the nature of most Of
them.
Notwithstanding the real great
changes that become apparent to-
day, it is a fact that thescOngre-
slonal generation is gaining in
years. Many states and congress
siOnal constituencies have learn
'ed the truth that long service us
uahy Is the most useful asset Of
a member of either house of con-
gresS, and therefore they keep
their men in Washington year
after year. Occasionally one
hears lamentation because the
modern member of congress- is
not given the opportunity to stay
III Washington for a full genera
tion, as were the statesmen of the
early days of the republic. An
examination OF the record does
not bear out this assumption.
For instance, the Congress be-
gins today the second decade Of
the twentieth century. The 18th
congress began the second decade
OF the nineteenth century on No
vember, 4, 1911. That was the
Young America congress, elec-
ted by the radical element that
was crying out for second war
with England. Henry Clay, who.
alerady had served in the senate
was a new member of the house
and Was elected speaker, the only.
time in the history of the reRub-
lie that a representative without
| | evlOus experience in the house
has bean elevated to the position
in which Champ Clark will sue
ceed Joseph G. CannOn. The
Young America" congress of
1911 represented the concrete re- :
suit Of a Landslide" election.
1t had but three smatOrs ald'six-
teen representatives VIII o had a.
record Of ten years service. be-
hind them; that is, there were
only nineteen members of tile
two houses who had sHrvited the
political storms of the first ten
years OF the century.
Today there are fifteen. sena-
tors and fifty-nine representa-
tlves who were in service at the
beginning of the present century.
That means that 322 of the '391
representatives and seyenty-sdwen
of the ninety-twO senator's COM
posing the present congress have
begun their careers since the be-
gming of the present century.
D
now just ten years old.
The First congress met in 1889.
The last congressional survivor of
that body, in continuous service
was Senator Theodore Foster Of
Rhode Island, who went out Of of
flee at the end Of the Seventh
congress, after total service OF
fourteen years, In the Twelfth
congress the Young America"
body that met just a hundred
years ago, the Oldest member
was Nathaniel Macon of North
Carolina, who had served two
terms as speaker and who came
first to the second congress.
This was his last term in the
house, rounding out q service in
that body of twenty-five years.
He went to the senate and stay
ed there for fifteen years making
a total congressional service Of
thirty-seven years, a record which
stood for half'a century without
equal. In that same Twelfth con-
gress -he next most venerable
member of the house had only
fourteen years service TO his
credit.
Today former Speaker Cannon
begins his nineteenth term in the
; house, although his record for con