El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-04

n ~ 4 Ill 1Ho AASTW
w and II new senators, the new
congress begins today it's ac
tive career in the capitol at Wash
ington. 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 is more marked
than at any opening session since the
civil war. Hale of Maine the erst-
while nestor Of the senate, is not
there. and in his stead is Charles F.
Johnson, the first Democratic senator
elected in Maine since 1S47. This is
the most radical of all the changes
perhaps, but it is indicative of the
nature Of most Of them
Long Service Is an Asset.
Notwithstanding the great changes
that become apparent today, it is a
fact that the congressional generation
is gaining in years. Many states and
congressional constituencies have
learned the truth that long service
usually is the most useful asset of a
member Of either house of congress.
and therefore they keep their men in
Washington year after year. Occa-
sionally one hears lamentation because
the modern member of congress is
not given the opportunity to stay in
Washington for full generation, as
were the statesmen OF the early days
Of the republic. An examination Of
the record does not bear out this as
sumption.
For instance, the congress begins
today the second decade Of the goth
century. The 18th congress began the
second decade Of the 18th century on
November 4. 1911. That was the
Young America" congress, elected by
the radical element that was crying
g.
Henry Clay, who already had served
in the senate. was a new member Of
the house and was elected speaker,
the only time in the history OF the
republic that a representative with
out previous experience in the house
has been elevated to the position in
which Champ Clark will today sue
coed Joseph G. Cannon The Young
America congress of 1911 represented
the concrete result Of a Landslide"
election. 1t had but three senators
and is representatives who had
record Of 10 years service behind
them; that is. there were only 19 MEM
bers of the two houses who had sur
vived the political storms of the first
10 years OF the century.
Today there are Is senators and SO
representatives who were in service at
the beginning Of the present century.
nat IlSdI1S liidI OSZ u the 0Sl repre-
sentatives and n Of the 90 senator's
composing the present congress have
begun their careers since the begin
ming Of the present century. now Just
10 years old.
The First Congress.
The first congress met m 1889. The
last congressional survivor Of that
body. in continuous service was sena-
tor Theodore Foster of Rhode Island
the seventh congress. after a total
service of 14.years In the 18th con-
gress. the Young America body that
met just 100 years ago, the Oldest
member was Nathaniel Macon of North
Carolina, who had served two terms as
speaker and VINO came first to the
second congress. This was his last
term in the house. rounding out ser
vice in that body OF % years. He
went to the senate in the next con-
gress and stayed there for Is years,
making a total congressional service
of 81 years, a record which stood for
half a century without equal In that
same 18th congress the next most ven
cradle member of the house had only
IA years service to his credit.
Cannor's 10th Term.
Today former speaker Cannon be-
gins his 18th term in the house. al
though his record for continuous SER
vice was broken when he went down
in the general Democratic landslide OF
1890 He already has served Sc full
years. and seems to be assured of SO,
the longest service any man ever has
had in the house of representatives
Representative II. II. Bingham Of
Pennsylvania 1.-The father Of the
house" today begins the duties OF his
18th consecutive term. while John
Palzel has had already "a fears of
continuous service and Serene E
Payne has had 26 years, broken by ore
defeat
Frye's Long Service.
In the 18th congress the father OF
the senate was Stephen r. Bradley of
Vermont whose service began in 1871,
and who therefore had been 20 years
a senator when that congress met In
the new congress assembling today
senator William P. Frye of Maine has
the record for long service. He came
into the senate on March u, 1881, just
little more than 80 years. ago; and
before that he had served five terms,
or 10 years. in the house of represen-
tatives. He is now. therefore. in his
41st year of congressional service. His
late colleague, former senator Hale,