Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-04-13

from the pen of Frederick j. Has
kins, the we'll known Washington
correspondent:
With 1913 new representatives and
16 new seniors, the new congress
begins today its active career in the
capitol at Washington. The proper
lions 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 leg
sslative halls is more marked than
at any time since the civil war. Hale,
of Maine, the erstwhile nestor of the
senate, is not there, and in his ste
As Charles r. Johnson, the first demo
cratic senator elected in Maine since
1947. This is the most radical of all
the changes, perhaps, but it is indi-
cative of the nature Of most OF them.
Notwithstanding the great changes
that become apparent today it Is
fact that he congressional genera
6on is gaining in years. Many states
and congressional constituencies have
learned the truth that long service
usually is the most useful asset OF
member of either house Of congress,
and therefore keep their man in
washington year after year. Occa
eionally one hears lamentation be-
cause the modern member OF con-
gress Is not given the opportunity to
stay in Congressional HIM HIM sh b
stay In Washington for a full gen
Grafton, as were the statesmen of the
early days of the republic. An ex-
animation of the record does not
bear out this assumption.
.... History Repeats Itself.
For instance, the congress begins
today the second decade of the TWEEN
4ieth century. The Twelfth congress
began the second decade of the nine
2eendh century on November a. 1871
That was the young America" con.
gress, elected by the radical element
that was crying out for a second wal
with England Henry Clay, who al
r.ady had served in the senate, was
a member of the house and was cleo
ted speaker, the only time in the his
tory of the republic that representa-
tive without previous experience II
che house has been elected to thu
position in which Champ Clarke will
today succeed Joseph G. Cannon. Tit
Young America" congress Of 1871
represented the concrete result OF
Landslide" election. 1t had but three
senators and 16 representatives WHIT
had a record Of 10 years service be
mind them; that is. there were onl.
~ members of the two houses whit
had survived the political storms o
4he first 10 years of the century.
To-day there are Is senators and 81
representatives who we're in service
at the beginning of the present cen
fury That means that S22 OF tn
391 representatives and q of the g.
senators composing the present con
gress have begun their careers sine
the beginning of the present century
now just 10 years old.
Cannon Holds Record.
The first congress met in 17S
The last congressional survivor O
shat body, in continuous service wa
Senator Theodore Foster of Rhod
Island. who went out of Office at tn
end of the seventh congress, after
total service of IA years In tn
Twelfth congress. the Young Amer
ca body that met just 100 years ag'
the Oldest member was Nathani'
Macon Of North Carolina, who ha
served two years as speaker and VIII
came first to the second congress
This was his last term in the hous
rounding out a service in that bod
OF % years. He went to the senai
an the next congress and stayed thel
for Is years. making a total congress
6onal service of 81 years, recol
which stood for half a century wit
out equal. In that same Twelfi
congress the next most venerab
member of the house had only
years service to his credit.
Today former Speaker Cannon b
gins his nineteenth term in Il
house, although his record for co
1fnuous service was broken when
went down in the general democrat
landslide of 1890 He already
served SO full years. and seems to
assured of 3S, the longest servi
any man ever has had in the hou
OF representatives.
Renresentative II. H. Bingham