Daily Kennebec journal., 1912-05-20


of Keeping their representatives at Wash
ington, and of promoting representatives
of long and efficient service to the
Senate"
These are but few of the public
tributes to Governor Burleighs stand
ing, selected as typical of the esteem
in which he is held both at home and
iE washington.
How is "influence" Acquired?
The Boston Herald, the leading in
dependent paper in New England.
in an editorial on Seniority in Con-
gress," has this to say:
"A mans standing in Congress is
gained by seniority. His influence
there comes from length of service.
New men, no matter how ambitious
and jealous, have very little influ-
ence. They do not and cannot be-
gin their work where their prede-
eessors left off. Speech making does
not bring them influence; work
brings it-committee work. Mem
bers work in their committees by
seniority. Besides, new members do
not get and cannot get, in the us
ual course of things, appointments
to the more important committees"
Truer words were never written. Add
to this analysis the elements of a fine
personal character. genial personality
and kindly disposition, keen insight in
to human nature, a ready appraisal of
men and their motives, and tact and
Judgment in dealing with them unsur-
passed ability as an organizer, untiring
industry, and a sincere and unselish
desire to be of service to his State and
country, and you have solved the Sc
ciet of the influential position which
Mr.. Burleigh has attained in Washing
ton.
Speech making alone, as the Boston
Herald Justly remarks. counts for but
little. The real work OF Congress, the
framing of important measures, COM
mittee hearings thereon, their discus
sion by the public press, the personal
interchange of views between members,
and ali those things which operate to
mould the sentiment of members of
Congress and determine their votes
these things take place not on the floor
of the House or Senate, but in the
weeks and sometimes months of work
precede their actual submission to vote.
Debate serves useful purpose in
making clear to the country and en-
balming in the public record the posi-
ton of the eontending parties There
are many brilliant orators in both the
House and Senate. but their oratory
rarely changes single vote in either
branch. The Senate often listens with
quiet amusement to the INSPIRED
bursts of oratory" of those new mem
bers who have not yet learned the
ropes" and who fondly imagine that
the fine sounding phrases of a political
stump speech are effective in influenc-
ing legislation in the national councils.
The United States Senate is not unac-
customed to talk. 1t is heard day in
and day out. for weeks. months and
years. The proceedings of a single ses-
sion of Congress often fill over 5000 of
the closely printed pages of the Con-
gressional Record, equivalent to per
haps over $4,000 pages of an ordinary
novel, and considerable portion of it
is talk. To actually and effectively in
fluence legislation, is matter of long
service and training, combined with
those elements which Governor Bur
leigh possesses in a pre-eminent de-
gree. Lacking these elements. a man
may fill many pages of the Congress
sional Record with his speeches with
out accomplishing anything for his
constituents. Possessing them, he
will get results.
2. What has the candidate actually
accomplished for Maine?
This is a most important considera-
ton. Words and promises count fer
naught If they are barren of results.
We start with Governor Burleigh's rec
ord in Congress.
The Re- -apportionment Contests,
In the third year of his service as a
member of the National House, the
question of e-apportionment arose
consequent upon the taking of the CEN
sus in 1900. Mr.. Burleigh was then a
member of the Census Committee, in
which, by reason of continuous service
he subsequently acquired the position
of ranking member.
1T was his membership of this COM
mittee which enabled Maine, at the
time of the last apportionment, to re-
tain four members in Congress instead
of being reduced to three. Ten years