The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-21
Adam Brown Littlepage,
Champion Autobiographer
of Last Congress, Yields
Palm to William Howard
Thompson.

The new Congressional Directory. cop
tanning the autobiographies of all the
Senators and members of the House.
made its appearance yesterday. The fact
that there is an unusually large batch OF
new names makes the volume more In
teresting even than usual.
Lawyers continue to outnumber all
other professions in Congress. In the new
House there are go lawyers, and the Sem
ate has seventy-four lawyers, out OF
total of ninety-six members
The political makeup OF the Senate rs
officially classified as follows: Demo-
Gratis, 81; Republicans. "A; Progressives.
i. Total. S.
The House is classified as follows: DEM
Gratis, go; Republicans, 1T; Progressive
Republicans, z; Progressives. 3; Independ-l
ent, i; vacancies, one. The vacancy VIII
shortly be filled by Democrat from the
Charleston Is. c. district.
AS near as can be learned from the de,
scription given in the biographies OF
members of the House, their occupations
are as follows: There are 80 lawyers;
rs business men of one kind and another,
including bankers, manufacturers, brok-
ers, and real estate men; 10 profess to be
farmers; there are "a newspaper men, In
GLIDING editors and publishers; there are
doctors and Is who would probably be
called educators; / iron moider. iron
worker, ! steamfitter, / horticulturist,
authors, ! soldier, ] naval architect,
lawyer-miner, a hotel proprietor, den
fist, an electrician, a halter. a chemist,
civil engineer, a printer, pharmacist,
and telegrapher.
The Senate is made up of seventy-four
lawyers, thirteen business men, four
newspaper men, two doctors, and three
who call themselves farmers.
Thompson Now .Champ."
Adam Brown Littlepage, of West Vir-
ginia, carried off all honors at the be-
ginning of the last Congress as an auto
biographer, and knows how to boost
himself Adams name is missing from
the new directory. But he seems to have
q worthy successor in the person OF
William Howard Thompson, the new
Democratic Senator from Kansas.
Just to forestall any doubt that may
arise as to the authorship OF the Do
graphical sketches in the directory, the
following note, appearing in fine type at
the bottom of the first page, is given:
Biographies are based on information
furnished or authorized by the respective
Senators and Representatives"
William Howard Thompson begins by
informing the country that he Is the
Youngest Senator ever elected from Kan
sas; also that he will be one OF the
youngest men in the Senate.
He is 4 disciple of the new school
of politics." says Thompson's autobiog-
raphy. "and is classed as a progressive
Democrat; has been identified with
Kansas for many years, and has
been very active in the affairs of the
State from early manhood to the present
time filling various positions OF honor
and trust with the strictest honesty and
fidelity; is the author OF number OF
legal articles on judicial reform, wllch
have attracted attention throughout the
United States Was elected district
Judge at the age of thirty-four years,
which position he filled until elected
Senator; he has the distinction of being
the only Democrat to be elected judge
in his district, which comprises terri
tory equal in area to the entire state or
Connecticut; was considered one of the
ablest and most popular judges In Ran
sas."
The new Senator's autobiography ADDS
that he received the largest popular vote
ever given any Democrat in Kansas, ana
also the largest vote in the Legislature
ever given any Senator from Kansas
Democrats, Republicans and Socialists
alike voting for him almost unanimous
ly: his political success is without parai-
lei in the history of the State.
1T is acknowledged by all who know
him." says the biography, that as
Senator he will not only bring credit and
honor to himself but to the State and
nation as well"
Turn now to William H. Murray, Rep
resentative-at-large from the State OF
Oklahoma. His biography starts off like
this:
"AIfaIfa BiIl'' Narrates.
William II. Murray alfalfa Bid,
Democrat, of Tishomingo, Okla, was
born November y. 1859, near Collinsville,
Grayson County, Texas. His mother died
when he was two years old; ran away
from his father at twelve years of age.
Has since punched cattle, chopped cord
wood, worked in brick yard, been farm
laborer reported for and edited news
papers, taught school, practiced law, and
is now an extensive planter and farmer"
Oscar w. Underwood, Trainer OF the
tariff bill and Democratic leader in the
House, takes just five lines to give an
account of his life, and Representative