Evening journal., 1913-06-02
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Going to Congress as an
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By Holland

When the members OF the lower |
House OF Congress assembled on the |
first day OF the new session Of that
Congress in December, 1883, many Of
those who were in the visitors gal
leries looked with curious interest at
an extremely boyish-mannered mem
Der who was awaiting his turn to be
sworn in. II seemed almost as
though a newly graduated college stu
dent had by some accident found him
self in the company OF men many Of
whom we're OF nation wide promin-
ence. A peculiar. half-perplexed,
half-amused smile was upon his coun-
tenance. Old members came to him
and introduced themselves to him. A
Whisper went around the galleries
that he was the youngest member of
that Congress and one of the young
est men who had ever been chosen as
a representative in Congress.
When the lottery by which the
choice of seats was to be made was
ended Il was discovered that this
young man was Democrat, for he
chose a seat upon the Democratic
side OF the house. But If he were
Democrat by party association he
was without any Earty apparently
so far as personal popularity was
concerned. Not even did the father
OF tho house." who. by reason of his
seniority in service, had the privilege
10 select his own seat receive more
attention than did this young mem
Der.
met him few days after he was
sworn in. His name was George
Adams Post, and he had been elected
to Congress as 4 Democrat from a
district in Northern Pennsylvania
which was normally Republican by a
majority sometimes greater than the
aggregate Democratic vote.
] asked Mr.. Post to tell me how it
happened that he. young man just
admitted 10 the bar. had been able
to triumph over the Republican party
In a district which contained many
more Republicans than Democrats.
He smiled and after hesitating a
moment said
81 can as yet hardly realize that
] am actually a member Of Congress
sometimes thought that 7 was a
very young man, that possibly some
day II I did pretty we'll as a lawyer
] might go to Congress AS boy
used to hear a great deal about mon
who went to Congress. for that was
regarded. in my part of the country,
as eliminating honor for most
men
"a 49,, H.. - H. ~ ,.s,.. &c o,o
TO be able to qualify as a member Of
Congress. ] was only two years more
than that age when the congressional
nominations In my district were made
last year. ! had just been admitted
to the bar. ] had spent several years
studying law at night, and / was a
very proud man when I passed the
examinations and was told that
could hang out my g ingle.
A few days before the Democrats
held their convention in my district
for the purpose of nominating a can
! didate for Congress 7 heard that there
was no Democrat In the district who
was willing 10 accept the nomination.
| ! knew the reason why we'll enough.
! II was an empty honor and II was
! likely TO cost a candidate something.
! But they had to find somebody TO
keep up the party organization. and
they asked me II I would accept the
nomination.
had no money to spend and told
them so. I was only TO be put up
as q candidate to be knocked down
Outside of my own town nobody knew
me. But there was a wise man who
was an old friend. who said to me
George, you have just started in
practicing law. You want TO get your
name known throughout the district
You couldn't get II so we'll known II
you spent a thousand dollars in ad
vertising as II will he If you run fol
Congress on the Democratic ticket
II needn't cost you more than few
dollars. il il does that.
well. that was a new point o
view, and ] thought there was a gooC
deal in II, so ! said I would accep
the nomination if IL were offered 4
me, and ! did. II came to me hands
down.
We'll the Republicans in my dis
trict got into a row. There was
split and my friends thought that
might. for that reason, make fai
showing AZ the polls.
Late on the night of election da
my friends came shouting TO me an
said, George. you are elected TO Con
gress as sure as you are born! Yo
have crept in between the two Re
publican candidates.
THAT was exactly what happened
But ! haven't got over my surpris
yet Sometimes I think that II
would have been a good advertise
ment for me 10 run for Congress upo
a doomed ticket II wRs going to be
good deal better one for my l@N
practice for me actually to have wo
as Democrat In strong Republica
district.
"I have learned one thing" con
tinued Mr.. Post. "in the short tn
that have been here. and that
that the best thing youngster lik
myself who has been elected TO Con
gress can do is to serve just on
term am going to be one-termer
Some ten years later. met Nj
Post in Philadelphia. and 7 asked hin
IN he resumed the practice OF la'
after his one term was over.
"No." said he "I was I'm Congress
during the discussion Of tho Morriso
tariff bill ] learned a lot about bus
ness then. so ] am now a bushes
man, and 70 Is that to which m
service for one ter In Congress ha
very happily brought me-"
Copyright. 1913. by T. J. Edward
All rights reserved.
Tomorrow MIR. Edwards will tell {
} presidents Without the Sense {
Personal Danger"