The Washington herald., 1913-11-30
With the Political Procession.
By r. B. G,

George w. Loft is a new member Of
Congress from New York City. elected
to m a vacancy, so he does not worry
about mileage He is sure OF his 40 cents
mile for 25 miles, and is envied by mem
bers already In Congress-, who lose In the
sggregate a little matter OF $4,000. Loft
had planned TO begin business with the
| opening OF the regular session Monday. moi
only drawing a mileage check, but few
| months of back pay. Then came notice
from his East Side constituents that they
had planned a big dinner in his honor
for Monday night, and he can hardly
miss that function. which will be attended
by all the powerful Democratic managers
OF the Bowery section. 1t must be said
for the Congressman from the congested
areas OF Gotham town, that they keep
closely in touch with their constituents,
even IL triie Indifferent to their duties
at Washington. An East Side politician,
whether he be a member OF Congress or
foreman of street cleaning gang. knows
every voter IN his district. or precinct.
and sets an example to members from
less populous districts in the States. II
Is another matter of interest that Con-
gressmen representing tenement house
districts have a greater demand for gov
ernment seeds than members from the
rural regions of the West.
The seeds are planted in window boxes
and In four by four back yards. and given
as much attention as the exoticz of a
millionaire's conservatory. New Member
Loft win get busy with his seed distribu-
tion very soon after he gets his mileage.
and you seldom see an East Side Con-
gressnian overlook anything except per-
haps the small matter of attendance upon
the sessions of the House.
Bankers in Congress are becoming
mighty frequent in recent years and the
fact indicates that the old-time preju-
dice against electing banker or finan-
cial magnate to Housa or Senate has
subsided. Instead, there has been
marked reaching out for financially
wise and prosperous citizens who can
afford campaigns and watch the treas
ury with discerning eye. The new Con-
Gressional directory will disclose that
members identified with banking inter-
ests are usually inclined TO tell of IL In
their self-contributed life story.
In the old days a candidate for Con-
gress, IL a bank president would resign.
or If director would say little or
nothing about II either in the campaign
or in the book after election.
With the demand for business men In
public affairs that became strongest after
the business mans campaign OF 1886,
there was n marked increase in the num-
Der OF bankers sent to both Senate and
House. -
Luther Wright Mott. of oswego. is
one OF the later members eminent In
banking affairs, and has twice been
chosen president of the New York State
Bankers Association with a membership
raj inn fxaT1 - lzl1a
and the largest aggregation of Individual
milliOnaires on the American continent.
This has not swelled Mott up too unduly.
but he is all the more careful TO let his
banker friends know he can carry a
Congressional district in bad years fully
as well as he can run a bank. Sam
Wallen. another Republican member from
New York State, is president OF one
Amsterdam Bank, and connected with
another Like Mott. he is a trihe new
in politics and Congress, but promises to
be veteran Senator Weeks OF Massa-
chusetts, who succeeded Murray Crane.
takes pains to announce In his official
that he is a banker and broker.
while Treadway of the House tells OF
being a bank director. In the Pennsyl-
vania delegation. ]. Hampton Moore of
Philadelphia: NJ. Donahue. of the same
city; c. +. Patton, of Curwensville; S. l.
Keister. of Seottdale, and Mitchell Pal
mer, of Stroudsburg. are all careful to
tell Of their banking connections with
Keister. a president of his home institu-
tion.
Palmer is not only active in his home
hank but a director in the Scranton
Trust Co. even II he is leader in a
Democratic House. Congressman Baker,
a Democrat OF New Jersey, was once
president Of a bank at Lewisburg, Pa.
Senator Key Pitman is vice president
Of the TonOpah. New. bank and inter
ested in many corporations out his way.
makes prominent the fact that he is a
business Senator and president of the
Snow Hill banking institution.
Senator jackson. the Republican col
league, has long been president Of the
Salisbury bank.
Frank Guernsey. who is looked upon
as a coming man in Maine Republi-
can politics, is president Of his home
town bank and interested in other cor.
porations, all in the State.
Senator Stephenson, OF Wisconsin, has
long been the chief figure in many
banks in the. Badger State, and Senator
William Alden Smith is very much a
hnancier in Michigan. although he is care
ful not TO tell about it in his official
life story.
]. r. Knowland, a Republican member
from California tells of official connec- |
ton with three banks at home. while |
John E. Raker. a Democrat. is a direc- |
tor in the bank of Alturas, the Raker |
home.
Senator Perkins has long been identi- |
led with big banks AND trust companies