Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-21

kAN~ senators anu rep
H III resentatiyes 4
AM ~ Congress 10 be
ASN5$ almost without al
exception, gray
wrists and learned lawyers
Harking back TO the days OF Webster
Saihoun, Clay and Douglass, it was
rare exception to find among the digni
led legislators members OF any calm:
Except the disciples OF Blackstone
With the passing of time, however tn,
commercial growth and progress Of tn,
nation and the increasing power ant
might of the press have combined t,
bring business interests more to the fore
Hntii now they vie with the professions ii
their quota of representation under In.
pig white dome at Washington.
While the solons OF the law still main
tain the majority. practically all lines OF
industry have their representatives in
The countrys national assemblage OF
lawmakers
out Of 81 senators and 43S representa-
tives 800 are listed as lawyers. which. of
course. gives this profession by far the
greatest strength in point of numbers
Inc newspaper men come along next In
line. 70 the total of forty. but only thirty
three claim Journalism as their life work
iust prior to the opening of their con-
sressional careers
school teachers, pure and simple. have
only twenty-one for their total. but a
large number of the lawyers and also OF
the scribes taught the young idea how
70 shoot at some period of their lives
n
tillinS of the soil for other lines OF en-
deayor also have the same score And
close upon the heels of these figures
comes the array of merchants and bust
ness men, of whom there are about
twenty.
Real estate operators and land are-ts
tally up dozen. Manufacturers of va
rious products. such as hardware sne
claltles, carpets, cotton, shoes, fertilizer.
chemicals, coke. mattresses and clothing
mark on another dozen. Bankers answer
The roll TO the number of ten while poli
nclans, III they may be so termed num
her one less. Lumber dealers and doc
tors each have eight and there are a half
dozen stock raisers and cattle men.
OF cotton planters and tobacco grow
ers. insurance agents and contractors
there are trio of each Telegram
operators. builders. hat makers and wool
dealers are to be found in pcirs Among
the miscellaneous trades and ca1I;ngs
which have but single name an inc
roster are those of bridge builder. GILL
engineer. inventor. dentist contra tor
grocer. architect plumber. machinist.
IRON moider, hotel proprietor. electrician.
nursery man, chemist and preacher
X
While il is a foregone conclusion nv
reason of their presence in Congress rho.
these men have all shone with VARYING
degrees brilliapca tba;n
or else as leading lights i'm the civic and
POLITICAL scheme of things in their homo
towns. there are quite a number whose
Tame has crossed the boundaries of their
espective states and preceded them -
Tire capital.
No better illustration of the prominent
'a"Ner element can be found. perhaps.
man Oscar Underwood. politician. demo-
ratio floor leader OF the House. autbor
~ tne pending tariff bill and recent presi-
Dental candidate, who is known fhroupb
III the length and breadth of the
-nited States.
Some Of the other lawyer coprraesno,
no have achieved national renown ara
S7hators E-lhu Root Of New York. VII
lam \. Bordh of Idaho. John " Kern 30
indiana. democratic candidate for vic
resident In 1905: James Hamilton I eu;s
OF Chicago. John F. Shafroth of Coloradn
fioke Smith OF Georgia. John X. Shields
~ tennessee and Robert NJ. La Toilette
Of Wisconsin.
Among the lawyer celebrities whose
Statewide fame has landed them in the
alls or Congress there are none who o.,
roast OF more picturesque careers than
senator Ashurst OF Arizona and Renra
sentative William II. MURRAY az OH
hoIna Both of these men began life IN
the humblest environment and at,ainaI
ther degrees through a Kaleidoscope
succession of occupations and expert
ences.
Young Ashurst, born in a ranch cahi,
ihSn up on the crest of a tall Nevada
mountain began at the age of i've m
assert his budding manhood by shoi,I
dering shotgun and placing himself as
the defense of his widowed mother and
Ittie sister when they Were threatenad
'L band OF maraudins Indians
determining when q schoolboy OF Ton
To. Dc United States senator ana writ
ing those words in a schoolbook after NE
iuH name. he kept that ambition cor,
stantly before him and left school =,
ifteen 10 go to work in earnest. Cow
10Y Tor three years, punching cattle an
= rust with the rope. the rife and brand
.pg iron. he gained little but a wonder
fll store OF health, fun and experience
CHASING cattle rustlers. stage robbers
fnd bandits As a deputy sheriff and lob
ing a. hodcarrier and lumberjack also
Welded little else than great confirm
tons TO the fund OF experience Finally
with more courage than money, he start
ID In to study law at Stockton and be-
anne full-fedged attorney. before he
VAS old enough TO vote,
With this start the course to the United
States Senate was a swift climb through
the state legislature, as speaker of the
mouse and two terms OF the district at
torneyship Of Coconino county. between
" hich he sandwiched some additional law
aiming in the Michigan State University
newspaper reporting and clerking in a
store
Along with his far-famed gifts of ora
Tory Senator Ashurst has established
quite reputation for quick action with
his fists and at various times has broken
every bone in his right hand in the sup-
port or defense OF his convictions.
lie served notice on the public OF Ari-
zona. at the beginning of his campaign
~ the following unmistakable terms.
n his Will not be a mollicoddle cam
paign This viii be no pink tea Japanese
antern affair. and those who cannot STAND
Z jolt on the jaw had better keep out of
the ring
Senator Ashurst has a unique hobby In
literature. He has read the Congressional
Record. without missing an issue. for
nearly twenty years. giving an hour a
day To it,
William III. Murray OF Oklahoma, other
wise Alfalfa Bill" "Cockieburr Bill"
and 1.-The Sage OF Tishomingo." has run
he gamut OF fully sixteen different call
ngs before settling down to look after
pklahoman legislation In Congress. His
ace for Congress began at the age Of
sought fame and fortune through the me-
flum of chopping wood and cotton pick
ne.
Having reached the mature age of thir-