The Washington herald., 1913-12-24

1 In Eastern States blessed with mountains
valleys or long lines of coast. Lincoln
was elected from Illinois but born Ii
the mountainous part Of Kentucky. Al
lison came from the hills of PER-,
| County, Ohio. and Window from Kno,
County equally uneven. The native borr
members from the prairie States have
never been especially prominent ever
/ after long service, however diiigent anc
ambitious.
Even so the new .Republican Congress
sional committee with its new chairman
Frank Woods. of Iowa, lie not in the
least worried about the topography OF re-
gions from which good Republicans can
be sent to Congress next year and he is
confident that some members from the
vast level plains will eventually contra
dict the Bingham dictum. Woods even
, promises to do a little overturning of the
Bingham proposition on his own account
by blessing the country year hence with
a Republican majority IN Congress. The
Lord knows he Is working hard enough
night and day with an Office down town,
mile away from the Capitol. Each
evening sees Woods with different Re-
publican Congressman at dinner and the
discussion Is not of pate de foie gras or
the proper way to carve a chicken when
some one is looking. Rather II tnclines
to what may be the moral effect on
the next Presidential campaign IL there
is a duplication of the 1884 Congressional
victory a year from now and the incl
dental stiffening UP of Republican State
organizations without regard to hills,
mountains or prairies.
Since the newspapers took notice or the
frequent presence and actual activity In
Congressional affairs Of New York mem
bers, including George W. Fairchild. Of up
State; Jefferson NJ. Levy. Of Manhattan.
and Calder, of Brooklyn, there has been
a marked increase Of interest on the part
of other Gotham statesmen and by their
colleagues on the Jersey side Of the boun-
dar.' line. They simply discovered that
II Is worth while to make the five-hour
trip more frequently and get credit for
something approaching a faithful dis
charge OF public duties. Thomas Gedney
Patten, who has big corporation interests
demanding personal attention on both
sides OF North River. is one Of the new
Democratic members from Manhattan
who has appreciated the example of Fair
child, Levy, Calder, and others, with
rather enthusiastic emulation during the
December sessions staying on the job up
to the signing OF the currency bill.
Patten is somewhat new In politics, be-
Rln-lnK three years ago dS q VI
the House, but he has discovered the good
of actual attendance on Congressional
ses sions, which has not been habit with
Nv ysrk City members in -ecent years.
The old feeling of city Congressman was
that they could not dc much anyhow. and
VIZ really ignored and showed aside by
H.. btrs from rural districts. OF late II
haa occurred to some Manhattan states
men that they had only themselves and
heir continued absence TO blame for it. !
and they have ken a new grip on
things. ratten was one OF the first to |
5" the prominence OF Levy. Calder. and
Burton Harrison. and began enjoying the |
scenery along the Pennsylvania road with
a littl more frequency. Jacob A. Can
or, the new member who followed Har-
-ison, gives promise OF being the most
alert me-Iber that New York City has
sent for a generation. He had fifteen
Years service in the legislature at Al
ANY, and was ever a leader in house or
enate. Cantor comes to Congress per-
laps the best equipped OF any member
lent from Manhattan in years, and the
wonder is that he did not arrive lor- ago
Robert NJ. Switzer. the velvet-heeled
nd industrious Republican member of
congress from Ohio, can survey the new
istrict handed him by the Cox-Whitacre
combination at Columbus