The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-11
KEEPING THEIR OPTICS
upon THE new S0L0N


20 get a great deal of enjoyment on
of watching the new members OF con
ereSs get initiated" Even in tho
senate, where Senator Clark of Ar
kansas is the new president pro tenn
there will be development worth
noting. One thing the new members
are likely soon to grasp is the i'm
portance of obtaining assignments to
one another of the committees that
have charge of appropriations for the
maintenance of the executive branch
OF the government. or these there
are eight, and the chairmanships are
highly priced, so much so, indeed
that the chairinen are spoken of as
the ''eRviable eight"
May Rise Eventually.
senator who gets place on one
OF these committees may expect, if
he retains his office. to rise eventu-
ally to the craftsmanship by the sim
pie process of seniority. One member
after another standing ahead of him
drops ont, and so he finally finds
himself at the top. Once chairman
he holds the purse strings with rela-
ton TO such matters as come within
the purview of his committee, and
his personal good will becomes for
this reason thing greatly to be de-
sired by the departments and even
by the president himself. II is easily
seen how such a situation must
operate for the benefit, politically
and otherwise, OF the committee
chairman. If he happens to be head
OF the committee On appropriations
the power he commands is enormous
The Eight Committees.
The eight committees in question
may be said to rank in the following
order in respect OF desirableness, the
names OF the newly appointed chair.
man being duly given:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mar.
tin.
Commerce-Senator Clarke.
Military Affairs-Senator John.
Naval Affairs - Senator Till.
Post Offices-Senator Bank.
head
PensiOns-Senator Shively
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Gore.
Indian Affairs-Senator Stone.
The committee on military affairs
handles Two appropriation bills for
the maintenance OF the army and for
the support of the Military Academy
at West Point. The committee on
commerce prepares the rivers, and
harbors bill. Membership of the
committees on military and naval
affairs at either end of the capitol is
very desirable because of incidental
opportunities 10 get favors OF one
sort or another from the war and
navy departments.
The Favors Extended.
Such faVors often take the form
OF temporary appointments, under
which son or nephew perhaps
may be sent on a pleasant expedi-
ton to the Philippines, say, or to
Cuba, with all expenses paid, in addr
ton TO salary. One eX-chaicman of
the house committee on military
affairs has TWO sons and one son-in-
law i'll the army. all three having
originally received commissions in
the volunteers and being subsequent.
~ taken into the regular service.
New congressman with social ambi-
tons do well to seek appointments
on the foreign affairs committee of
the house or in the senate on the |
foreign relations committee, these
Two committees, by reason OF their |
work, being brought into touch with |
the foreign diplomats, who run So
ciety to great extent in Washing
ton.
Those Social Functions.
This means invitations to social |
functions of 4 highly exclusive order, !
including the breakfast which the !
secretary of state gives to the diplo- |
matic corps at noon on New Years |
day. A great majority of senators
and ninety-nine out of every hundred |
representatives either board or 'oc- |
cupy rooms in hotel One reason |
why they adopt this mode of living |
Is 10 avoid the necessity OF enter
tanning
The fact is that the heads of the
departments and the under secre-
taries can hardly keep track of 1876 |
representatives especially as the per-
sonnet of the house changes to
considerable extent every. two years
Do Know the Senators.
On the other hand, they can and |
90 maintain personal acquaintance
with all or nearly all of the ninety
SIX senator's, particularly those of |
them who are chairmen of important
committees.
The democrats now have fifty sen. /
ators, who will get most of the ia.
vors from the departments under
this administration. But it is worth
while for the heads of departments
10 treat with consideration even re-
publican senator's, for there is such a
thing as senatorial courtesy"
through which an offended senator.
even though belonging TO the minor.
ity, can influence matters by the helm
OF other senator's votes
One thing important for the new
congressman to keep in mind is the
usefulness OF newspaper mems
friendship. They have it in their
power to great extent to make or
mar him.
The Wise Representative.
The new fiedged representative,
however much he may think he +
knows about parliamentary affairs.
will do wisely to seek instruction at
the hands of James c. Courts, clerk
of the house committee on appropria.
tons, who has managed the business
of that committee for forty-two Wow, ,