The Washington herald., 1914-03-15
PsEtie.I Preses.isn.
BY y. =. O.


II occurred to visiting West virginfa
Democrats. who are intent on keeping
Isenator william Z. Chiffon long time In
Washington, that their beloved State.
only my years old. has remarkable
number Of ex-senators compared with
other and older commonweaiths.
Henry, Gassaway Davis. now ninety
years old. served q dozen years In the
Senate beginning nearly forty years ago,
and he remains vigorous enough to serve
another dozen years. HiC grandson.
Davis Elkins. had but . short appointive
term after his fathers death. and Re-
publicans OF the mountain region remain
confident that the young man win reach
full term in good time.
Charles q. Faulkner Is a Washington
/ lawyer. but retains q legal residence at
Martinsburg. never failing to vote. He
had two Senatorial terms In the days OF
Democratic domination and remains
young enough for future operations II 90
inclined.
Nathan B. Scott served two terms. end
ing March 3, 1911, and while threescore
and ten. remains wonderfully alert and
vigorous. He Is the head Of washing
ton trust company. but never falls to vote
at wheeling, his old home.
Clarence wayland Watson, of Fair
mont. came In for the two years of the
Elkins term. and while much In New
York At the head Of q big coal corpora
ton. is no less a citizen Of Marion County
and young enough to warrant much po-
litical activity In the State for thirty
years to come
/ Few other States can point to as many
-ex-senators Ohio has but Foraker
and DICK; Indiana has only Hemenway.
FAIRBANKS and Beveridge. Pennsylvania
mas only Don Cameron. and New York,
Depew. Warner Miller and Hiscock.
All quiet along the Susquehanna to-
night" Is the cry OF the political senti-
nels in Pennsyivania guarding the PEN
rose camp. and the cheering has become
trine monotonous to those VIII prefer
a call to arms that might give Penrose
trouble. Each week since Penrose took
personal command OF his cohorts a feeble
enort has been made by his foes to
bring out some other Republican as a
compromise candidate with promise of
gaining progressive support. The latest
suggestion is John p. Elkin. of Indiana
County, who is just now on the State
supreme bench. In the old days of
quay supremacy and when Penrose was
quaiifyfng quickly enough to be the Quay
successor In Pennsylvania affairs, EIkin
gave promise Of political activity and
personal following. He was considered
for governor. for Cngress, and for much
else except Senator, but was finally put
on the bench. as he preferred. and for
several years has kept out of the active
pohticai whirl- No doubt he prefers the
hanRh fa -.
VIII hardly approve any suggestion Of a
Senatorial campaign against Penrose. an
old and valued friend. The talk Of Elkin
comes wholly from anti-Penrose people
and from disappointed political autocrats
who have no standing in either Republi-
can or Progressive camps. All that Is left
to them Is to make trouble, and the regu-
lar Republican organization Is least wor-
ried. Senator Penrose has been busy for
months In Philadelphia attending ward
meetings and enjoying an actual getting
down to politics with the voters.
He has accepted changed conditions
with celerity and expects the primary
OF his party as confidently
as he would expect actual election by the
at Harrisburg. IL the old sys-
tenn OF Senatorial election was continued
The candidates for Senator in PennsyI-
vania are practically nominated today and
there is hardly need of waiting for the
of primaries on May n Boies
Penrose will be named by the Republi-
cans. Congressman Mitchell Palmer by
the Democrats, and Pinchot by the Pro-
gressiyes. II Is a far cry from May q
to the November election. which will de-
termine Pennsylvania Senatorial repre-
sentation for six years. and in the many
months the Penrose organi-
zation will be stiffened up In a fashion
never dreamed of by the Cameron and
Quay managers in the days of their
greatest power and prestige.
While the big colleges are claiming and |
counter claiming majority representation |
in the present Congress, the wrangle dis |
closes mainly that the college graduate is |
IN the minority. In recent years there |
las been an increase OF college-bred |
members. but the Old-fashioned, hard |
teaded. practical chap who failed to !
reach a degree is still running things for |
the government on Capitol Hill. Har- |
rard, Yale and Michigan universities have |
been claiming the greatest representation |
IN the present Congress. and Michigan |
eads with nine Senators and twenty |
four House members. Harvard has three |
and .ixteen Representatives:
falc five in each body, and Princeton |
two Senators only.
There are 53l members OF Congress, |
s.nety Senators and 45 Representatives |
Jf this total. l53 confess to being grad |
late A BIS OF the same college. leaving |
"a to proudly admit they managed to |
each high station in public affairs with |
tut the aid Of a degree from some be-
owed Alma Mater. Even so. the college /
nan in politics and public affairs Is be-
coming much more frequent. and a few
Years later may see one-half Of the Con-
;ress confessing to degrees and COL
egiate training. Many of the present
erm refer to graduation from low
schools but not from universities. Since
Lincoln and Andrew johnson, all Presi-