Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1914-10-29
WASHINGTON LETTER
(By Geo. w. Summers.>

chance of becoming a leader in legis-
lation as a new recruit has of becom-
in a general way. 1t may come in the
course of time, but not soon Even
the biggest and best of them have to
go through the period Of trying out
before they reach sphere of useful
ness. Speaking to the members of the
National Press Club on "the confess
sions Of new Congressman" one
man recently related the story of a
New Hampshire man who caught the
largest fish ever caught in that State.
He started across to Vermont to pre-
sent it to his friend, the Governor OF
Vermont On the way some one took
the large fish and substituted a /
small one The New Hampshire man
made his speech about the big fish and
opened the box it was in to find the
small one. Mortified and chagrined,
he fed. On his way home the small
fish was taken out again and the
large one put back. When asked by
his wife on his return home, what had
happened, he said he didn't exactly
know what had happened, but he knew
one thing mighty we'll, that the lar
gest fish ever taken out of the water
in New Hampshire didn't amount to
DIN in Vermont That said
the Congressman, is the way a new
Congressman feels after he has been
here a few days. He was right. A
new Congressman in Washington
doesn't amount to much till he has
"made good"
Being Congressman doesi't i'm
press Washington at all There are
ABS of them here, with new ones
every two years, land until he has won
his spurs and shown that he amounts
to something he commands about as
much respect from his associates as
high school graduate entering Uni
versity.
Congressman do attain positions of
influence and gain national reputa-
tions, but it is only after they have
gone through period of trying out
and have been found by experience to
have ability. In craftsmanship, as in
other avocations, the top of the lad
der is reached round by round, and
never by a single bound. Years
elapse, with their accumulation of ex-
periences, before the member of Con-
gress becomes a leader, or even a
man of great influence in the House.
Champ Clark is serving his tenth
term of two years each in Congress.
Oscar Underwood, the Democratic
leader, is about to complete 20 years
of continuous service. James R.
Mann, Republican leader, is in his Is
year OF continuous service. Serene
Payne, author Of the Payne tariff bill,
has been in Congress is terms, or al
most 30 years, and has been renomi-
mated. "Uncie Joe" Cannon was in
Congress befor some of the West Vir-
ginia Congressman were born. Hard
ly a chairman of an important COM
mittee has been here less than seven
eight or nine terms, of two years each
while some have been here 20 years
or more.
All important committee work is
entrusted to the older members and,
as rule, a new member does not even
get on committee of importance.
As older men drop out, and as the
qualifications of the newer members
are learned, they are advanced to
more important positions, gradually
forging to the front, as they prove
their worth. 1t takes ones first term
for his colleagues to get his measure,
and to shift out the more promising
of the new members. In his second
term member begins to get his prop
er niche and to show whether he is
really going to make valuable mem
Der of the House or not.
Many men with splendid brains
have been nonentities in Congress, be-
cause they were not kept here long
enough for their ability to become
known, or perhaps because they be-
longed to the minority party. A mi
nority member has little or no influ-
ence unless he has been here many
years and has made reputation. Ev-
en- then, it is difficult for him to in
fuence legislation, or to accomplish
anything for his constituents, beyond
the routine matters which any Con-
CHEESEMAN'S secretary can attend to.
Aside from measures involving ma
tional policies, legislation is largely
matter of personality A member
who is personally popular and well
enough known can get bill of To-
cal nature through in half the time it
would take an unknown member to
pass the same bill. The wider ones