Evening journal., 1914-09-22
New News Of Yesterday
The Congressional Career
of Amos Cummings
By Holland.

The late Amos ]. Cummings, who
died in 1902, while serving as a mem
ber Of Congress, representing one OF
the New York City districts, was prob
ably in as intimate editorial and per-
sonal relations with Charles A. Dana,
of the New York Sun, as was any other
member Of the famous editors staff.
Mr.. Dana selected Mr.. Cummings as
the editor of the Evening Sun, which
was first issued on March II, 1887
Cummings, however, was then elected
member of Congress. and~it was the
understanding that he was to do no
more than to organize the staff and
to set the evening edition Of the pa
per running for about nine months.
l was closely associated with with
Mr. Cummings, having. in fact, sue
ceeded him as editor of The Evening
Sun, although our relations had been
closely established some years earlier.
On the eve of his retirement from
the editorship of The Evening Sun, !
had long conversation with him, in
which he told me some highly inter-
esting and even exciting incidents OF
his career. He said:
Il don't know whether ! am max
ing a mistake in giving up editoriai
work to go to Congress or not. Some
times / think / am, and yet remem-
Der when / was a boy it was thought
a wonderful thing for a man to go to
Congress, and / often said to myself
that ! should like to go to Congress
some day. But / was only a printer
and could not see the slightest pOssi-
billty of my election as a member OF
Congress. Now, tomorrow, ! am to
20 go to Washington to be sworn in
as a representative.
! "I am thinking of following the ex-
ample of Horace Greeley and of Hen
ry j. Raymond, who while serving in
Congress wrote letters for their news
papers. If | can find any newspapers
which will be willing TO take letters
: from me, | am going to write som'
? and If anybody finds fault with me
S will say that If Horace Greeley an'
70 Henry j. Raymond did not think
y beneath the dignity Of a Congressman
y to become newspaper correspondent
d It certainly isn't beneath me.
Il am going to represent the Wal
y street district in Congress. But
: think that is something Of a misfit.
a should have been elected from one o
y the East Side or uptown districts 70
e I know the people in those district
y and am in thorough sympathy wit
d them.
a 81 don't know how long my part
u will let me represent the Wall stree
II district in Congress, but l sometime
n think it won't be very long"
q Some years later, owing to certai
IF party exigencies, Mr. Cummings los
= the nomination for representative G
N the Wall street district in Congress
IN He was considerably depressed b
10 the feeling that there was no openin
IN for him in the newspaper world. ms
'h him shortly after another than hin
'l- self had received the nomination
oy which was equivalent to election. +
he said:
es "This thing has cut me up som
le' what, but have the feeling that | a
" going to renew some of my earlier e.
~ periences. | mean that | never lost
We position without finding that it hi
ar been of great advantage to me. l WI
d. discharged from the Tribune. Charl,
A. Dana Immediately took me in
managing editor of The Sun. have
sort of feeling that although / ha'
"a lost my place in Congress, it is in Il
all end to be no loss, but actual gain.
lis am going away on a vacation to Il
nd far West"
rd While on this vacation, Mr.. CuI
n mings was suddenly summoned
New York A representative from o.
- of the New York districts had die
~ leaving a vacancy. II was the We
district which Cummings had alwa
wanted to represent
=, on the day after this election,
ih which he triumphed by a very lar
~" majority, ] met him and congratulat
him. He said.
IN Didn't tell you that had a lur
IL ing feeling that | was going to be be
rer Gifted instead of ruined by the lo
ial Of the nomination from the Wall str'
my district? Now | am elected and l f
DR.. certain that I can stay in Congress
He long as l live. and represent there
my kind of people whom l understa
.es, and who know me-"
'ou He did serve as representative frl
ind that district until his death in 1902
YER
rth Copyright, 1914, by e. J. Edwar
ey. All rights reserved)
ion