Evening star., 1914-03-15
Representative George F. 0SM@um@sy Rhode amda @@ssnna
braska and Kinkead OF New Jersey ex-
hibit variations of their same patronymic.

braska and Kinkead Of New Jersey ex-
hibit variations of their same patronymic
:. :.
In the LIS. is found Robert E. Lee of
Pennsylvania The name is reminiscent
Of Virginia, but Mr. Lee says it is Irish.
There can be no doubt about Lafferty of
Oregon. Logue of Pennsylvania and Lon
ergan of Connecticut
Neither can there be about McAndrews
of Illinois, Mcclure of Oklahoma. Mad
den of Illinois. Mcguire of Nebraska.
Mahan of Connecticut, Maher of New
York. Manahan of Minnesota or the two
Murrays. one from Boston and the other
Alfalfa Bill''-from Oklahoma.
Mr.. Nolan comes from California: Mr..
OBrien from New York, Mr.. OHair-
the man who beat Joe Cannon-from Hi
nois, MIR. O'Leary from New York and
Mr.. O'Shaunessy from Rhode Island.
Phelan Of Massachusetts. Quin of Mis-
sissippi, Rainey of Illinois. Reilly of Wis
consin and Reilly of Connecticut, Rior-
den Of New York, Scully of New Jersey,
Sinnott of Oregon and Taggart Of Kansas
are all found. There may be more, but
these are enough to show that in the
membership of Congress st. Patrick will
not go unremembered.
Twenty, even ten years ago. while there
was no appreciably greater number of
Irish names on the congressional rolls,
there were many more men of Irish birth.
OF the ninety-six senators and 435 men,
bers of the House total of but three
claim to have been born in Ireland, ac-
cording to their biographies in the Con-
gressional Directory.
Senator George T. Oliver of Pennsyl-
vania says that he was born in Ireland
during a visit of his parents" The other
two are Representative Michael Donohoe
Representative George Francis O'Shau-
messy of the first Rhode Island district
Mr.. Donohoe was born in killeshandrie,
in the south of Ireland: was a teacher
in the national (public) schools there, and
came to America in 1856. after he had
reached manhood
Mr.. O'Shaunessy. on the other hand,
came to America when he was only four
years old. He is as fair sample of the
active. witty, energetic. adaptable and
resourceful AmericaniZed Celt in public
life as can be found. Starting his career
with neither education nor wealth. he
has acquired both by his own unaided ef-
forts. "O'Shaunessy luck" has become a
byword among his acquaintances, but,
as matter of fact luck has played small
part in his career.
A successful New York lawyer. he went
to Rhode Island a few years ago. and be-
fore he had been there three years he was
elected to Congress. And this from con-
servative, battle-ground New England.
Now there is talk of him in his state for
seat in the Senate. As a rule. New
England states send to the Senate only
have G
of New England ancestry behind them.
O'Shaunessy seems in a fair way to be-
come the exception to the rule.
In the rapidly changing methods of
political campaigning in this country the
western states have led heretofore in de-
vising plans for the Individual campaign
as opposed to the old campaign commit
tee method Of operation. The growth of
the direct primary system and the break
ing down of party lines made it plain first
to western congressman and would-be
congressman that they must depend on
their own efforts rather than the efforts
of a party organization to win.
But while the west learned the lesson
early, OShaunessy OF Rhode Island
was one Of the very first in the country
to put it to practical use. The personal
touch-that is the chief factor in the
new method OF campaigning. And
O'Shaunessy of Rhode Island has de-
veloped into a master in applying the
personal touch.
The schemes that he has devised for
getting close to the voters Of his district
have astounded the practitioners OF the
older school of politics. New England
knew nothing like this before. She is
still rubbing her eyes. while the elder
politicians have already ceased sneering