The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-01
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
REFORMATION BUREAU
~ FREDERIC y. HAsKIN. Directer.
Washington, ID. O.
FTTzGERALD's CAREER,
Or How to Be Successful Congressman

recopnition of Mr.. Fitzgerald ought to
be exploited all over this land as an
illustration of one thing: Here ne Is
in the very prime of his splendid
powers and the flower of his years.
going out of body in which he likes
to serve and is especially adapted 10
serve, giving up one OF the greatest
positic in the house, because ne IS SO
poor financially that he deems 1t ms
duty to his wife and children to give
it up"
Thus commented Speaker Champ
Clark upon the resignation OF MI
Fitzgerald of New York, VINO mas
served in congress nineteen years ana
made great reputation as chairman
of the committee of appropriations
Mr. Fitzgeralds only reason for re-
signing is that he needs money in
order to support and educate MS
family.
The eulogies spoken by congress
men upon the occasion of Mr.. flu
gerald's resignation throw an inter-
esting light, not only upon the dis
tinguished chairman of'the committee
on appropriations, but upon the mouse
in general, and especially upon its
opinion of itself
it is wastefuI and mistaken for the
government to lose one of its most
valuable servants because it will not
pay him a good salary, was echoed by
many of them. OF course, the idea
that congressman ought to be paid
more is not a new one. Numerous
articles have been written to prove
that it does not pay to be congress
man. and with the cost of living at It's
present level all of these arguments
acquire a new cogency. But the
thought in the minds of the congress-
men themselves seemed to be not so
much the need for more money for all,
as the need for some return in pro-
portion to the energy and ability
which a man brings to his task.
For the men who serve in the house
and those who observe it at close
cuarters-know it for pit where men
struggle on equal terms. where the
strong men rise and the weak fall
They know that among the four nun
dred odd members there are some that
are worth their salaries, some that are
well-nigh priceless. Thus Mr. Mad
dern said of Mr.. Fitzgerald:
IF he were employed by a private
corporation and had performed for
that corporation the service which he
fhas performed for the government of
the United States he would not be
permitted to leave the service, no mat
ter at what price; they would retain
him. You could not employ the serv-
ices of a man like John Fitzgerald for
W
rendered to the government is above
price"
The qualities which won Mr.. F'itz-
gerald his enviable position in the
| house and inspired such sincere praise
were summed up by former minority
leader, James R. Mann in a letter.
Intelligence is the usual thing in
| congress" he wrote. Good nature is
common among the members The
desire for economy sis not unusual.
But Independent courage and deter
mined bravery are not common at
tributes of politicians or statesmen.
Fitzgerald possesses all of the quail
ties 1 have referred to-"
| In addition OF these qualities, Mr..
FITZGERALD has enormous energy and
| industry. The work of his committee
was summarized by Uncle joe Can
non:
| Since war was declared in April
| last the committee over which he has
presided has been almost constantly
| in session thru the day and frequent
ly at night, and has recommend ap-
| preparations and authorized contracts
in roun / numbers aggregating twenty
billions" The hearings held. he add
ed, when printed would make a stack
at least two feet high.
| Fitzgerald has no eloquence, or al
least uses none on the floor. He is in
every way the antithesis of the easy
going, magniloquent statesman who
was the standard type fifty years ago
and is still an archaic figure in the
house, sent from somewhere in the
backwoods.
Fitzgerald's speech-making is terse
heated and carries a heavy freight OF
facts and figures. He fights opposi-
ton like an angry bulldog. He speaks
the well-known Manhattan dialec
with it's clipped phrases and elisions.
Mr.. Fitzgerald himself and severa
of his colleagues give US glimpses O.
this typical modern statesman on the
way to his greatness.
Il had an early ambition to become
"a member of it (the house," Mr.
Fitzgerald admits. Long before
left college, 1 looked forward to tn,
day when 1 might sit in it, and befor,
I was graduated had considerab
! familiarity with the rules of the house
During my service and for some year
prior to it, REID every publication t,
which L had access that treated o
the history OF the procedure and o
the rules, not only of this body but o
the commons in England I snen
many nights in careful reading o
what many consider the dry discus
sions had at different times whe1
comprehensive changes in the rules o
the house were proposed
So Mr.. Fitzgeralds success on tn
floor was based upon a study of par
iamentary procedure that began il
college and continued long after h
had been elected to congress
How he got his place upon the all
: important committee of apPropria
lions, as chairman of which he exer
cises more power than, perhaps, an,
) one man besides the president, wa
told by Representative Gillett:
It remember very well when h
came here, and how our attention wa
soon attracted by the very young MAJ
who persisted in putting such search
ing and often embarrassing question
to members of the appropriating com
| mitteeS He showed such knoWledg
of the subjects he discussed, such as
surance of his parliamentary rights
, and such determination to assert an
| defend them that before Ions. he con