Change Representatives

The Petrolt Journal had a sensible article on Oongressmen, and we quote a passage : "It is a great mistake for a state to change its representativos moreoften tlian it eau help. A new man is of no consequence in the house and it is only after he has been here a few terms that he acquires some standing. It takes hlin a year or more to learu the ropes, and after he thinks he has mastered all the rules of parliamentary practlce, and the cusloms of the house he fiuds that there are a hundred things about whieh he never dreamed and whlch are still a good deal of a myatery to him. But worse than all Ihat is the shock bis vanity receives when he linds of what very little consequence he is, compared wlth the old stager. His requests for appointmentsare received wlth a certain amount of calm indilleretice, and secretarios and commissioners do not receive him with that deference accorded to men who have sat in congress year after year. "Butin the house itselfhis positionisnot much better. His reputation must have preceded him if he expects to lind himselfon a committee of any importance, and he will play in big luck if he is ever recognized out of his turn by the speaker, or given any of the privileges which properly belong to the veterans. "Michigan has fared very well In the matter of committee assignments this congress beeause the delegation is mostl}' composed of old metnbers. Burrows, Allen, O'Donnell, Cutcheon, all command respect beeause they have served their apprenticeship. Thesouth has always taken a more prominent part in legislation tnan the north, and this is due to the fact that the majority of the southern mombers have been in congress much longer than the majority of northern men. Some of the states think that rotation ia office is a good thing and never renominate a memDer more than once. If you wil] examine the records of those distrlcts where this absurd custom prevails you will flnd that their influence has never arnounted to anything and they have not obtained the reoognition from congress which they were entitled to, owing to the fu that their members were always f and nuver had the influence or Juowledge of how to use what littlp inliuence they dul have to the ueet rtjyantage."