“We are told that in the days of ancient Rome everyone said how beautifully Cicero spoke. But when Demosthenes spoke, the people said. ‘Let us march.”‘ And so it is with John J. Rhodes. He was never a spellbinding orator; but when he talked, people listened. That’s quite a tribute to the U. S. Representative from Arizona who will retire from Congress after 30 years of service when his term ends in January! It was given-by fellow Arizona Congressman Morris K. Udall, Rhodes is a Republican; Udall a Democrat, indicative of the bipartisan spirit as many colleagues participated recently in a House “special order” which amounted to a combined eulogy of Rhodes. Still another Arizonan, GOP Rep. Eldon Rudd,directed the series of short tributes. Rhodes in 1952 became the first Republican ever elected to the House from Arizona and is currently completing his 15th consecutive term. ” He is one of five congressmen who have served continuously for three decades. The other four are Reps. Thomas P. O’Neil1, D-Mass.. speaker of the House; Edward P. Boland, DMass.; William H. Natcher, D-Ky., and L. H. Fountain, D-N.C. 0’Neill called Rhodes “one of the great Republican Party leaders of all time the toughest opponent I have faced.” Fountain referred to him as ”a Doer with a capital ‘D.”‘ A strong believer in a vibrant two-party system, Rhodes in 1976 authored a book entitled, “The Futile System-How to Unchain Congress and make the system work again.” In it he took a critical look at the legislative process and charged that it lost vitality and suffered in many ways during nearly 40 years of oneparty control. The book typified Rhodes’ candor and directness. He illustrated the burgeoning growth of government by pointing out that when he entered Congress’ in 1953, the combined staff of House and Senate totaled 4,500 with a combined operatoring budget of $42 million, whereas at the time he wrote the book, Capitol Hill had 16,000 employees and a budget of more than $414 million. Sham in Congress has been a major annoyance for Rhodes. He has had critical words for practitioners of “old tricks” by lawmakers such as impassioned oratory for “holding the line on spending” while voting for every expensive program, and approving the big spending bills but refusing to vote to raise the debt ceiling. Rhodes says he’s relieved he no longer is leading the House Republicans, noting that he too often found himself wanting to go one direction while his “troops” favored another. As a recent example, he mentioned the three-year 25 percent tax cut passed last year. His philosophy is that the budget should be balanced before taxes are cut. While the Arizonan was minority leader–a post from which he voluntarily retired in 1981a Washington reporter described him as “a determined hard-working fellow” whose “infectious all-American boy spirit rallies his Republicans as a coach would rally an underdog football team.” Long after Rhodes leaves Congress, he will be remembered in that image-but also in other ways. For example, as a master of the legislative process, a lawmaker who put the good of America first, and as a gentleman and diplomat respected by colleagues of all political faiths as well as the people hedirectly represented.