The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-12-30
The Election of Speaker.

Jerome B. Stillson gives an account of
how they act in the House of Represen-
tatives when speaker is elected. 1t is
an account of what was done after Mr..
Holman announced the election of Mr..
Kerr to that great Office:
Between twelve and one o'clock, Mr..
Holman, on the part of the tellers re-
ported that Mr.. Kerr had received 173
votes, and Mr.. Blaine log.
Thereupon there was a hush, during
which Clerk Mcpherson re-announeed
the figures and proclaimed Michael G.
Kerr Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives of the Forty-fourth Congress. He
then said, Mr.. Randall, of Pennsylva-
mia, and Mr.. Blaine, of Maine, will es-
eort the Speaker to the chair" Mr..
Blaine and Mr.. Randall rose, walked
down the aisles from the two different
sides of the House, greeted each other
with a cordial shake of the hand in front
of the Clerks desk, and proceeded to-
gether up the main aisle to near the Gen.
tral doorway, where the Speaker-elect
had gone to await them. At once Mr..
Blaine and Mr. Randall offered him re-.
spectively their arms, each addressing
him pleasant word. Mr.. Kerr, bowling
and speaking kindly, locked his arms in
theirs and moved down the aisle and up
to the steps ascending to the Speakers
seat.
There his escort retired. There both
Blaine, who had in that seat so ably, and
it mustjustly be said with fairness under
most conditions, ruled the House for
years, and Randall, who had just suffered
from disappointment of honorable am
bition which bit him to the bone, stood
at the foot of the steps to witness
the triumph Of an adversary who had
actually given no pledge in pay for his
election. His success was an anomaly in
American politics, not to those only, but
all men who saw it, lesson of exceeding
value.
While Mr.. Randall and Mr.. Blaine
stood side by side, and the whole House
was silent as vault, and every eye from
the floor upward and from the galleries
downward, was fixed on the tall and
stately figure erect behind the Speakers
desk. Mr.. Kerr made a short speech
but short as it was it had the best
effect. Mr.. Kerr had written longer
one, which, near the last moment, he tore
10 fragments. He resolved that his
ascent to his seat should be marked by
nothing except an expression of his. graf.
ifcation and sense of duty.
Immediately the Clerk said:
Mr.. Kelley, as the oldest member Of
the House in continuous service, will
now administer the oath to the Speaker
elect"
Mr.. Kelley, to whose dignity such mo-
ments in life are a great boon, came for
ward, and stepping into the carpeted
space in front of the Clerks desk, below
the Speakers chair, proceeded in a mag
nifcent voice to read the oath. The
stiffness into which his impressive syl
lables intruded was so profound that hat
snowflake fallen it would have made {
noise. The movement of ladies' fans wa
arrested, and even the process of draw
ing off gloves, by the intense fascination
, of the new Speakers presence, as h
stood erect, with his pale right hanC
lifted in the air. This was the oath t.
| which in that attitude he listened from
/ the lips of his sonorous Pennsylvania
2 brother in the House:
lOu, hlCudcl ". htII, uO SOlcluul
, swear, or affirm, that you have neve
t voluntarily borne arms against tn
: United States since you have been cit
s zen thereof; that you have voluntaril
3 given no aid, countenance, counsel o
encouragement to persons engaged i
4 armed hostility thereto; that you hav
: neither sought nor accepted, nor a
9 tempted to exercise the functions of an
: office whatever, under any authority @
1 pretended authority in hostility to tn
a United States; that you have not yielde
:. voluntary support to any pretende
i government, authority, power or const
= tuition within the United States, hostil
\ or inimical thereto And you do furthe
. swear, or affirm, that, to the best of yor
y knowledge and ability, you will suppo
and defend the Constitution of Il
y United States against all enemies, 70
n eign and domestic; that you will be-
d true faith and allegiance to the sam
'r that you take this obligation freel
as without any mental reservation or pu
e. pose of evasion, and that you will We
1t and faithfully discharge the duties of Il
d office on which you are about to ente
q so help you God"