The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1878-08-09
SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE.
An Interesting Historical Review-Wh
Have Occupied Ghe ChRir-Randall tn
Tvvenfv-Eiayats


An Interesting Historical Review-Who
Have Occupied ahe Chair-Randall the
Twenty-Eisl,th.
No positively weak man has ever filed
the post Of Speaker of the House of
Representatives, while several incum-
bents Of the Office may be ranked as
among the greatest statesmen in our
history. It is not, however, a post to
which the best men of either party as
pife and whenever such best men have
taken the Office the event has really hap
pened more out of regard to party con-
eidefations than to their own desires.
The Speaker is so-called on the princi-
pie of Isscus a non lescend0;. for in the
ordinary meaning of the term he has no
business to speak. Perhaps he is called
the Speaker because through him and
by his leave and under his license it is
that every one substantially speaks to
his fellows. The chair to an active adj
vocate or orator must always be species
of proscrustean bed. Mr.. Speaker must
fit his brain and ears to the capacity of
the talking member, and, of course,
continually change his current Of
thought. His great relief comes when
there is committee of the whole. and
he leaves the chair to some student or
amateur in the speakership, and when
he can become in his turn talking
member. He is otherwise sort of
monograph to the members. They
talk at him, and he may be called upon
at a moments notice to repeat or dwell
upon their words.
Speakers Stevenson, Boyd, Colfax and
Blaine held the chair longer in success
sion than any of their predecessors: but
Henry Clay, elected Speaker with breaks
between two of his terms, is the histori-
cal senior of the chair. His first cleo
ton was in 1871, but there are men still
living who remember him as Speaker in
his last term (1823-1825) who, with
knowledge of all successive Speakers,
say that he discharged the duties of that
high Office with unequalled ability, and
was always prompt, dignifed and rigid
in his enforcement of the rules of parlia-
mentary decorum. The journals of the
House evidence that some of his de-
cisions were even overruled. Only one
Speaker ever became President Polk
but several presiding officers, like Blaine
and Hunter, have been before National
Conventions, but only two of these re-
ceived nomipations-John Bell, who was
Speaker in 1881, and Clay. Another be-
came Vice President = Colfax. No
Speakers have ever been elected from
Vermont, New Hampshire, Ohio, Della
ware, Maryland, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana, Illinois, nor any State west
of it. Connecticut had one Speaker in
the great John Trumbull-at the second
session under the constitution. New
York-that always presents candidate
has, however, only had one Speaker,
but during two different Congresses, in
John W. Taylor, who was also, like
Clay, an excellent presiding officer, and
did the State much credit in that capac-
ity, although more of politician than
a statesman. The two following States
have also had each one Speaker North
Caroline, in that early statesman, Ma
thaniel Macon, and Georgia in Howell
Cobb.
Of Kentucky Speakers besides Clay
there was John White, who was Speaker
under Tyler, and Linn Boyd. Virginia
has also had three Speakers in Philip r.
Barbour (182D; Andrew Stevenson, a
most popular Speaker during four sue
cessive terms 1897 1885: Robert M. Z.
Hunter 1839), and John W. Jones.
Massachusetts has had four Speakers
Theodore Sedgwick (1798), Joseph B.
Varnum (1907), Robert @. Winthrop
(1847), and Banks 1885, the latter cho-
sen after more ballotings than ever were
taken before or have been since. To Penn
slyvania are credited two other Speak
ers-besides Randall -Messrs, Frederic
Muhlenbergh (the first on the illustrious
rolf and Galusha A. Grow. Indiana
has also furnished three Speakers in
John W. Davis (1845), Colfax and Kerr.
Two Speakers were recruited respective
" from New Jersey, South Carolina and
Tennessee. In the latter State were
Polk and Bella successful and an I'M
successful candidate for the White
House. From the Palmetto State Lang
don Cheeves for a short session. and
elected when Clay resigned to attend the
peace congress at Client. and James L.
Orr, who afterwards acted as Speaker of
the Confederate Congress, but lived to
become Grant Minister Plenipotentiary
to Russia and was buried after funeral
marching honors from the seventh regi-
ment in this city. New Jersey calls the
roll for Jonathan Dayton, of John Adams
era, and for William Pennington. Theo-
dore NJ. Pomeroy enjoys the honor of
being fully elected, Speaker during one
day-that of the inauguration of Grant
and Colfax, when the latter took his
breakfast as Speaker and dined as a
Vice President. During the ninety years
of the government up to the end of Mr..
Randall's term-there have been twenty
eight Speakers. -NeaO York World.