The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-08-10
Speakers of the House.

Speakers of the House.
An Interesting Historical Review-who Have oceu-
pied the chair-Randall the Twenty-eighth.
No positively weak man has ever filled
the post of Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives, while several incumbents Of
the Office may be ranked as among the
greatest statesmen in our history. 1t is
not, however, post to which the best
men of either party aspire, and whenever
such men have taken the Office the event
has really happened more out of regard to
party considerations than their own desire.
The Speaker is SO called on the principle
of lucuS non lucendo; for in the ordina
ry meaning of the term he has no bust
ness to speak. Perhaps he is called the
I 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 advocate or orator
must always be a species of procrustean
bed. Mr.. Speaker must fit his brain and
ears to the capacity of the talking mem
Der, and of course, continually change his
current of thought. His great relief comes
when there is a 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 phonograph to
the other members. They talk to him,
and he may be called upon at moments
notice to repeat or dwell upon their words.
Speakers Stevenson, Boyd, Colfax and
Blaine held the chair longer in succession
than any of their predecessors; but Henry
Clay, elected Speaker with breaks between
two of his terms, is the historical senior of
the chair. His first election was in 1911, i,
but there are men still living who remem-
Der him as Speaker in his last term,
| (lS23-1825, } who, with knowledge of ali
successive Speakers, say that he discharg-
cd the duties of that high Office with une-
qualed ability, and was always prompt,
dignifed and rigid in his enforcement of
the rules of parliamentary decorum. The
Journals of the House evidence that some
of his decisions were even oyerruled.
Only one Speaker ever became President
-Pol&-but several presiding officers,
like Blaine and Hunter, have been before
national conventions, but only two of these
received nominations-John Bell, who
was speaker in 1881, and Clay. Another
became Vice-President-Colfax, the smilax
among the Western blush-roses of politics.
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 ses-
sion under the Constitution. New York
that always presents candidate-has,
however, only had one Speaker, but during
two different Congresses, in John W. Tay-
lor, who was also, like Clay, an excellent
presiding officer, and did the State much
credit in that capacity, although more of
a politician than a statesman. The two
following States have also had each one
Speaker-North Carolina, in that early
statesman, Nathaniel Macon, and Georgia,
in Howell Cobb.
Of Kentucky Speakers, besides Clay
there were John White, who was Speaker
under Tyler, and Lynn Boyd. Virginia
has also had three Speakers in Philip r.
Barbour (1S21D Andrew Stevenson, a
most popular Speaker during four success
sive terms (1827-1S35;) Robert NJ. T.
Hunter (1839) and John w. Jones-the
only very weak Speaker on the list.
Massachusetts has had four Speakers
Theodore Sedgewick 179S) Joseph B.
Yarnum (1S07,) Robert C. Winthrop
1S47,) and Banks (1S56)-the latter
chosen after more ballotings than were
ever taken before or have been since.
To Pennsylvania are credited two other
Speakers than the guest of the Manhattan
Club-Messrs. Frederick Muhlenbergh
(the first on the industrious rolD and Ga
lusha A. Grow, Familiarity called the Co
losher and the Gusher Indiana has also
furnished three Speakers in John w. Da-
Wis, (IS45,) ColEix and the profoundly La
mented. Kerr. Two Speakers were re-
cruited respectively from New Jersey,
South Carolina and Tennessee. In the
latter State where Polk and Bella sue
cessful an and unsuccessful candidate for
the White House. From the Palmetto
State Langdon Cheeves for a short session,
and elected when Clay resigned to attend
the peace congress at Ghent; 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 loyal Seventh
Regiment in this city. New Jersey calls
the roll for Jonathan Dayton of John
Adams era and for William Pennington,
whose gavel fell so often upon the legisla-
tive threshold of the rebellion. Theodore
NJ Pomeroy enjoys the honor of being a
fully elected Speaker during one day
that of the Inauguration of Grant and Col
fax, when the latter took his breakfast as
Speaker and dined as a Vice President,
"smiling all the while" During the nine
ty years of the Government-up to the
end of Mr. Randall's term-there have
been twenty-eight SpeakeIs.-Nep York
! World