Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-15
THE OLDEST MEMBERS.
O'Neiu, Holman, Harmer, Mills, Cannon
Bland, and Others.
mrom our Regular Correspondentl

WAsnrvGrox, April 1.-THE death Of
Hon. Samuel j. Randall makes the Hon.
Charles O'Neill OF Philadelphia. the " Fa-
Their of the House." Mr.. O'Neill was first
elected 90 Congress in 1869. the same year
that Mr. Randall was originally chosen to
tive. The late Judge Kelley was
elected first to Congress in 1850, bis
term hav. lg commenced with the
Thirty-seventh Congress. Both he and
Mr.. Randall served continuously without
any break whatever, but Mr. O'Neill was
not a member of The Forty-second Con-
gress. having been left at home
for that term. The oldest member
IN length of service next 70 Mr..
O'Neill is Judge Holman, of Indiana.
He was in Congress. however, before Judge
Kelley. Mr.. Randall, or Mr.. O'Neill had
made their appearance III the halls of
national legislation, having been III the
Thirty-sixth Congress. but he was left at
home for several succeeding terms.
The members Of the House next in ser
vice TO Judge Holman are Mr.. Harmer. Of
PENNSYLVANIA. who carue into public Ire
here with the Forty-second Congress, and
next to him are Messrs. Mills of Texas,
Cannon of Illinois. Bland of Missouri, and
Blount of Georgia, all of whom have
served continuously from the fOrty-thlrd
down to the present Congress.
Mr.. cox's SERVICE.
The late Mr.. Cox. of New York, came 10
Congress long before Judge Kelley. Judge
Harmer. or any of the statesmen, living
or dead. who are mentioned above. Mr..
Cox was member of the Thirty-tifth Con-
ercss, and at that time represented
an Ohio district in the State in
which he was born and reared. He
served eight years from the Columbus dis
trict of Ohio and afterwards removed 10
New York. He was elected to ten Con
crosses from the city OF New York. giving
him in all about twenty-eight years SER
vice in the House, though it was not con-
secutive as in the case of either Mr.. Ran
dali or Judge Kelley.
AN OLD SENATOR.
Senator Harris, Of Tennessee, made his
appearance in public life at Washington
before anv man who ia now member Of
either branch of Congress, but he has
not served anything like the num-
Der of years in the Senate or House
that some others have. He was elected
member of the House of Repre-
sentatives from Tennessee in 1s49, and re-
elected in 1851. This. was long before
Senator Sherman. Beck, Morrill,, Reagan.
or Allison had ever been heard of in con-
nection with national legislation. Nobody
is. He has never given his age in the Con-
gressional Directory and it is q subject on
which he has not been pressed for informa-
ton, though many people are curious to
know lust how long he has been on
this mundane sphere. IL he was no older
than the constitutional requirement when
first elected to Congress, he would now be
III his sixly-seventh year. but he IS proba-
bly, older. Senator Barbour, who is IN his
IL s..l.. lg.l~ trCl
younger than the senior Senator from Ten
nessee.
THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE.
Representative O'Neill, the Father Of
the House." was born IN March, 1921, and
he is therefore in his SEVENTEEN year. He
il short man in stature. and will probably
not weigh more than 1870 pounds. He ~
always close shaven, and usually has most
serious countenance, ~ heseems to have his
mind constantly on his congressional du-
ties. He is perhaps the most inveterate
letter-writer in the Honse. Whom the
vote on the passage of the Mills tarih bill
was being taken in the last House all but
FIVE or six members of that body were
present in their seats, and the closest at
tention was paid to the roll. call. Mr..
O'Neill kept right ahead with his writing,
however, and dashed off half dozen letters.
The ouiy moment lost was when his name
was called. and then he glanced toward the
Clerks desk and answered in the negative,
and went right ahead with his writing:
Not even the loud applause when the bill
passed could disturb him in his letter
writing.
Mr.. O'Neill is O bachelor and leads a
ouiet life. devoted solely to the interests
of his constituents and the city Of Phila-
delphia. He probably knows more voters
in his district than any man III Congress.
He is comparatively poor man. the bulk
of his salary going to pay postage on the
letters he writes to people and 70 meet
other necessary campaign expenses.