The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20
THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE
SHOULD HOLMAN OR DWELL HAE
'' THE HONORARY TITLES

| SHOULD HOLMAN OR O'HEILL HATi
THE HONORARY TITLES
x.terestise Rewinisce.ces Of che oiaes,
Members who have Admintstered the Oatu
| TO ers-Judge Kelley Wore the THU,
ssf FifteeA Years-siddiaes ssa Others
WASHINGTON. Dec 10.-Matt Carpenter wa,
| walking down Pennsylvania avenue one daJ
with the late Justice Miller. when the latter
clipped on banana peel and lost his balance
Judge Miller had Just rendered decision
against Carpenter. The Badger State lawyei
looked down on the promo Judge. laughed. and
said. with the merriest twinkle Of his eyes,
Judge. thore's one law you can't OVERRIDE
| The new Speaker. In his FIRST decisive act re.
minds one Of that wtticistn. He has over.
ruled usage OF the House OF Representatives.
| that has almost the force OF the law OF gravi.
tation. He has held that five Is more than nina
Since nobody knows when. the oldest meme
Der has been called the Father Of the House
Judge Kelley wore this title proudly for many
years. When he died Samuel J. Randall he,
came entitled to It. but he enjoyed II only few
months. Seemingly no question was made 40
| to the right OF Charles O'Neill Of the Pennsy1.
vanla delegation to succeed TO the honor his
distinguished colleagues had earned BY their
| long service In the House. He entered Con.
| Gress the same year Mr.. Randall did-in 1889
Judge Kelley having preceded them two
years But he had not served continuously as
Mr.. Randall had. His continuous service
dates from the Forty-third Congress-nine
terms, or eighteen years. Only two other
members in the House now were members Of
the Forty-thir Congress. These are Roger
q. Mills, and Blount of Georgia. II O'Neili
had not served so many years before the I'M
lucky break in his record he would be on q
parity with Mills and Blount Because OF that
service. antedating his election to the Forty
third Congress. everybody agreed that he was
the rightful heir to the honor But they did not
stop to think Of Judge Holman Of Indiana,
who had his own theory Of the situation,
Judge Holman was In Congress before any
Of tho Congressional Fathers. He entered on
Dec. s, 1885, and took part In the memorable
contest over the speakership when John sher-
man. as Chairman Of the Committee on Ways
and Means. was candidate for Speaker. Judge
Holman voted against Galusha A. Grow. who
was Speaker Of the rty-seventh Congress.
and at one time or another has had the pleas
ure Of voting with his party against q good
many Republican Speakers. There are few
men In public life whose appearances in the
House ante-date even Judge Holman's Senator
Harris OF Tennessee was in the Thirty-nrst
Congress in ls49. ten years before Judge
Holman entered. Senator ColQuitt was q
member OF the Thirty-third House. Senators
Morrill, and Sherman Of the Thirty fourth. Sen.
stor Dawes Of the Thirty nth. Senator Pugh
OF the Thirty sixth. Justice Lamar was In the
Thirty fifth and Thirty-sixth. Senator Toor-
hees. Senator Allison. and Senator Wilson en-
tered In the Thirty.eighth. But Judge Hol-
mans service In Congress has been interrupt
ed several times. He was not in the Thirty
ninth. Forthwith. or Forty, ixth. His con
tinuous service dates from the Forty-sev enth.
Thus. while Congressman O'Neill has served
nj ,,tn n0r
lively Judge Holman has served ten years. or
One Of the duties Of the Father Of the House
tSss On shs tie
oath and BY rulings made Ct various times Il
3e sns! vRs
ssry,ce When JadeS Csg %as ees tsd II was
smiled 10 anticipation Of the scene Crisp 10
Sann %hs epS Is se less
sdes" When he deljys!s spessh ,, his
flight, and he skips and hops down the
sss Is q sst S Sa shs
georgian would have reminded The House q
tsey Jest as end .s sur
esss ss S WIEN aa os
end n not oNsili who stood there az Father q
Ssp IN sSs
bad. been there earlier than he. and got the
ts Srssf ~ 8Nas career in the
House was caused USE 6y young LAYER named
domination. and divided the thee Convention. The
trustee hi sons fund III ,srShsns anS stSer
Ssa snaed he kad sa ana
Ssss SS sssf Is 4 IL
Wasrs a ad h. he's
years. The dve Philadelphia members. Gen.
and ds Sadss Kelley Ma renSered
tSsmy sYavSs p that time all OF
%'s end ao n tSto s ebs
gressea and ,hs Rela his distinsuishsd posi-
ssa y ed Dss which his
orsd He Was Sitsn the arSiter q bitter per-
syy and o1 ns ss his
aanS Voice viii ever forget It. Hs had Studied
Tor the stage besides learning the jewellers
speeGMh He ,n;dmi9sersd the oHth e Nj Ran
they entered upon the duties Of Speak ership.
IN 1880. whom President Grant was inaugu-
rated. He had REPRESENTED the Berkshire Hills
not only hy seniority Of service. but by his
9l9ddlng diligence and methodica! mastery Of
Twice did Mr.. Dawes swear in James G.. blaine
3 %s family; EiIha oWashSurpe: was father Of
Grant as candidate for tho Presidency aud
,sth ra% the floor to enjoy the fratf
ind Randall. an able man. whose long services
my added to biz strsngth; Hs was called the
no House In, those days was ThaddeSs
stevens. who. first entered It In, lS4D.
~ intervals Of rest 10 private life. Galusha
J. =, Grow Of PENNSYLVANIA. who came
is5 t. i0f In tYS er tRs oa
original father OF the HOUSE. one who wore the
Joshua other bs hSd retired s