The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-09
SPEAKERS OF THE PAST.
PEN PICTURES OF THE MEN WHO
HAVE USED THE GAVEL.


There have been thirty-one speakers for
ffty-one congresses.
Next to the President, the speaker OF the
House OF Representatives has. perhaps,
more power than any other officer Of the
government Hence the office is sought
after as a great prize. Yet it Is doubtful if
any Of the present generation can recall the
names Of the speakers even thirty years
ago. Those whose names are con-
spicuous even now have generally won
distinction in other departments For
example, Blaine is known as sena-
tor and cabinet officer more than as
speaker. But the speakership is stepping
stone TO more conspicuous but not to more
influential posts Yet the fact remains
that only one speaker of the House has
ever reached the presidency, and even this
speaker was so little known that when he
was nominated for the presidency he was
met with the campaign cry "Who is James
K. Polkp On the other hand, the two
most marked men who have been speakers,
Henry Clay and James G. Blaine, were IN
successful candidates for the presidency.
When Tom Reed retired from the
north had held that Office for fifty~one
years each. Kentucky heads the list with
% years; next Virginia, IL years; Penn
sylvenia, II; Massachusetts, 10; Indiana, 9;
Maine. s; North Carolina and New Jersey,
each 6; Tennessee, 5, New York and South
Carolina, 3 each Connecticut, Georgia and
Ohio, years each. The odd numbers here
are due to death or resignation and elections
to fill vacancies. iOnly one speaker has died
in office, and only two have resigned, Henry
Clay and Andrew Stevenson of Virginia.
THE FIRST SPEAKER.
Frederick A. c. Muhlenberg of Pennsyl-
vania was speaker of the First congress.
which met In 1889. He was the son OF one
of the founders of the American Lutheran
church. The speaker had himself been a
Lutheran clergyman, but he left the min
istry in 1779 and entered politics. He was
a member of the continental congress. He
served during the first four congresses,
being speaker of the First and Third. he
was only 80 years Of age at the time of bis
first election
Jonathan Trumbull Of Connecticut, an
old revolutionary war officer, was the Sec
ond speaker. He served in the First, Second
and Third congresses, and was afterward
United States senator, and then governor
Of Connecticut eleven terms, and died In
Office in 1909. Trumpull and Muhlenber2
were both federalists
The speaker Of the Fourth and Fifth con-
gresS was Jonathan Day ton of New Jersey
He also had been an officer during the revo-
luton and afterward became a United
States senator.
Theodore Sedgwick of Massachusetts, pre-
sided over the Sixth congress, 1799-lS01.
He also had soldier record, had been q
member Of the continental congress and a
judge OF the superior court OF Massachu-
sets.
A GREAT SOUTHERN HERO.
The south first secured the speakership
with the Seventh congress in the person of
Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina,
Macon was reelected speaker in the
Two following OIL congresses: Alto
and the Senate thirty-seven years. His
popularity was 30 great In bis state that he
was usually chosen without opposition, nm
I'll, in 1899, he declined to be renominated.
He was, perhaps, the most distinguished
man ever sent to Washington from North
Carolina, and was the first distinctive and
pronounced democrat who held the speaker
ship.
The Tenth and Eleventh congresses elected
Joseph Varnum of Massachusetts He had
been general In the revolution and had
served twelve years in the House. After
ward he served six years In the Senate.
HENRY CLAY's sPEAKERsHIP.
Then came Henry Clay with the Twelfth
congress, the most conspicuous speaker OF
them all, and the one who held the office
for the greatest length of time. He was
first chosen in 1911 and was elected for five
terms successfully, and, after two years.
for another term. During his service he
resigned twice; first to be one of
the commissioners to make peace with
England; second, In 1920, on account
of his private affairs, He was again
elected in 1923, during which term he ran
first for the presidency, when he was de-
feated by Andrew jackson. He made
other attempts to become President In 1882
and in 1874, only to be each time defeated.
Clay was in public life forty six years after
first entering congress, part Of the time a
| senator and part OF the time as Secretar ~
| of State under John Quincy Adams.
When MIR. Clay first resigned the speak
ship he was succeeded by Langdon Cheves
of South Carolina and his unexpired term
in the Sixteenth congress was filed by
John w. Taylor Of New York.
FROM 1891 TO 1S41.
Philip P. Barbour of Virginia was the
speaker of the Seventeenth congress. 1921.
1923.
John W. Taylor of New York was speaker
| of the Sixteenth congress. succeeding MIR.
Clay.
The twentieth, Twenty-frst. Twenty
second and part OF the Twenty-third con-
crosses were presided over by Andrew
| Stevenson Of Virginia Mr.. Stevenson. re-
signed to become minister to England. John
| Bell OF Tennessee succeeded him as speaker
Like Clay, Bell served in both branches of
| congress, was member of the cabinet
| Secretary of War under Harrison) and was
an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency.
James X. Polk OF Tennessee was the thir-
teenth speaker, presiding over the Twenty
fourth and Twenty-fifth congresses. This
speaker. with the unlucky "thirteen''
| against him, was the only one who became
| President Mr.. Polk was also an exception
in this-he declined during his term of
Office denomination for the presidency.
The career of r. M. T. Hunter of Vir-
ginia, the next speaker of the House 1882
lS4D, was unlucky. While he was speaker
his name was often mentioned in connec-
ton with the presidency. As soon
| as 1t became certain that the south
! ern states would secede Hunter was
mentioned as the most suitable leader for
the new confederacy. JEFF Davis, however,
secured the unhappy prize, aud Hunter had
| to content himself with cabinet position
| under Davis. After the war be was pushed
| aside by younger and more active men. and
he became so much part of dead oues-
! ton that when he was appointed to O fed
eral office in Virginia in 1885 people outside
| of Virginia were surprised to learn that be
was still alive. He was resurrected from
| obscurity by Grover Cleveland, who was
not yet born when Hunter was speaker and
| presidential aspiranC already IN the Dam