The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-26
The ROANOKE TIMES, SATURDAY. MAY Is

with much less wear and tear than at
first They are remarkably solid and
we'll preserved men. General Palmer
ranks next to Senator Morrill,, being we'll
into his seventy fourth year. Judge
Holman Is so often quoted ss the father
Of the house that almost every one thinks
him the oldest member, and it is Of
ten so stated in the papers. That dis
tinotion. however. belongs to Hon
Hezekiah S. Bundy of the Tenth Ohio,
but he is such quiet member that he
is often quite overlooked He says that
tho rules and methods of procedure in
the house are SO very different from
what they were when he was here many
years ago that he does not feol inclined
to master the routine again, especially
as no is not candidate for recollection
and is only filling the unexpired term
OF the late William II. Enochs as the
result Of o sort Of compliment by tho
voters He will soon complete his sew
enty fourth year and entered the Ohio
legislature 46 years ago.
More Veteran Statesmen.
Another old member who does not
say much is tho man whose writings
wo enjoyed so much 80 or 40 years ago
namely, the Hon. Thomas Dunn Eng
lish of the Sixth New Jersey. This is
his second term, and he is as defiantly
independent as man Of 70 years who
cares not for reelection can we'll
afford to be. Considering his wound and
physical sufferings with tho storms of
every kind which he has passed through,
General Daniel Edgar Sicl1les is still
we'll preserved man. AS General Palm
er's biography is the longest in tho SEN
ate list so that Of General Sickles is ono
OF the longest in tho house list, and yet
both arc compact and modest in tone,
their length being due to the nero emu
merations of the positions filled by each.
General Sickles has held 10 different
commissions in legislative, diplomatic
and military service, and General Palm
or has held ID, but somo Of the latters
extended over many years Other we'll
known veterans Of the house who arc
past 70 or within few weeks of it arc
Thomas j. Henderson, Seventh Illinois;
John Henry Gear, First Iowa; Moses
L. Stevens, Fifth Massachusetts,; Charles
S. Randall, Thirteenth Massachusetts;
John Avery, Eleventh Michigan; Ga
lusha A. Grow, Pennsylvania at large,
and Charles E. Hooker, Seventh Missis-
sippi. Senator John Sherman passed
into his seventy-second year n few days
ago, and the soft money men and silver
ties say that he doesn't look any more
dried up and lanky than he did in 1878.
Senator James L. Pugh is in the middle
Of his seventyfourth year and has been
legislator off and Oh just 80 years
Elected Fifteen Times.
Although Judge Holman has been q
member of tho house 30 years in all,
elected 10 times, beginning with 1853,
yet he is only II years old Incidentally
It may be 0dded that he is at once the
subject of severe criticism by his oppo-
nents and tho most ardent affection by
bis personal friends There Is one group
of Id men in the capitol whose admira-
ton for him amounts to q sort Of Wor-
shipful reverence. These men constitute
what Is called the permanent soldiers
roll Of the house. One Of them has lost
both legs and one both arms and all the
others an arm or leg each. The Judge
Is called the father Of tho roll, as he Sc
CURED the rule which made 1t perma-
nent BY sort Of accident 1t long ago
consisted Of seven Democrats and seven
Republicans, and it has purposely been
kept SO ever since These men arc ranked
on the pay list as messengers, but serve
chiefly as doorkeepers
Samuel A Decker Of Toledo Is the
messenger who has lost both arms and
Ferdinand Page of Grand Rapids the
one who hos lost both legs. This group
dates from the Forty-fourth congress,
but was first made permanent by rulo in
the Forty eighth. The once famous
speech delivered by Judge Holman in
the house July 16, 1901, set forth the
position Of the war Democrats SO clearly
that It could not be misapprchended,
and 1t was their platform Of action till
the end Of the war. His unflinching
support of war measures while dissent
ing from tho administration policy in
many respects, his devotion to the SOL
diers' interests and his personal purity
Of character give him that surprising
hold he has upon tho people of his dis
trict in spite of those peculiaritics which
are material for the wit Of tho para
| graphers
Few Resigned.
There is much cause for surprise at
the small number Of deaths among con-
gressrnen, but while the deaths Of sena-
| tors have been but 100 the designations
have been nearly three times rs many,
and some Of them very curious Presi-
dent Garfield took three senators into
bis cabinet and SO did President Cleve-
land IN his first term, but in his second
took but one Mr.. Carlisle Several SEN
ators have resigned to go upon the su-
preme bench aud several more to be-
come governors Of their states. In 1891
| Senator james G. Wilson rasi1nad TO