The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-04-23
THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE.
The Remarkable Career of william
Holman in the National Congress.

|
The death of the father Of the House
! William s. Holman, of Indiana, removes
one of the most striking figures in public
| life OF the last generation. He was the
| last Of the distinguished Northern Demo.
Gratis who Were before and during the war
| prominent in public life His death fol-
| lowing SO soon after that of Senator Voor-
| hees leaves Senator David Turpie of that
| State, the only survivor of the great group
of Hoosier Democrats who fought the bat
ties of their party III that closely contested
State in the years before, during and Just
after the war
Judge Holman served more years in the
House Of Representatives than any man
who has ever sat in that body. His SER
vice was broken by three defeats, but in
all he SIT thirty-one years in the popular
branch OF Congress. This is several years
longer than either William ID. Kelly Samuel
j. Randall or Charles O'Nell-the famous
Pennsylvania triuInviratt-sat in the body.
Judge Holman returned TO the Capital from
the West at the beginning Of the new Con-
gress looking in better health than for
months, and was taking the liveliest inter
est in the legislation of the session. I'm
doubleday, he. would have survived for
many years except for the injury he received
in his recent fall.
Judge Holman was at one time regarded
as a Formidable Presidential candidate.
In 1876 and again in 1884 his name was
conspicuously mentioned. and Charles A
Dana at one time made him the chronic
candidate or the New York Sun for the
nomination. Although in late years he
was not an effective speaker on the floor
because OF the failure OF his once robust
voice, he was always an Interesting talk er,
and, contrary 10 the generally established
opinion, was one of the most cultivated
and deeply read men in public life His
antipaihy to everything doubtful in APP
preparation bills, and his activity i'm OPP
position to all that savored either OF jobs
or extravaganza, led long since TO his des-
ignation as the great objector,'' and his
death led 10 many "reminiscences by Sena-
tors and members yesterday, in which his
sterling virtues and his stubborn antag-
onism to doubtful items in appropriation
bills were discussed at length Even the
ADVENT or death did not keep one veteran
member from saying: II suppose the dear
oil judge could not survive the fact that
the House has now reached a point where
dprropHaL!hn blllS can pass without even
being referred TO any committee "a
Judge Holman's active public career ex-
tended fer far more than half century
He was hornin the administra ton of James
Monroe and he knew all the Presidents
of the United States after the famous
author ofthe great American doctrine. He
cast his iirst Presidential rotc for Young
Hickory James K. Polk, and was an act
i've Democrat all his life. He was first
elected to Congress forty years ago, and
was twenty times q candidate for Con
gress in Indiana and but three times de-
feated His last defeat came in the cy-
clone OF 1924, when a Republican sue
ceeded him by few hundred votes; but !
the Old veteran went ok home again, was |
again elected, aud rounded |
out his long career as a member of the |
body that he first entered as a young nan |
Of thirty-siX.