The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-07-08
SPEAKER AND WHITE HOUSE.
Facts That Upset Que >o-tniied tn
written Law of American Politics.

Various ulNrltten laws of American
politics seem to have lost their force of
ate. There is that one 20 the effect
that no president after leaving the
Hhite house could expect ever To be
reelected 10 return to ia rule broken
II the case of Cleveland. Another is a
law that no United States senator could
| become president-H law broken in the
case of James 4, Garfield. still another
| Of these laws has recently been brought
again into notice by the critics aud nd
mirers of Speaker Thomas H. Reed,
and there is travelling about in some
newspapers an item TO the effect that
every man who has sought the speak
ership of the house since the founda-
ton of the government has done SO
with a view to the presidential nomiua-
ton Of his party. 1t has always been
enough to defeat his election except In
one lone. solitary instance-that of
James X. Polk"
Such n statement is, of course. absurd.
The last democratic speaker Of the
house of representatives.. for instance.
Charles F. Crisp, who presided over the
house in the Fiftv-secoud aud Fifty
third congresses, was not u native Of the
United States, having been born at Shelf
field. England, aud he was therefore not
eligible to the presidency, and could no,
have sought the speakcrship for two
terms with a view to the presidential
nomination of his party Nor was
he the only foreigu-born speaker Of the
house of representatives,. Again. II IS
not true that the previous service as
speaker of the house of representatives
has ever been II bar TO other hou0rs in
the field of American politics, Schuyler
ColfaN was the speaker of three houses.
in the Thirty-eighth, Thirty-ninth and
The Fortieth congresses. He aspircd -
he vice president of the United States.
an Office to which he wa nominated and
elected in 1865. He was never II can
didate for the presidency aud never
aspired, SC far as public records show,
to the presidential nomination, Ma
thauiel =. Banks. who was speaker of
the house in the Thirty-fuurth congress,
aspired aftcrWard to be governor Of his
native state of Massachusetts, aud his
service as speaker did not prove an OBJ.
Stacle to this, for he became governor
of Massachusetts in 1865. being the sue.
CessOr Of John \. Andrews. John &.
Carlisle, who was the speaker in three
congresses. was never seriously regard
ed as Il candidate for the presidency, and
he obstacle to his ambition was not past
service as speaker of the house of rep
rcscutativeS. but the fact that he came
from Kentucky, Il state south of the
Ohio river line. and was, therefore, re
gardCd as unavailable III geographical
grounds. GaluSha 4. Grow, who wa-
speaker in the Thirty-sevonth congress,
was never, as far as anyone knows or
has heard. n candidate for the prcsidcn-
tial nomination. lie is a member Of the
present congress and "A prominent fig
Ure in it. John Bell was speaker in the
Twenty-third congress. elected in 1884.
and his defeat for the presidency rs
years later could have had little connec-
lion with his service in the house Of
representatives, and his successor,
James X. Polk, as speaker, who presided
over the house in the Twenty-fourth
and T~wenty-fifth congresses, was elect
ed president IN 1894 ~ =. sun.