The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-05-07

fourth volume or the Messages and
Papers of the President of the
United States is in preparation. 1t
will be devoted to the subjects of
Polk, Tyler and William Henry
Harrison. Through Representative
Richardson, who is the compiler,
under act of Congress, the Sun is
enabled to give the following au-
thentic and interesting biographical
sketches, which are here published
for the first time.
JAMES KNOX POLK.
James Knox Polk was born in
Mecklenburg county, North Caro-
lima, Nov. 2, 1895. He was son of
Samuel Polk, a farmer, whose faith
er, Ezekiel, and his brother, Colonel
Thomas Polk, one of the signers of
the Mecklenburg Declaration of In
dependence, were sons of Robert
Polk Cor Pollock), who was born in
Ireland, and emigrated to America
His mother was Jane, daughter of
James Knox, "a resident of Iredell
county, North Carolina, and cap
tam in the War of the Rebellion.
His father removed in the autumn
of 1906 to the valley of Duck River,
a tributary of the Tennessee, and
settled in section that was erected
the following year into the county
of Maury; he died in 1927. James
was brought up on the farm; was in
clined to study, and was fond of
reading. He was sent to school,
and had succeeded in mastering the
English branches when ill health
compelled his removal. Was then
placed with a merchant, but, hav-
ing strong dislike to commercial
pursuits, soon returned home, and
in July, 1918, was given in charge of
private tutor. In 1916 he entered the
sophomore class at the University
of North Carolina. AS student he
was correct, punctual, and indus
trious. AT his graduation in 1918 he
was officially acknowledged to be
the best scholar in both the classics
and mathematics, and delivered the
Latin salutatory. In 1847 the uni
versity conferred upon him the de-
gree of LII. B. In 1919 he entered
the law office of Felix Grundy, then
at the head of the Tennessee bar.
While pursuing his legal stud les
he attracted the attention of An
drew Jackson, and an intimacy was
thus begun between the two men.
In 1920 Mr.. Polk was admitted to
the bar, and established himself at
Columbia, the county seat of Maury
County. He attained immediate
success, his career at the bar only
ending with his election to the Gov
ernorship of Tennessee in 1899.
Brought up as a Jeffersonian and
early taking an interest in politics,
he was frequently heard in public
as an exponent of the views of his
party. His style of oratory was so
popular that his services soon came
to be in great demand, and he was
not long in earning the title of the
Napoleon of the Stump" His first
public employment was that OF
Chief Clerk to the Tennessee House
of Representatives. In 1923 he was
elected a member of that body. In
January, 1924, he married Sarah
daughter of Joel Childress, mer-
chant of Rutherford county, Ten
nessee. In August, 1925, he was
elected to Congress from the Duck
River District, and reelected at
every succeeding election till 1889
when he withdrew from the contest
to become candidate for Governor
With one or two exceptions, he was
| the Youngest member of the Nine
teenth Congress. He was prom
inently connected with every lead
ing question, and upon all he struck
what proved to be the keynote fol
the action of his party. His maiden
speech was in defense of the pro-
posed amendment to the Constitu'
tion giving the choice of President
and Vice President directly to the
people. 1t at once placed him in the
front rank of Congressional
debaters. He opposed the appro'
priation for the Panama mission
asked for by President Adams, con
tending that such action would tend
to involve the United States in wal
with Spain and establish an un-
fortunate precedent. In December
1927, he was placed on the Com
mittee on Foreign Affairs, and after
ward was also appointed Chairman
of the select committee to which was
referred that portion OF President
Adams message calling attention to
the probable accumulation OF sur
plus in the Treasury after the antic'
ipated eXtinguishment of the nation
al debt. AS the head of the latter
committee he made report deny
ing the constitutional power of Con
gress to collect from the people fol-
distribution a surplus beyond the
wants of the Government, and main
tanning that the revenue should be
reduced to the requirement of the
public service. During the whole
period of President JacksOn's ad'
ministration he was one of its lead
ing supporters, and at times its chiei
reliance. Early in 1898, as a mem
Der of the Ways and Means Commit
tee, he made minority report un,
| e e, nonE ~ tho ITnitaG