The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-04
A CONGRESSIONAL INCIDENT.
How Henry G. Turner Unseated WsI-
liam Mckinley.
]. S. c. in Atlanta Journal.


Washington, March lon the 4th of
March, after sixteen years of congress
sional service, Henry G. Turner of Geor-
gia will retire to private life.
He will return to the practice of his pro-
fession in his district-among the people
who love and honor him, who would have
been only too glad to honor him again had
he permitted, and whom he has so highly
honored by his public career.
1t is not extravagant to say of Mr.. Tur-
ner that no man of his times has so con-
spicuously, so ably and so faithfully rep
resented the state of Georgia on the floor
of congress,
His place was won by talent and integ-
rity. Sheer mental force and personal in
tegrity gave him his exalted position. He
owes nothing to influence, to powerful
friendships, to engaging, snowy qualities
for none of these has he possessed.
He has become conspicuous because he
has been ADLER than his fellows and be-
cause he has been consistent-as honest as
the nooday sun and as true as finest tenn
pered steel.
"A
be history of the last eight congresses.
He has been a leader since his first term,
and from the first hour of his congressional
service to the last, he has grown in the es-
timation of his colleagues.
Scoring the tricks of little men, rely
ing upon his knowledge and intellect, and
the consciousness of right, he has been an
example in debate that others might we'll
copy if they could.
Republican leaders like Reed, Burrows.
Mckinley, Dingley, Dalzell, Hopkins,
have been brought to book time and time
again by this Georgian as modest and
courteous as he is able and fearless.
Many of his speeches will live in "on-
gressional history as marvels of good
English, good sense-which is good law
and good legislative morals
AS the chairman of the committee on
elections in the House he made a record
for ability and fair dealing that has never
been equalled before or since his incum-
bency in that position.
AS member of the committee ON ways
and means, the Houses leading commit
tee, he has played an important part in
the discussion and disposition of every
economic question before the House and
the people for the last eight years. And
how well he has done this should be the
pride of the people of his district, of his
state and of his section.
He retires after sixteen years of SER
vice, with record pure and untarnished:
scandals in public life have ragged about
him, but no breath Of suspicion has been
blown in his direction; innumerable grabs
and steals" have been consummated, but
always over his protest and always with
out his vote.
When he leaves Washington 1t will be
with the respect and admiration of every
man who knows him and knows his
career-republican or democrat. He has
lived his public life as well as his private
lifts, san peur ct sans repoche. and in
his going the state and nation he served
so well and so faithfully are the only
losers.
But 1 did not start out to tell of Mr..
Turner those things that all know, and
all say, except the little narrow gauge pol
iticlans, who failing to control or use him,
have barked at his heels from time to
time.
NV purpose was to recall one of his most
notable achievements in congress and one
that happened so long ago that most of
the people have forgotten 1t.
II was to unseat William Mckinley. Jr.,
of Ohio, who will become President of the
United States on the day Mr.. Turner re-
tires from public iife-and put in his place
in congress--a democrat, by the name of
Jonathan Wallace.
This occurred in the Fourty-elghth con-
gress, when Mr.. Turner was serving his
second congressional term and his first
term as chairman of the committee on
elections, and Il was perhaps the begin
ming of the splendid reputation 20 which
he has so added in succeeding congresses.
Mckinley was a member Of the Forty
seventh congress, and had served on the
ways and means committee. He was an
engaging, courteous gentleman then, as