The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-06-24

cessOrs - Only One of Them All
Reached the Presidential Chair,
Although Many since Clay's Day
Have Aspired to That Much-Cov-
eted Honor-A Story Of Ambitions
Achieved and UnfulAI1ed.
Thomas Bracket Reeds retirement
from congress not only removes from
public life it's most picturesque figure
since John James Ingalls, was bowled out
- by the Kansas Popultsts, but suggests
the question, What became Of former
speakers Of congress? 1t is easy to an
sWer as to Mr.. Reed and his immediate
predecessors In the speaker chair Mr.
Reed is to become citizen of New York
with certainty of $4,000 year for ten
years, guaranteed to him by the law firm
of which he is to become member, and
the possibility, OF advancing whatever
presidential hopes he may still cherish
1t was genial "Jim' Nye of Nevada who
said, ON assuming the senatorial .toga
from that fourishing camp, "Once a sena-
tor, always senator" It Is probably
truer that once. presidential candidate
always presidential candidate. Any
way Mr.. Reed will not lessen his chances
by his change of residence and occupa-
ton ~ -
He will find in New York Mr.. John G.
during the Forty-edghth, Forty-ninth and
Ftftieth congresses. AS Mr.. Reed was
first speaker in the F'ifty-first congress,
Mr.. Carlisle was his immediate predeces-
SCR in the Office which Mr.. Reed recently
declared to be without peer and to have
but one superior Mr.. Carlisle sat in the
house of the Fifty-frst congress until he
was chosen to succeed James Beck In the
senate, Beck having fallen dead in the
Washington station Of the Pennsylvania
rot To,l e,lo 3~o.l {o %I1 10
till Mr.. Cleveland, in his second presi-
Dental term, selected him for secretary Of
the treasury. He held this difficult posi-
ton through the stormy years Of Cleve-
lands second term-years of financial
panic, commercial distress and political
defeat.
Mr.. Reeds first term as speaker was
truly one. of storm and stress. When he
retired from the chair at the close of the
Fifty-first congress the customary vote
of thanks was extended to him only by a
strict party vote. He was succeeded by
the late Charles Frederick Crisp of
Georgia, who was speaker in the Fifty
second and Fifty-third congresses Mr..
Crisp was reelected to the Fifty fourth
congress, blt died before the end Of that
congress while engaged in making the
race for United States senator. The I'M
expired portion of his term was filled out
by his young son, Charles F. Crisp, Jr..
The very first speaker that the congress,
under the Constitution, had was Fred
erick A. Muhlenburg of Pennsylvania,
who was also speaker In the Third con-
gress. The greatest question before the
house during his second speakership was
that to carry the Jay treaty into effect.
The house dividing equally for and
against it, Muhlenburg gave the casting
vote in favor of it. After retiring from
congress he was receiver of the general
land office.
Jonathan Trumbull Of Connecticut was
speaker of the Second congress. After
leaving the chair he became United States
senator, but resigned to become governor
Of Connecticut. This shows the little es-
TEEN in which the office of United States
senator was held in those days. Even
some years later United States senator
resigned to become mayor of New York.
Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey, was
speaker in the Fourth and Fifth con-
crosses. He served afterward In the
United States senate and the Jersey state
senate. He was arrested on suspicion of
completely in the Burr conspiracy, but as
Burr was acquitted no further proceed
ings were taken against Dayton. ...
Theodore Sedgwick. of Massachusetts,
was speaker in the Sixth congress. Aft
erward he sat on the supreme bench of
his state till his death. Nathaniel Macon.
Of North Carolina, the original father Of
the house." was speaker in the Seventh,
Eighth and Ninth congresses. He con-
tinued in the house till 1915, when he be-
came United States senator for twelve
years, after which he lived retired, ex-y
cept for presiding over the North Caro-
lima constitutional convention In 1885.
Joseph B. Varnum, Of Massachusetts,
was speaker I'm the Tenth and Eleventh
congresses. Then he served in the United
States senate for a term, after which he
went to the state legislature. i
Henry Clay was speaker oftener than
any other man who ever lived. He was
chosen speaker of the house on his first
entrance in that body, in the Twelfth
congress- He had previously been in the
senate He was speaker in the Thir-
teenth congress- but resigned to go as
one of the peace commissioners to Client.
Langdon Cheeves, of South Carolina, sue
ceeded him for the rest Of the term Clay
was elected speaker du the Fourteenth,
Fifteenth and Sixteenth congresses. He
resigned at the second session of the
latter congress, and was succeeded by
John w. Taylor of New York, who was
elected on the twenty-second ballot by
one majority. Clay was in the house of
the Eighteenth congress-, and, quite as a
matter of course, was chosen speaker.
1t was the house of this congress that
elected John Quincy Adams president,
thare having been no election by the e &c
toral college. Clay, who had been can
ddate for president, but who, coming In
fourth, could not be voted for, threw his
strength to John Quincy Adams elect1ng
HIM He then became secretary OF state.
which induced the sarcastic John Ran
dolph of Roanoke to denounce what he
called the coalition of the Puritan and
the blackguard. This led to a duel, in
which neither was hurt.
a After leaving the state department
.Clays public life was passed In the SEN
ate. He was nominated for president by
the Wing party, whose acknowledged
lea der he was, in 1914, but was defeated
Langdon Cheeves left congress when the
War of 1912 was over. lawyer by pro-
fession, he became judge Of the supreme
Tor. speaker of the Nineteenth. congress-
afterward practiced law at Ballston, N
=. and was md hber of the state seH-
ate. Phillip P Barbour Of Virginia, VINO
was speaker of the Seventeenth congress,
CLAY not being a member at that term,
became an associate justice OF the SUI
1,reme court of the United States IN 1885,
and died as such in 1841. Andrew steven
son of Virginia was speaker in the Twen.
tieth, Twenty-first, TWenty-second ana
Twenty-third congresses, resigning during
the last term and being succeeded py
:Inhn Bell of Tennessee, who presided over
4ha second session Of the Twenty-third
congress. Stevenson was minister to Eng
land from 1886 to 1841. 8 81 5s
John Bell remained in congress till
h,resident Harrison made him secretary OF
Eprarl in 1871. He resigned when Tyler
aenarated himself from the Wing party.
Declining q proffered election to the sen.
ate, nv the Tennessee legislature, he prac.
ticed law till 1871, when he was elected
( first to the state and then to the United
states senate for the term ending March
8, 1859. He headed in 1850 the tlek s, soi