The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-16
Brother Removed From
Floor Of House.
Gold Standard Bill Passed
without Excitement.
rrxcrAL TO TIE PREss.l

this week has concluded n most exoit.n
contested election case, 1t ssem S on3 Of
the sltires OF history that Republican
majority In the HOUSE Of Representatives
should seat son OF the Virginia governor
under whoss administration old John
Brown was hung. But while John
Browns body lies Wondering 10 the
grave, and his soul goes marching on,
the sons Of Henry A. Wise are good Re-
publicans, and are among the few Of their
rarity In the south who are able to do
something besidss telling on hand when
the federal Offices are to be distributed.
There are two sons Of henry A. Wiss
who are prom inent in the Republican
politics In Virginis-Riohard A. Wise,
who has been seated after . contest, and
John s. Wise, who was a member Of the
House several years ago, and who was
cKdered from the floor by the Speaker on
Monday for abusing the privileges &C.
COL d ed him a, an ex-nember.
Henry A. Wise was a famous man In
America during the agitation OF the
slavery question. He was duel fight
ing, hrs-sating Southsrner, who was yet
capable at times Of conservative action.
He was q member OF the House Of Rep
resentatives in 1887 and was the second
OF Graves, of Kentucky, In the famous
duel In which Jonsthan Cillsy, OF Maine,
the promising congressman from the
Rockland district, wss killed. An at
tempt was made to expei Graves and cen
sure Wise, but 1t failed. He was Gov
ernor OF Virginia when John Brown at
tackled Harpsr's Ferry, and was popu-
larry spoken Of at that time as the Gov
ernor who had hung the hero Of the Abo-
lltionists When the war was coming on,
hrWever, he took the conservative side,
ng to hold Virginia In the Union and
SECURE peacsnble adjustment with the
other seeding States. When Virginia
seeded he went with the South, and be-
came brigadier general In the Con fed
crate army. -
One of his sons was killed at Roanoke
Island during the war. Two others,
John S. and Richard A., have been Re-
publicans since the Readjuster days In
Virginia. John S. represented district
in the State in Congress for several years.
and then went to New York to practice
law. The brother, Richard A.. still
lives in Virginia, at Williamsburg. He
served In this Confederate army during
the war, a portion of the time q private
in Stuart's cavalry. After the war he
studied medicine, settling at Williams
burg. There Is the seat Of the old Will
liam aud Mary College, Of which he soon
became professor Of physiology and chem :
istry. As the college was nearly mort
bund then, and Ia now Of hardly higher
grade than a normal school, this position
probably did not Interfere greatly with
his practice of medicine. 1t was o pleas
ant distinction. however. to be y profss'
sor In the most ancient college in Ame-
ioa.
DR.. Wise had been q member Of the
Virginia legislature several times when,
In 1896, he sssayed to run for Congress.
His brother, John s.. came down from
New. York to help him, and together they
made strong fight against William A.
Young. the Democratic nominee. At the
election Wise got the votes and Young got
the returns. But the House riRhted 1t,
and Wise finally got the seat In tho
Fifty.f fifth Congress.
again at the last election, and Wise came
to the Fifty-sixth Congress as contest
ant. His active and devoted brother
came with him. also, and they Tuade q
great contest against the Virginia Demo-
crate, who used all kinds Of influence,
social snd political, to keep Young In
his seat. All the devices of parliament
tary strategy were used, and when IL
seemed that they might succeed, John S.
Wise worked most in iustriously to save
his brothers Gauss. AS an sx-Aem Der
of the House he was entitled to the
privileges of the floor; cut rule Of the
House tOrbids any ex-member to be in
tersstsd In any claim. John s. Wise
understood that he was violating this
rule; but he did not abAte his gsal. He
even took his SCAT beside the members
who were debat ing for his brother,
prompting them by whispering to them,
and passing papers to them. Finally the
Democrats made q point Of order that he
was abusing the privileges OF the floor.
1t being well known and admitted that
he was his brothers. attorney, Speaker
Hsndsrso ruled him OF the fioos.
He was escorted to the door By the As
sistAnt Doorkeeper, declaring that the
ruling was right and that he had doas
what he should not have done. He had
the satisfaction of knowing shortly after
that his brother was seated. although only
by very close vote.
This is not the first time that such q
thing has occurred on the fi0or Of the
House.
In 1854 the contested election case Of
English vs.. PeelIe was one from the State
Of Indiana.