New-York tribune., 1902-02-23
"FATHERS OF THE HOUSE" "
FOUR PHILADELPHIANS WHO HAVE
HELD THIS TITLE IN CONGRESS.

Washington. Feb % (speciaD.-Keney, O'Nen
Harmer. Bingham-these have been the Fathers
OF the House for nearly third of a century, all
Pennsylvanans all Phladephians. The only sur
vivor is the present Father" Harry" Bingham,
the best dressed in either House. Like O'Neill
he is a bachelor. David B. Culberson. about the
worst dressed man in either branch of Congress-
was the actual Father when Thomas b. Reed be-
came Speaker the second time. but voluntarily ao-
dicated the dignity, its privileges and its distinc
tlons, and was glad thus to gratifv his friend Of
many years, Mr.. Harmer. who administered the
oath to the Speaker that December dav of 1895
Ihls quartet of Fathers from the CITY of
brotherly Love" aggregate service in that body ex-
ceeoing one hundred years. Alexander II. Stephens
joshua X. Giddings, John S Phelps E. B. Wash
burn and Henry L. Dawes are some of tho Other
FATHERS of the House" the last half of the last
century.
William ID. Kelley a model legislator Honest
10 the degree of fanaticism no one ever accused
MIN or having selfish impulse in all his long and
olsunguished political career. In his early man
hood he was Democrat and Free Trader but
was converted to the doctrine of protection by
henry I. carey and became the exponent of that
doctrine In even more pronounced degree than
William Mckinley Nelson DngIey his successors
as chairman OF the Ways and Means Committee
whose names were subsequently so closely as
soclated with protection. Kelley entered Congress
IN the earlier sixties. and at attained dis
unction as orator. Like Roscoe ConkIing and
vowels and the consonants took care of themselves
His was a commanding and attractive if NOT
sonorous and musical. voice. Above all, he never
spoke except when he had something to say
Without his solicta ton he was nominated for re-
election, and he appeared before the convention
and declined the honor on the ground that he would
not solicit office for a constituent nor devote his
time from public to private business The coaven-
ton by unanimous vote forced the nomination
on him, and Philadelphia undertook to arrange
N Pdadi IL, III
men sent to Washington and paid him
salary equal TO that of a Congressman who did
all the officeseeking and managed all the private
business from the district and thus Mr. Kelley
was left to look after public matters How well he
dld II Is written In a dozen general tariff laws
Dom Piatt in derision. dubbed him Pig Iron
Kelley and II became badge of honor. and one
could not please him better than to designate
him. He refused to vote for Garfield. though Gar
field was his partys nominee for Speaker because
mad said that he was for that protection which
would lead to ultimate free trade. He voted for
Hendricks b. Wright a Randall Democrat
Mckinley was his disciple. and that priest of the
Catholic hierarchy who wrote "TeIemaque' for the
prince Of the house of Bourbon who did not live to
ascend the throne fonder tutor than
was the Philadelphia Congressman nor was that
most virtuous and most engaging of princes an
apter scholar of Fenelon than he who became
the best loved OF all the worlds great men, a de-
voted pupil of William ID. Kelley. The latter had
1b mess "a 5ntctaIon lie Loved to be known as
IHe dlher OF the House. His health was never
robust, and he owed his ripe age the temperate
against exposure In disagreeable weather ne
would ask leave OF absence from late and after
and as he rose TO leave ne would say something
t nke ms me old man hopes his children will be
nounced the word "cheeldren." and every one loved
him the more for this engaging and delightful
.H1c When he he died his colleague Charles oNen sue
sore disappoi intment awaited him. Mr. Crisp was
thosen t Speaker' and MI Neill was there ready
honor. alleging that he had been member OF the
II in vain that o'Neiii protested that the the
Father Of the House the member of the
been defeated for the XLvth and XLVIth Con-
and including the Mild Congress So had a
member from Texas. but Roger O. Mills was in no
Congress The Speaker elected to be sworn in by
justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
HSns OF the peace IN n SsTrSa Two years
disputed Father of the House and administered
the oath oath to Mr. Crisp.
o.Neili Nell was PhiladelPhiaS True. O'Nein was
was kept in Congress TO look after PhiIadeiphia
especially lie was always in his seat and always
al work When ne was not writing or when he
left off writing for some considerable time 1t an
assurance that Philadelphia or the Pennsylvania
ttaiIroad was going to have some business to come
before the House right away.
House" after ONeilrs death by the grace Of Judge
CulDersoD There are strange fellOwships in this
a
fred G Harmer. OF Germantown Penn. and
William H. Hatch OF Hannibal No Harmer
was Republican through and through while
Hatch gloried In the fact that he had been a
rebel Yes he roared the hall of Con
gress, we were rebels, and glory in it, Did
you ever hear of rebel who wasn't in the right
There being named Lucifer.' retorted
a Representative from Michigan The House
screamed. Hatch gestculated, hut his reply was
lost There are those VINO said IL punCtuated
with several eNpletives.
Harmer was the most tacturn member. except Mr.
Hatch was a loquaCiOus man, and when he spoke
which he frequently did whirwind would have
stepped aside and given him room Pointing his
hnger scornfully at George Fred Williams then a
Mugwump and Il Gold Bug ne exclaimed i
would not give one recruit like the sOcklesS states
man from Kansas for regiment like you,''
And these two. Hatch and Harmer used to 90
on every saturday In the heated term and enjoy
the Sunday at Cape May. where Harmer had a
cottage. Politically they were far apart as the
east from the west. Personally they were twins i'm
fellowship-one Philadelphia Quaker and the
other Il Kentucky cavalier and Confederate SOL
Like the Englishmau who wherever he goes talzes
his bathtu5 with him, Hatch took his butter win
him. He hated sham with all the cordialtv the
devil hates holy water. ana his special aversion
was oleomarEaTtne lie the author pro-
moter and champion of the first oeomargarine hin
When Hatch came East ne had butter from mis-
farm in Marion County. and he would eat no other
When Harmer died the 'Fathershp'' descended 10
General Bingham. and every body called the
other Father Charlie everybody calls the
present Father" Harry" One cannot Jo0l, ~
the athletic figure without recalling the inyoluntor
the Iron Duke paid the Young officers
fore "