The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-12-30

LOuT III cScSSS Dut ldktoS0 oSe@A'A as 80
Forty-fifth, holding on thereafter contin-
uously for sixteen years. He declined
denomination to the Fifty-third Congress
because of ill-health. After another hiatus
of four years he was again elected In
1896, and has since served In the Fifty-
fifth, Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Con-
crosses. and was reelected on the 4th
ultimo to the Fifty-eighth.
II he lives through his next term Mr.
Ketcham will have beaten the longest
House tenure by two years He Is very
likely to do so. as he is only 1O and tough
as a stout old oak.
These long records are reminders that
extended service has apparently advanced
no claim to the Speakership except In
Mr.. Cannon's case. Six Of the Speakers
only are found In the list of long termers,
that is members who have served twenty
wears and upwards. They are Nathaniel
Macon of North Carolina; John w. ray
lor of New York; Nathaniel +. banks Oh
Massachusetts,; Samuel j. Randall of
PENNSYLVANIA and Thomas B. Reed OF
Maine and David B. Henderson OF Iowa.
But General Banks was chosen Speak
er in his second term and sixteen years
of his service was put In sfter ne ieft
the chair. Macon served ter years ana
TAYLOR six after filling the office OF Speak
eE. ne DSLiOCIatS oAoRRCo
cause of his tariff views. and made Car
Isle Speaker but his Philadelphia con-
stituency continued to send Randall to the
House until his death in 1890 Reed mad
been in Congress eighteen years before
he reached the Speakership, In 1889. Like
Mr.. Henderson, he declined reelection
to Congress while still occupying the
Speakers chair.
Holman, Kelly. o'Nefil, Harmer, Cox,
John Reed, Mercer and Bland. each with
a quarter of a century's service In the
House to his credit, all failed to reach
the Speakership. So did Alexander ii.
Stephens, Joshua r. Giddings and several
other eminent statesmen with House
records little short Of those named.
Therefore, after having served long
as twenty-eight years In the House. 1t Is
a notable event that Mr.. Cannon. when
nearing his 6sth year. should at last be
considered by his party for the Speaker
ship. A side from questions OF policy,
probably nearly every Republican ana
most of the Democrats will heartily say
that Mr.. Cannon has earned the distinc-
ton.
II he had served continuously Cannon
would also tie the Holman record with
the expiration Of the present Congress
but he lost two years, for unluckiiy ne
was defeated in 1890 by 8. T. Busey. That
was a disastrous year for other eminent
Republicans. 1t defeated William M.
Evarts of New York. for the Senate, and
brought in David Bennett Hill: perma-
nently eliminated the Hon. John j. Ingalls,
and temporarily submerged the Hon. John
C. Spooner and many others.
Seven thousand different individuals
have been honored with seats In the
House of Representatives since its origin
lib years ago, but those who have served
twenty years and upward number only
twenty-eight. They are as follows, IN
the order of tenure:
representative Years tenure.
William s. Holman, Indiana ............ 30
John n. Ketcham. New York ........ 10
William d. Kelley, Pennsylvania........2 =
Charles O'Neill. Pennsylvania .......... ~
Joseph G. Cannon. Illinois ............ u
Samuel ]. Randall. Pennsylvania !..... y
Alfred C. Harmer. Pennsylvania -. "a
Samuel 8, Cox, Ohio and New York. rs
John Reed, Massachusetts ........ "a
Charles F. Mercer. Virginia .......... "a
Nathaniel Macon, North Carolina ...... "a
Henry H. Bingham, Pennsylvania. "a
Richard Bland, Missouri. ........ ~
John Randolph, Virginia. ...... "a
| Alexander H. Stephens, Georgia. y
William Findiay, Pennsylvania ........ Y
| Joshua r. Qeddings. Ohio .............. Y
Thomas B. Reed. Maine ................ ~
| David B. Culberson. Texas.............. Y
John w. Taylor, New York. y
Richard M. johnson. Kentucky..........D ~
Nathaniel P. Banks. Massachusetts. y
| William NJ. Springer, Illinois ............ =
Thomas J. Henderson, Illinois........ y
James II. Blount, Georgia.. ..'..' y
Benton McA1illin, Tennessee ....'..''.' y
David B. Henderson, Iowa...........'.. y
pohart p Hitt Illinois ............ %