The Butte inter mountain., 1902-01-02
Speakers of the American Congress

the Mississippi river, a section that has
not as yet furnished either a president
or vice president.
Where the Speakers Came From.
Kentucky has furnished four speak
ers with a total service OF Il years;
Virginia four, with a total service Of
13 years, and Massachusetts four, with
a total service OF II years. Pennsyl-
yania has furnished three speakers, with
a total service of II years, and Indiana
three, with a total service Of nine. Maine
has furnished two speakers, with a total
service of 12 years; Tennessee two, with
a total service of six year; New Jersey
two, with total service of six years, and
South Carolina two. with total service
of three years North Carolina has fur
nlshed one speaker, with total service
OF six years. New York one, with a total
service of three years; Connecticut one,
with service of two years; Ohio one,
with a service of two years, and Iowa
one, with a service of two years; but
certain of extension when the Fifty
seventh congress convenes.
SO it will be observed that Is states
have furnished all the speakers of the
national congress.
OF the SO speakers, "a belonged to the
legal profession One was clergyman,
one a physician, and one a merchant.
Three were editors, though Banks and
Blaine, so-classed, had studied al the bar,
and the former had praeticed at the bar.
Trumbull. Macon, Varnum and Jones are
not classed. We know the first three
were soldiers OF the wor or independence,
but they were not professional soldiers.
rrumbull and Varnum VSre public men,
ta.a1t tfFtn. rc.s.,
England Macon was a country gent1e-
man, an expressive term in his day, and
Jones was probably Virginia planter.
Davis was physician, Randall the mer-
chant, and Muhlenberg, the first speaker,
was the clergyman.
Only One .peaker Ever President.
Only one speaker ever attained the
presidency of the republic, though many
sought it, and all We're constitutionaly
eligible to that great dignity except Mr..
Henderson, who was born In Scotland.
One became vice president, though ali
but one was eligible to that office. Eleven
became senators to congress, and Mr..
Crisp was a senator-elect when he died.
Three We're chosen to the office of presi-
dent pro tempore of the senate. Mr..
Colfax was the only man who was ever
chief presiding officer of both houses.
Nathaniel Macon and Henry Clay were
the two great speakers of the earlier
period OF our national history. The
first was more of Roman than any
other American public man, and the Sec
ond more of a Cavalier. Macon's pic.
ture is the only one missing from the
gallery in the speakers lobby. There
Is no likeness of him in existence. He
was in public life 81 years. Galusha A.
Grow, speaker of the Thirty seventh con-
gress, is the only man of our history
whose earliest and latest service in the
national legislature covered a period of
| half century. Mr. Grow is a member
| of the Fifty-seventh congress, and his
| days promise to be long in the land
| 1T Is said that the duel between Clay
ard Randolph would not have been
| fought had not Randolph imagined that
| Clay did not pay enough attention to his
| speeches.
| There is tradition for it that Blaine
| lost the nomination for president ut
| Cincinnati In 1876 because he appointed
John f. Farnsworth chairman of the
| committee on postoffices and post roads.
James r. Tyner took offense at that and
had influence enough with the Indiana
| delegation to give that state to Hayes,
which secured his nomination. Had Nc
| kinley defeated Reed for speaker in 1889
| IN all probability he would never have
| been president of the United States.
Sen Harrison was not far wrong when
/ ne said congress was a team OF Wild
| horses And 1t takes a man to drive
| them.