The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-11-08

and was then elected to the Kentucky
House. OF which he was Immediately
chosen Speaker; then he was again sent
to the Senate for another piece OF q term.
after which his House career began.
This was about as irregular. there being
two intervals In his Speakership lncun-
bency, one OF nearly two years, and
second OF nearly four. His aggregate
tenure was approximately ten years.
Theodore Pomeroy. OF New York. was
Speaker one day, elected on the 30 OF
March. 1869. after Schuyler Colfax re-
signed to enter upon the vice-presiden cy
next Cay. This Is the shortest term on
record. John Bell. OF Tennessee. Tiled
the Stevenson vacancy June I'd, 1891,
and served only nine months the next
shortest period to that OF Pomeroy. An
drew Stevenson. Democrat. Of Virginia,
was Speaker of four successive Houses.
and comes next to Clay In length OF
tenure. Blaine. Carlisle and Reed were
five years.
THEIR BIRTHpLAcEs.
Strange to say, New York. with
ITS 1nrue membership In the House,
has had but one Speaker fTaylorl, put
tina a side the one day OF Pomeroy Penn
sylvana has furnished three-Muhler-
berg. Grow and Randall; Virginia four
. t3aTDOur, SteVeIbull, IhuUteT anu JVHCSs
Massachusetts four-Sedgwick. Varnun.
winthrop and Banks: Kentucky four
Clay. White. Boyd and Carlisle: Indiana
three-Davis. Colfax and Kerr; South
Carolina two-Cheeves and James l.. Orr:
Maine two-Blaine and Reed: Tennessee
two-I3ell and Polk: New Jersey two
Dayton and Pennington; and Georgia
two-Cobb and Crisp In the opening
days OF tho memorable Fifty-flrst Con-
T. rS.Ir,
Mr.. Carlisle, was an obscure and COM
para lively new member. He had arisen
to the foremost position of the minority
on the Committee on Elections at that
critical functure. when Speaker Thomas
B, Reed startled the country and his
pm rty with the drrision to count quo
rum, This gave Crisp an opportunity TO
win his spurs, and he seized It with the
rronptness and nvisity which showed
his dnsl, and brllllancy and he aston
ishee1 his marty colleagues and amazed
the RerublcanH With the force. audncity
and ability OF his leadership, These were
the DAYS when Roger @. Mills, OF Texas
and William NJ. Snrln ger, OF Illinois wnre
the foremost men in the Democratic
ranks. When Speaker Reed introduced
h's famous policy OF counting Democrats
who were present and not voting the
astoMnded and enraeed Democrats were
+ "
host rose as ono man, ready to fight 10
the Death tn nreVert this Innovation,
CRIsP's GREAT SPEECH.
III that conflict, Crisp clearly OUT
ranked all the older 'Ieaders' In his
great speech in reply to William Me-
Kin'ey. then the floor leader Of the
majority, In which no quoted frnrn
speeches by Blaine and other RanuhlI-
can leaders OF days before, and closing
with quotation of great power ard
carnestness from former speech by
Speaker Reed while he was at the he1d
of the Republican minority ending with
The eouplst-"I appeal from Philip drunk
to Iohilp sober''-and set tho Democratic
side into whirlwlnd Of excitement and
demonstration Of approval as the Demo-
Gratis crowded around the speakers desls.
There was great uprnar. cilnoh'ns
their fists and grlttlng their teeth. ard
violent clash seemed Imminent, Next DAY,
In referring to the incident Mr. Reed
said to friend, II do not know What
would have become OF me when the DEM
oorats got at me. but do know what
would have happened to the first man
that came within reach OF my gavel,
At the st. Louis convention IN the con-
test for the presidency Reed met With
a crushing defeat, and his retirement
from Office soon afterwards was more a
matter of personalities than PRINCIPLES.
MCKINLEY In that convention won from
him as easily as ha had won from Nc
Kinley in the speakershir's race. Reed
had teen uniformly successful until he
offered for tho presidency, Notwithstand-
Ina his great brllllsncy and power as
Sneaker, like Mr.. Blaine. he was moor
loser, He grew morose and discontinued
after the ST. louis convention. and mo-