The Irish standard., 1903-10-24
Cannon Will be the Oldest Man Ever Elected
Speaker Hunter of Virginia, Was
the Youngest.
Henry Clay Held the Speakership Longest,
His Total Term of Office Being
About Ten Years.

Tue selection of Joseph g. Cannon
as speaker of the house in advance of
his election is Il unique and ullp,rcc-
d"ntrd event IN the history of com
%rrSS. says the Cincinnati Enuuircr.
After the resignation of Speaker Hen
d"rS"n sentiment at once began to
tryS,aIIlIr in favor of MIR. Cannon. and
no other candidate wlS seriously con-
Sidrrrd hy his party. thus showing the
prrp"lldrr;lHcr of his popularity. The
'n'l!"tin" on November 10 will he mere
ly Il ratification of his candidacy. In
view of Mr. cnnnon'S Hcknowlrlwr,
accession TO the sprnkcrshp for tho
flitN-riGltlI congress IL splendid par
liamrntnry career will be rounded out
although his greatest triumph was
long deferred. Since hc entered
upon his duties as chairman of
tl" Appropriations committee of tho
Fifty-fourth congress he has steadily
grown in influence before the house.
Ills life of picturesque incidents,
his homcly but forccful speech,
sound sense and determined will,
tempered with good humor and
rolnrldrSllil', are qualities that COM
mend Him TO the entire country.
Probably the most unique thing about
MIR. Cannon is his peculiar. somewhat
awkward. but always forciblc gcs-
lures. His capacity for public Srrv-
ice and his integrity have been PROV
ON by his administration of the most
trying and most responsible chairman
ship under the Legislative arrange
mcnt of congress. His election may
he cIHSSrd as Il remarkable eventual
ity, in that he will not only be a men,
Der OF longer service prior to the
event. but the oldest man ever chosen
speaker of the house. He was first
elected to congress in November, 1872,
the year that General Grant defeat
Ell Greeley for the presidency. When
Mr.. Reed resigned candidates for
speaker appeared in every quarter.
Perhaps Mr.. Cannon would have been
then chosen had not Illinois declared
for Hopkins. There never was the re.
motcSt chance for the latter and his
candidacy only served TO kill off Can
non. Babcock determined the muttcr
for Henderson, whom he had original
~ helped to make Il congressman, and
the two were close personal and p0-
liticnl friends before Babcock left
! Iowa. He brought the Wisconsin dele
CATION soidly to the support OF Hen
drrSon. thus deciding the contest In
tenure prior to his elevation TO the
chair, 1G years, Mr.. Henderson had led
all the speakers in length of service as
congressman. Linn Boyd served II
years, Randall 13, Reed 12, Macon,
Nnrnllm and Grow 10, CofaX and
Crisp 8. Blaine and Carlisle 6, Steven
son 4 ana TrumbuIl Hunter and
Banks only = before reaching the
speakers chair. 1Nhc youngest speak.
cr the house ever had was Il. NJ. r..
Hunter. of Nirginia, who was only 30
ana In his second term when chosen.
Speakers Henry Clay and Howell
cobb were "a, the former of the Thir-
t"cntli congress, in 1911, the latter of
the Thirty-first in 1S49; Dayton and
Orr "a, Barbour, Winthrop ana Grow
~. Muhlcnl,lrg. Banks and Blaine 30,
Polk and C0lfnx 40, Stevenson 43. Ma
con "A. Kcifcr -. Crisp 4G. Varnum,
Kerr, Randall and Carlisle 4S, Reed
30. Boyd and TrumbulI G1. Sctlgcwicll
'i2. William Pennington G:,. chosen in
1859. and Cannon GS years. Pcnning-
ton was chosen after deadlock of two
months. when John Sherman, then 3G
years old and serving third term.
was the choice of the Republicans.
who lacked a clear majority of the
house. Sherman peremptoriy with
drew at the expiration of two months,
although he was within three or four
votes of the necessary majority most
of the time. Clay and Pennington
have the distinction of being the only
men ever chosen speaker in their first
terms in the house. The oldest speak