Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-21
RETURN OF GEN. keller.
Some Of the Big Men of the Forty Sew
enth Congress.


Joseph Warren Keifer has been nomi-
mated for representative in Congress by
the republicans of the seventh Ohio dis
tr1ct. The present representative, Thomas
Barton Kyle was elected by majority of
1887 over his democratic opponent So the
return of Mr.. Keifer to the next Congress
Is certain. He will come back after an
absence of twenty years.
Gen. keifer served with gallantry and
distinction through the civil war He en-
tered the House in 1877 and was elected
Speaker of the Forty-seventh Congress
1So1-1SS0. The republican majority in the
House was of the scantiest In the Senate
1t was nip and tuck-thirty-seven republic
cans, th1rty-seven democrats; Gen. William
Malone of Virginia, readJuster; David Da-
Wis of Illinois, Independent, who was presi-
dent pro tenn of the Senate and acting
vice president. 1t was time of close de-
clSlons, or great partisan bitterness of a
still more acid bitterness between the two
wings of the republican party The So
called tidal wave of 1882 cut down the
republican representation In the House
from 1o2 to 11S and swelled the democratic
side from 100 to 1856 In view of the condi-
tons, there was nothing to be wondered at
III these changes. Speaker Keifer had a
hard task. and for a long time hard meas
ure was given him. But those old animosi-
ties so noisy once are silent now Stall
wart' and half breed" are become almost
as hazy and in need of definition to the
new generation 'locofoco" and barn
burner" General Keller will come back to
new world of politics and begins his ca
reer anew. We cannot doubt that he will
receive something of that considera ton and
respect which was shown to another and
older returning Speaker, Galusha Aaron
Grow of Pennsylvania.
Death sweeps away the figures in the
moving row of politics so swiftly that an
almost forgotten person emerging after a
long disappearance is apt to find well
come. In the Senate there are still a few
of the men who sat II. it when General
Keifer was Speaker. Maine still sends
Frye and Hale; Connecticut Plat and GEN
eral Hawley Hoar, Morgan, Allison, AL
Grich, Teller, Cockrell, Gorman-himself re-
stored after an intermission-still adorn the
scene; but most of the old familiar faces
are gone. George Graham Vest is witty and
amable still, although his body has tried to
punish him for the brilliancy of his mind.
Henry w. Blair still breathes great philan-
thropies from New Hampshire, which loves
him too much to send him to Washington
again.
OF the members of the House in the For
ty-seventh Congress, Joe Cannon has had
promotion Hepburn is now a powerful
person; Bingham of Pennsylvania is the
father of the House. Benton Mcmillan is
governor of Tennessee; Joe Blackburn, H.
D. Money, j. c. Burrows are senators. John
G.. Carlisle, General Keifer's successor as
Speaker. is an honored citizen of New
1ork, Roger ". MiilS VINO could not be
Speaker, is worse than dead, we suppose
that is. he is a plutocrat and glad of it.
Horizontal Bill Morrison is living in Wa
terloo, ILL., How soon some great names
and issues collect cobwebs. John H. Rea-
gan of Texas is still on deck Emory Speer
of Georgia is a United States judge. Gen
Joe Wheeler needs no introduction. John A
Kasson is busy dplomatist. Another
oiplomatist is Perry Belmont. Benjamin
w. Harris of Massachusetts, once a well
known parsonage and head of the commit
tee on naval affairs, is judge of probate
in Plymouth county. Hilary w. Herbert
afterward Secretary OF the Navy, lives in
Washington. And on
1t was a distinguished House, as every
House is. Its most famous member in its
own day was Alexander HI. Stephens of
Georgia. William Mckinley, Jr., was serv-
ing his third term. OF the other deceased
members, distinguished in various ways and
degrees, we may mention Thomas B. Reed
Nelson Dingley, jr; Abram S. Hewitt
Frank Hiscock. S. S. Cox. Benjamin Wood
George NJ Robson, William D. Kelley, ].
Proctor Knott, William S. Rosecrans,
George D. Robinson Roswell G. Horn. Rich
ard P. Bland. Benjamin Butterworth. How
quickly the actors change! A Washington
correspondent must be or feel himself the
Oldest man in the world