Omaha daily bee., 1911-03-25
SPEAKERS WHO WENT BEFORE
Uncle Joe Cannons Record Second
Only to Henry Clay's.
DISTINGUISHED MEN IN CHAIR
Glance at the Roster OF NOtabies
who Presided in the House OF
Representatives - what
They Accomplished.

who Presided IN the HOUSE oA
Representatives - what
They Accomplished.
with one exception, the longest career
In the speakership is that which closed
March T. 1911 eat that time Joseph q. Can
non had served four terms, or eight years
without interruption. Henry Clay was
chosen six times, but not in succession
and he was in office ten years In the az
gregate. Several persons held the speaker
shin for three terms Nathaniel Macon OF
North Carolina entered the speakership In
1901 when jefferson stepped into the White
House. and he remained there until lsVi.
Schuyler Colfax Of Indiana held the post
from 1853, in the middle Of Lncoln's serv-
ice as president. to 1863, when johnson
stepped out of the White House, into
which he had gone on the assassination OK
Lincoln. Colfax would probably have been
in office longer had he not been chosen
vice president on the Grant ticket in 1865
an office which he held through Grants
first term.
This is the speakership record on that
particular point until after the close Of
the civil war, except in the case Of An
drew Stevenson of Virginia, who entered
the speakership in 1897, in the middle Of
the presidency OF John quincy Adams, who
was elected four terms, as Cannon has
been, but who did not serve through the
last Of them. Chosen to his fourth term
in 1893, at the beginning Of Jackson's sec
on6 term in the presidency, he aroused
much hostility among his party, friends
as well as enemies, by the unfairness Of
his rulings, and the fire which was opened
upon him from his own constituents con-
strained him to resign in 1894. in the mid
die Of his fourth term. one of the charges
brought against him was that he was too
subservient to Jackson. And just at that
time. on account Of Jackson's summary
treatment OF Calhoun, Hayne and the
nulhfiers. some hostility to Old Hickory
was aroused in sections of the south which
/ had not favored notification
Democrats in the Chair.
After Colfax left the speakership in 1869
to 20 to the vice presidency, Blaine was
chosen to that office, and he remained in
Il until the republicans. in the election Of
1874, lost control of the house. He was
succeeded by Michael c. Kerr, an Indiana
democrat. John G. Carlisle, chosen in 1888,
Just after the wave in the middle of Ar
thurs term placed the democrats In con-
troll Of the house, held the office three
~
was also chosen three times to the speaker
ship, but his first service. beginning in
liS76. was for only half a term. Kerr
elected in 1875, died the following year,
and Randall succeeded him and remained
in the post through Hayes term and I'M
til Garfield and Arthur stepped into office.
Except Taylor, the whig, who was elected
lin 1s4s, Hayes was the only president who,
on entering office. had the popular branch
of congress against him.
Thomas 3. Reed, with whom Cannon ts
often compared, served three terms as
speaker. but not consecutively. He entered
office in 1889, at the beginning Of Harrison
term, but adversely struck the republicans
in the ensuing congressional elections of
1890 and the republicans lost control of
the house Reed, however framed the
rules of procedure with which his name
is associated. and they remained after hun.
The rules were adopted by the democrats,
who had fought them when the republi-
cans placed them on the books Crisp. the
democratic speaker, enforced them as
rigidly as ever their inventor had done. In
the republican tidal wave of 1894, which
swept the democrats out Of power in the
middle OF Clevelands second term the
house was regained by Reeds party. He
was chosen speaker, and was reelected at
the beginning of the following term, thai
} which began when Mckinley first entered
the White House. He held the Office till
! the middle Of McKiniey's term. Reed found
4 himself out OF harmony with his party on
the dominant issue Of national expansion
, which the Cuban Philippine wars Of 1S9S-9'
had brought up. and he resigned from the
Z house in 1893 and began the practice of Law
/, in New York.
NothbIes of Early Days.
i This is the roster of the persons whC
a held the speakership more than two terms
! Several had II two terms Frederick A
4 MuhIenberg of Pennsylvania, who wal
q chosen speaker IN 1889 at the beginning o
the career of congress under the constitu
tlon, held the post during the first half o
washington's first term in the presidenc,
or until 1871. He then gave way to Jon
. athan Trumbull of Connecticut. who he'll,
the post during the following two years
but re-entered 1t at the beginning of-NVash
n ington's second term in 1888 and RENAME,
n in until 1885 Jonathan Dayton Of New
, Jersey, who followed Muhenberg, also hcit
u the speakership two terms. but there wa
no interruption in his service. AnOthe
: L. to-,a gnaaIrap Joqanb n