Evening journal., 1912-04-08
NEW MEMS OF YESTERDAY
The Senator Who Was Not
President for a Day
By Holland.

George f. Spencer who was a
United States Senator from the State
Of Alabama in the mid-seventies, was
also the last Republican Senator from
that State. He was man of northern
birth who went to Alabama shortly
after the war with the intention Of be-
coming a cotton planter. He was
drawn into politics and practically
without any canvass or effort on his
part was elected in 1873 United States
Senator. After he retired from the
Senate, he lived in Washington and
was engaged in a number Of important
railway promotions.
One summer afternoon in the year
1884 found the Senator at leisure at
his hotel and as he was in a reminis-
cent and conversational mood I took
advantage of the circumstances to ask
him some questions about men and
events as these came under his eye
while serving in the Senate
"You must have known Senator
Thomas W. Ferry of Michigan, q said
Yes, l knew Ferry very we'll; there
was an extraordinary change in the
man just before | left the Senate
When ! entered the Senate he was one
of the most influential and energetic
members of that body. In the latter
part of my term / thought that he had
lost either his ambition or else his
health. There were times when he
seemed almost misanthrOpic.
when I first knew him he was as
popular a member OF the body as any
one who sat in the Senate chamber.
When Henry Wilson, the vice-presi-
dent, died, Ferry's popularity and his
thorough mastery of parliamentary
law combined to make him the Presi-
dent Of the Senate and in that capa-
city he served until about 1879. He
was reputed to be one of the richest
citizens Of Michigan, having large
lumber interests i'm that State, but
heard about a year before the close Of
my own term that he had met with
severe monetary losses. have al
ways suspected that these losses,
combined with the tremendous strain
which was upon him at the time of
the disputed election between Hayes
and Tilden, impaired his physical and,
possibly. his mental vigor
"As president Of the Senate Ferry
was chairman of the joint session of
the Senate and House which met i'm
February. 1877, for the purpose of
hearing the returns from the electoral
colleges of various States There had
been movement to take the power of
receiving the returns from the clerk
and announcing of these returns from
the president Of the Senate and Civ
ing that power to the Joint body. The
opponents of this plan were fearful
that under il the Joint body might re-
fuse to accept the returns of the
electoral commission which had been
appointed to decide whether the cleo
torial vote i'm three southern States
had been given to Hayes or Tilden.
/ The ELECTORAL commission by ma
| iOrity of one, had decided i'm favor Of
electoral returns from those States
which gave the plurality to Hayes
These electoral returns added to the
undisputed Hayes returns, gave the
election to Hayes by one majority in
the entire ELECTORAL college.
Ferry was very greatly concerned
over what he believed was a plot TO
deprive him of the wight to announce
the returns from the electoral college
and to declare to whom a majority of
| the electoral vote had been given He
had, however. decided, that no mat
ter what might be done he would
| cause the returns which elected Hayes
| TO be read and would announce that
/ Hayes had been elected. OF course ne
was apprehensive that this might
| lead 90 very serious consequences. II
was a tremendous mental and physical
strain under which he labOred. and
| think Ferry never recovered from it
AS il happened, his approhensions
We're uncalled for; no attempt was
made TO take the duty of declaring the
returns from him.
shortly after the Inauguration OF
/ Hayes / walked down to the capitol
one afternoon with Senator Ferry and
/ | said TO him half iokingly, Well, Sen.
/ ator, YOU have the unique record of
4 having been President of the United
| states for one day. That ought TO COM
/ pensate you for the great strain ia
which you were recently submitted.
Yes ] know he replied. that the
| story has gone out that ! was Presi-
/ dent of the United States for one day
II arose from the fact that the fourth
/ of March this year occurred on sun
/ day and HAYES was not inaugurated
until noon ON Monday Therefore. il
was presumed that the twenty-four
/ hours between the expiration of
Grants term and the inauguration oi
Hayes had qualified me, as President
of the Senate as acting President OF
the United states
But that story was all wrong. IN
tell YOU something which is not gem
orally known Hayes was secretly
sworn i'm as President on Sunday
March 4, at - o'clock. I, as President
of the Senate. was privately informed
/ of that fact In Wow of the great ex-
element occasioned by the dispute as
to whether Hayes or Tilden had been
elected, It was thought the wisesi
thing 10 swear in Hayes at noon on
March a. Then, If there were no dis
/ turbance he was to take the oath pub
licly the next day. SO, you see, never
was acting President OF the United
States even for a single day
copyright 1912. by T. J. Edwards
All rights rcseWed)
Tomorrow M Edwards will tell OF