The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-02-03
RAYNER MEMORIAL SERVICE.
Maryland Congressman Pay Tri-
butte to Late Distinguished
Senator.

were William B. Rayner, Mrs. Will
liam M. Rayner, Archie and Isidor
Rayner, and Miss Frances Rayner,
grandchildren of the late Senator,
the members of the Maryland Con-
gressional delegation, with the ex-
ception of Congressman Parran, who
was absent, paid tribute yesterday
in the House to the late Senator
Isidor Rayner. Congressman Linthi-
cum, who had been designated as
chairman by Speaker Clark, called
the House to order and summoned
Congressman Haugen, of Iowa, to
preside, while the members of the
States delegation delivered their
memorial addresses.
After speaking of the affection
he held for Senator Rayner and re-
viewing his early life, Congressman
Linthicum said, in part:
perhaps the greatest legal
achievement of Senator Rayner was
his defense of Admiral Schley, a gal
liant citizen of Maryland. 1t was
not expected the defense would
mainly devolve upon Senator itay-
ner, as Judge Jere M. Wilson, Of
Washington, was senior counsel but
Judge Wilson died soon after the
court convened, and thus upon the
Senator was shifted the entire bur-
den OF the case. He did not shrink
from the task, although he was not
an admiralty lawyer. The rapidlty
with which he mastered the subject,
studied trigonometry, sea law and
lore, Gulf Stream currents and
multitude of other intricate details
was astounding to his friends, who
knew him to be the possessor of
mind Hkened by one of his admirers
to mighty machine and delicate
mechanism, capable of strokes of
the greatest power and at the same
time of the most delicate, exquisite
and subtle touches.
when the time for argument ar
rived Senator Rayner at first spoke
in agreeable and measured tones un-
til, becoming warmed to his subject,
he struck out with powerful and
convincing blows. AS the oratorical
flight If the great Marylander
reached its climax, the court and
the great assemblage, awed, as it
were, by the brilliancy of the ora
tor and his earnestness, seemed un-
willing to utter a sound, hardly
to breathe, for fear that some word
which fell from his lips might by
lost; when instantly as the tension
was relieved there broke forth an
applause such as might be likened
only to a pent-up storm suddenly
released. The three admirals. act
ing as the court, fastened to con-
graduate him; his friends and the
assembled spectators poured praise
upon him, and the brilliancy of his
effort was spread broadcast through
out the United States.
Senator Rayner's advent In poll
tics was almost simultaneous with
his entry upon the practice of his
profession. In 1878 he was elected
20 the Maryland Legislature, where
he served on the judiciary Commit
tee and was chairman of the Balti
more city delegation. In 1885 he
was elected to the State Senate, re-
signing when his term was about
half finished to become the Demo-
cratic candidate for Congress. He
was elected to the Fiftieth, Fifty
second and Fifty-third Congresses
and declined to receive a fourth
term. Accepting the nomination for
Attorney General for Maryland, he
was elected to that office, which he
held from. 1899 to 1903.
81 wildly recall the events con-
nected with his first election to
the United States Senate in 1904.
The halloting was carried on for
about a month, and the tenacity
with which his friends chung to him
during that long interval, despite
the repeated and vigorous endeavors
to sway them, convinced me that
there was something unusual in a
personality which could inspire such
unbroken and unwavering devotion.
I had the pleasure of working and
voting for him and felt it almost Il
personal triumph when victory was
finally determined for him at the
night caucus of the Legislature Pre-
cedirg the final vote of that body
the next day.
Senator Rayner stood hfgl i'll
the distinguished body of which he
was a member. Constitutional law
was the favorite field of his bril-
liant and versatile mind, and his
masterful knowledge of the sub
ject was expanded and enriched by
contact on the floor of the Senate
with contemporary students of that
document, notably Senators Spoon
err, Bailey and Root.
Those who knew not Senator
Rayner in his home life knew not
the Senator at his best. 1t was
here he shone with all his tender
ness, with all his love and with
that great devotion which he ever
exhibited for his loved ones. His
home life was ideal. He possessed
those domestic virtues which stand
for the integrity of the American
home, the cornerstone of American
institutions. Within the sheltering
privacy of the family circle was re-
vealed those lovable traits of his