The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-02

John Houston. with his Nlle, Aa9 ,
Ross. from County Tyrone, Ireland, set
tied In Newberry district, South caro-
lima. some 16 years prior to the open
ing of the revolutionary war. Ihls
region of territory comes within the
radii of Augusta, Ca, on both SIDES OF
Savannah, famous for the production OIL
eminent men.
The Houstons were prolific stock.
John and his wife reared a large fam
ily The fourth son, David, was carry
nossessed of a rowing state of mind. lie
married Hannah Pugh Reagan, young
woman of welch descent, and moved to
Virginia. Remaining there while ne
turned his face southwark again, to
come to a stop on farm near Frank
lin. Tenn. There his famous son George
Scott was born January II, lsoSy When
George reached 16 or II years of age,
his father finally settled on farm IN
the vicinity of Florence. in Bauderdaie
county, Alabama
From the beginning George gave
signs of superior cast of mind and
character. His stature was robust his
countenance open and serious, his de-
pertinent correct, He toiled on the farm
faithfully but was also employed with
his books at the neighboring academy.
He developed a taste for solid books and
read literally. There was no university
finishing to his education. In those
times the local school teacher was not
chosen at haphazard, by the political
machinery now prevailing, but was
selected by the patrons of the school,
the parents of the pupils. and thus the
teacher came to be accepted by pupils
and patrons as quite the man of in
fiuence
George Houston having reached the
border of adolescence struck out for HIM
self by arranging with a prominent
lawyer of Florence to read law and re-
ceive private instruction in his studies.
Later he entered for a full course at
the Harrodsburg, Ky, law school,
He was now young man of excel
lent physical development In height
perhaps six feet, his features were cor
respondingly large and his proportions
of body good. He opened a law office
at Athens in 1881.
In 1892 he was elected to the lower
branch of the Legislature as a Jackson
democrat. He was elected by the legisla-
blre, as the rule then prevailed, circuit
solicitor, and in that responsible position
he made for himself an enyiable reputa-
ton. He was held to be an officer OF
extraordinary efficiency and great good
sense in the discharge of his duties.
The violent presidential contest of 1870,
resulting in the signal defeat of the jack
son candidate, Mr.. VanBuren, so fired the
partisan temper of the Alabama jackson
legislature that in order to free the
state of the two whig districts and their
representatives in Congress an act was
passed TO abolish all Congress districts,
making a general ticket necessary to each
party, by which device all the represen-
tatives might be democrats.
This general ticket law had just been
enacted when the Congress expired,
March 4, 1841. General Harrison took
the oath of.Presdent ON that day and at
once called an extra session of Congress.
All commissions of representatives of Ala
bama expired March 4, SO the state had
rome to respond to the Presidents call.
Governor Bagby issued the order for
a special election, and this must neces-
sariy be held by the state at large, with
out the familiar district election, as the
new law provided.
Houston had his name entered on the
general ticket, and was successful. just
81 years later he retired from Congress in
obedience TO the secession ordinance. He
lad served is years of the 20. In the
hiatus he was not a candidate.
The is years were surcharged with his
faithful labors in his high office, a re-
narkable man. On his merits only he
rose from humble environment to appear,
a peak amidst sea of boundless political
events, never overburdened, never in de-
spair, ever firm and prepared.
in the course of this long and tempes-
of Congress, Houston never shone as bril-
Liant in debate, or as the originator of
any great governmental reform. He fixed
Ills own classification as a man of cour-
afe, physical and moral. as a man of
ability to reach conclusions that were
use and safe upon facts that were mani
fist. as a man of unvarying honesty of
rilnd and conduct. His speech was not
oratory as the art Is known, but the
fluent utterance of thought upon the
theme that had been we'll studied before
hand. He was an instructive speaker, an
Impressive speaker, one who never
wearied his audience When he con-
ctuded, all who listened felt for the or
ator profound respect.
In the is years. he served on the COM
mittee on public lands, with ardent pur-
pose to rescue that great national es-
tate from the conditions of ineXperience
I'm Congress of earlier time and con-
secrate 1t to the settlement OF nome
seekers. This great measure was the
Off spring of Felix Grant Mcconnell,
representative from the Talladega dis
trist of Alabama, man of phenomenal
wealth of intellect, unschooled by let
ters.
Houston was repeatedly chosen by the
speaker, who then made up the COM
mittees, chairman of what was es-
teemed the most important of them all,
the committee on ways and means. His
numerous appointments to preside over
committees attracted common observa-
tion and attest the while, the business
qualities of his mind.
= The preferment OF Houston in high
honors becomes more conspicuous
when the roll of the House upon which
his name stands Is read. The contempor-
airy names of Alex II. Stephens Robert
c. Winthorp of Massachusetts, Robert
Barnwell Rhett of South Carolina, the
two Ingersoll brothers of Pennsylva-
mia, one a direct disciple of Calhoun
the other O. stout supporter of Webster,
Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, later
President; Howell Cobb of Georgia.
Schenck of Ohio and many others, their