Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-12
SERENO E. PAYNE
DIES SUDDENLY
New York Republican Congressman
Meets Death in Apartment
House in Washington.
ON HOUSE FLOOR DURING DAY
One of Most Foremost Tariff An
thorities aud Notable Figure
I'm Ills Party for Great
Many Years.

In Ills Party for Great
Many Years.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1i.-Funeral ser.
vices for the late Representative Serene
II. Payne will be held Sunday at 1880 a
m. in the hall OF the house Of representa-
tives. No such services have been held
there since the death % Representative
Nelson w. Dlngley.
Plans for the funeral were nude at n
conference between Speaker Clark and
Representatives Underwood, Mann and
Fitzgerald
Resolutions adopted inviting the senate
and senate committee. the president and
his cabinet, the vice president. justices Of
the supreme court, members OF the diplo-
matte corps. the admiral Of the navy and
the chief of staff OF the army to attend
the ceremonies.
The body will be taken to Auburn. ~
Y, i'm the custody OF the sergeant at
arms and a committee of the house. which
in addition to the entire New York state
delegation will include Representatives
Underwood, Mann, Jones, Talbot, Cooper,
Gillette, Bartholdt, Bartlett. Butler
Greene of Massachusetts: Hamilton, Mon
dell. Foriney. Murdoch. Gardner, Moore
Kitchin, Rainey, Dixon. Hun and Ham
mond.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 11-Rcpresantn-
tive Serene f. Payne of New York died
suddenly OF heart failure AT mis- apartment
here at HIS o'clock last night.
Mr.. Payne had retired to his room ap-
parently in robust health. lie telephoned
to the apartment house clerk about II
o'clock asking that physician be sent
for. When the clerk reached the DOM
the congressman was dying and life was
extinct before the doctor arrived.
Mr.. Payne, who was n years old, lived
alone and at midnight his body lay wait
ing for the coroner, without friend or rel
alive near. His wife died three years
ago and no one could be found tonight
who knew the address of his only SOL.
CheerfuIly Active on Floor.
Members of congress, who had seen
Mr.. Payne on the floor of the house this
afternoon cheerfully active as usual,
knew nothing of his death for more than
an hour.
~ representative from New York in
every congress since 1883, Mr.. Payne was
chairman of the ways and means commit
tee and republican floor leader in 1868 10,
and directed the drafting OF the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill. He was born at Hamil-
ton, N. Y, June 20, 1913, and educated at
Rochester n. Y, and Colgate. lie prac-
tioed law and was district attorney of
Cayuga county, and in 1888 was elected
a member of congress from the Twenty
sixth district.
Later his district was the Thirty-first,
and finally he represented the Thirty
sixth. He was a delegate to many re-
publican national conventions and in 1885
he was appointed member of a joint
high commission to negotiate a treaty
with Canada He had made his home al
Auburn, N. Y, for years, though mos
: of his time was spent in Washington.
Notable Figure of Party.
AS one of the most foremost tariff au
thorities in congress. Mr.. Payne was g
notable figure among the republicans OF
the house long before he became chair
man of the ways and means committed
and framed the original of the republican
tariff doctrine which stood until repealed
by the Underwood law.
When the democrats gained control OF
the house four years ago, Mr.. Payne was
sentative Mann of Illinois, who had been
one Of his lieutenants during the tariff
fights.
The New York representative however
did not give up his activities as party
chief. During the Underwood tariff de-
bate he made one of the notable speeches
of the session and he was heard on the
Panama toll exemption repeal bin and
many of the important issues in the pres
ent congress. His age was beginning &c
tell, however, and of late he had not in
frequently dosed quietly in his chair fol
a few moments at time during a days
session. He had an office assigned tc
him just across the corridor from the
house.
Respected by Political Foes.
Though always at odds politically with
Speaker Clark and Democratic Leader
Underwood both Of them had for him q
very high opinion and personal regard
The congressman leaves a son, viii
Payne, who had been associated with him
in the ways and means committee work
from time to time for years. He was the
ranking minority member of the ways
and means committee. and last met with
that committee when II was called to
gether by Chairman Underwood In Octo-
Der to be photographed in moving pic
lures.
The body will be taken to New York
state to the home city. which at the last
election returned him To congress with a
comfortable majority after a vigorous
campaign.
Committees will be appointed by boil
houses of congress TO attend the funeral
The coroner announced tonight that Mr.
Payne died from heart failure. superin-
duced by arterio-scleros's and a compli-
cation of organic troubles.