The Washington times., 1917-03-28
Famous Contests in Past
Houses for Speakership
Expert In Parliamentary Law Gives History of
Memorable Fights, Almost Parallel
To Present Situation.
By BENNETT C. CLARK,
Parllamentarian Of the House Of Representative.

MAOu8C Va AACRHCaCntaAANG8s
some of the scattering candidates he
might have been elected Speaker. He
left the field, however, and after that
Banks began to gather votes. The old
hall of the House, now Statuary Hall,
became the scene Of some Of the most
adroit and desperate politics ever be-
held under the dome, but to no effect.
President Pierce sent a message to
Congress. A fierce debate ensued as
to whether the message should be
received and read. The principle that
the message could not be received
until the House was organized was
upheld, and the message was not
heard by the House until two months
later.
In the midst of the deadlock it was
suggested that the candidates de-
clare themselves on the political 10.
sues OF the day. Open declaration of
principles was given by the candi-
dates. The slavery question was the
leading topic, of course. The ballot
ing began again, and II was seen
that Banks 107 would vote for him
forever. The Democrats then began
TO maneuver so as to attract the
scattering voters, the Know Moth
ings, etc. Representative Aiken of
South Carolina, father of the pres
ent Congressman of that name, got
within three votes df q majority.
Won By Three Votes.
On the 1920 ballot no majority
had been obtained, and It was agreed
that on the 133rd ballot whoever led
should be Speaker. In the midst of
terrific noise OF members yelling and
pounding on their desks the next
vote was taken and John w. Forney,
the clerk, announced that Banks had
1O3; Aiken, 100; Fuller. g.: Campbell,
4, and Wells, 1. Mr.. Forney declared
Banks elected. Banks was the first
Republican Speaker, and with this
election the sharp line of demarca-
tion between the Republicans and
Democrats began to be seen more
clearly. The other political divisions,
such as the Know Nothings, began
to fade away.
William Pennington, q business man
OF New Jersey, who had been COVER
nor of the State before coming to
Congress, was one OF the three men
! to be elected to the Speakership in
their first term. The others were
Henry Clay and Frederick Augustus
Muhlenberg, Speaker OF the first
House.
Incidents I'm 1850.
When Congress assembled in De
cember, 1859, the John Brown episode
was uppermost in the country's dis
cussions. The South lined up against
the North. In the House there were
100 Republicans, So Administration
Democrats. and 81 members calling
themselves Americans" the latter
being mainly Southerners. Thus the
! Republicans had no majority and a
serious situation confronted them II
they wished to place their candidate
In the chairy
John Sherman and Galusha A.
Grow were prominent among the Re
publicans, and on the first ballot d.
vided the Republican vote so that
Sherman received 66 and Grow As,
while Congressman Bocock, Demo-
crat, OF Virginia, received SO. The
Pennsylvanian, Grow, withdrew in
favor OF Sherman; but just at this
moment an irrepresslble member
from Missouri named Clark (no rela-
tion of the present Speaker) jumped
up with a thunderbolt in his hand.
This was a cheap and hysterical book
by a non-slave holding Southerner
named Hinton r. Helper, called "The
Impending Crisis OF the South: How
to Meet It" 1t was the plea of a
Southern abolitionist.
Many Indorsers In Congress.
1t so happened that the author had
obtained a large number OF indorsers,
many OF them members of Congress.
Among these were John Sherman and
Galusha A. Grow. When Clark
jumped up and began to read the
names of the indorsers OF Helpers
cheap book he ruined every chance
of an agreement to elect a Speaker
for the time being. The Republicans
tried to smooth matters over, but
every attempt was met by Clark with
some reference to the Helper book.
Congressman Branch Of North Caro-
lima challenged Congressman Grow to
mortal combat There were arrests of
members and most exciting scene oc-
CURED when a member from New York
named Haskins made so violent a Ees-
ture that a revolver jumped from his
pocket. The rush OF members then
knocked him down.
All this time balloting was going on
and John Sherman was in the race, but
he lost his speed finally and by the
end Of January, after two months of
voting. the Republicans found that
Pennington, OF New Jersey. was the
only man not smeared in the eight
weeks Of mud singing. So they pu,
him up and he was elected.