The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-03
ASHER KINDS DIES
IN CAPITALAT 56
Noted Parliamentarian Was
Representative From Maine
for Six Years.
HIS BOOK SET STANDARD
Started When Gear, Reed
Made Him Speakers Clerk
Of the House.

| PORTLAND, Me-. May 2.--News OF the
oeath In Washington. D. c., Of the
noted parliamentarian Asher Crosby
ninds. who represented the first Maine
CONGRESSIONAL District in the House OF
CONSERVATIVES from 1911 to 1917, was
received here to-day Ex-Representa-
uVo Hinds was Sc years old.
| IL 10 on the records Of the Con-
Sressional proceedings that one day
wnen Mr.. Cannon was Speaker q furio 10
demand was made by the Legislative de-
Daters. who had got themselves hope
leSy tangled, that Speaker Cannon
make ruling on the point at issue,
The Speaker will rule" snapped Mr..
cannon with bang Of his gavei
and worried look on his face.
But" he continued, as he reached
out and placed an appealing arm
/ around the shoulder of Asher
7. Kinds, who always stood NJ the
Speakers right as expert promoter, the
speaker first has to find out what to
| rule W
Mr. Kinds was not a Representative
men, but he knew more about procedure
IMAM all the Senators and Representa-
ives under the Capitol dome put to-
gether He was always ranked during
MS active days as the foremost parlia-
| mentarian In the United States. Ex-
perts have spoken OF him as the great
est authority on parliamentarian pro-
cedure In the world. For many years
ne was the only practitioner of his
profession. Furthermore, he invented
his profession.
Reed Set Him on His Way.
Indirectly the late Tom Reed, famous
among Speakers as Gear Reed. In
vented the profession for Mr.. Kinds; 1t
was Reed who in 1894 offered the then
youthful looking Mr.. Kinds the Job Of
clerk at the Speakers table"-really
expert adviser on procedure to the
Speaker-provided the young man from
Maine would study diligently to master
the JOB before the next Congress as
sembled
Thus it was that Mr.. Kinds, already
an expert. set to work each day and
far into the night throughout the inter-
Vening weeks and months to make him
SELF many degrees more learned In his
I work than any other living parliament
tartan. He succeeded. but only by
laborious unearthing Of Congressional
precedents from aged. dusty reports at
washington, and, as the young mans
interest In the work increased. by a
study OF governmental debate that ran
back to the days of the Caesars.
A monumental book in eight large
published by the Government as a re-
suit OF the studies that Mr.. Kinds had
made at hint from Speaker Reed.
the work Is amazing for its accuracy.
its wealth OF footnotes and tabular in
dices, and 1t was brought to it's final
state OF perfection only after Mr..
Kinds had devoted thirteen years TO
chasing and trapping the facts It con-
tains. The Government showed its APP
probation OF the compilation by pre-
senting to Mr.. Kinds lump sum of
$4,000 as a reward for his work. and
the book earned for its author still an
other phrase of approbation-"the most
accurate author in the world"
Mr.. Kinds began life as a newspaper
man. He was born on a farm at Ben
ton, kennebec county. Maine, Febru-
airy 6. 1863. From the farm he went
TO Coburn Classical Institute. at Water
Vile. Me-. and after his graduation
there in 1879 he entered Colby Col
lege. Colby made him an A. B. in 1883.
and after he had achieved fame in
1905 an LID.
Upon his graduation from Colby in 1888
he got a Job on the staff of the Port
land. Me-. Daily Advertiser, in the
course OF which his usual or unusual
thoroughDess asserted itself in the form
of causing him while writing for the
paper to master the intricacies Of the
mechanical department also. Then he
moved over to the Portland Press, in
the editorial department OF which he
remained until Speaker Reed had begun
properly to appreciate the young mans
capabilities.
Was Out for Four Years.
While Kinds was still writing for the
exit
correspondent Mr. Reed in 1889 made
him, Speakers clerk OF the House."
position he held until 1891. The Re
publicans went out OF power in 1891
and Mr.. Kinds went back to reporting
but after the overwhelming Republican
victory of 1894 Mr.. Reed again took him
In tow and gave him the much more
important job of standing by the
Speakers side during sessions SO that
his expert advice on procedure would al
ways be available.
There was talk and newspaper dis
cusslon nine years ago over the possibil-
ity Of placing Mr.. Kinds in the chair as
Speaker OF the House. once it had been
discovered that the purely parliament
tartan Job Of Speaker might be held by
one who was not an elected member OF
the House. But when the vote was
counted 1t was learned, of course, that
the House had followed the good old
habit OF electing a majority member
Speaker.
Tho same year. however G910), Mr..
Hiuos was nominated by reclamation at
Portland to represent the district in the
House of Representatives at Washing
ton. Thus he plucked the nomination
away from Col. Fred Hale-son OF SEN
ator Hale-afater hard fight. and
Kinds was elected to Congress OF which
he was a member from 1911 to 1917.
Mr. Kinds was married in 1891 TO
Miss Harriet Louise Estey of Rosln-
dale, Mass. He was trustee OF Colby
College. His books. to give them their
full titles, were Rules, Manual and Di-
gess OF the House OF Representatives"
parliamentary Precedents OF the House
of Representatives and the famous
blinds Precedents OF the House of Rep
sentatives" His home was In Portland,
Me.
MRS. FREDERICK w. SEWARD.
Mrs. Frederick w. Seward, widow OF
a former Assistant Secretary OF State
in the Lincoln, Johnson and Hayes Ad-
mtnistrations, died at her home, 81
Washington Square, yesterday after an
illness of several weeks. The funeral
will be held from the home OF Mrs.
Stewards brother-in-law, Gen. w. II.
ye'.,.- 1&4Esscs
- ~A y n