Evening star., 1927-10-03
John DALzELL DIES;
FATHER Of HOUSE"
Noted Defender of "Czarism"
Lived in Retirement Here
Since 1912 Defeat.

John Dalzell, for a quarter Of q
century a member of Congress, long
known as "the father of the House
of Representatives" outstanding de
fender of "czarism" in the hey-day
of Cannon domination, who has been
living. as recluse from public life
for the last Is years at 1905 New
Hampshire avenue, Is dead. A dis
patch from Los Angeles today brought
word of his death at the home Of his
son, Samuel Dalzell, of Altadena
Calf, to the Capital, from which only
a few years ago his fame spread
all over the United States.
He served a Pittsburgh district In
Congress from 1887 to 1912, and there
he will be taken for burial, where
daughter, Mary Mcdonnell, sur
wives.
The Roosevelt tide of 1912 swept him
from his vantage point as q power in
Republican politics, and he passed at
once completely out Of the public eye.
Since retirement he had continued his
private law practice with headquar.
ters here. .34
Member of "Big Four"
During the first decade Of this CEN
tury, Mr.. Dalzell was not only the
Speakers right-hand man, but with
Dingley, Payne and Cannon. he had
come to be known as one of a big
Four" who ruled the House and
shaped legislation with an iron will.
seclusion in Washington, never visit
ing the Capitol, and seldom seeing his
old.time friends or appearing in any
way in public matters. Ea
The almost overnight change was
the more remarkable because the Dal.
zell of the old days had been a force.
full orator, skilled parliamentarian,
a clever political general and a charm.
ing conversationalist, much sought
after socially. He made his special
mark in legislation in connection with
tariff bills, but as member and later
chairman of the all.powerful rules
committee under Reed, Henderson and
Cannon, he held whip hand over the
legislative program generally.
Mr.. Dalzell was a towering figure in
defense Of "cZarism," when it was
making it's last stand in the House,
and to the end of his public career he
stood fast by the principle that power
tralized by the House rules in the
hands of the Speaker.
His friends said that he felt he
never could reconcile himself to the
new order, which began with the lib.
eraliZing of the rules and the over.
throw Of Cannon. After one unsuc.
cessful effort to gain a seat in the
Senate, he turned his back, not only
upon politics, but upon the old asso.
Citations almost = in their entirety.
Noted as Lawyer.
Before coming to Congress he had
gained a reputation as a lawyer, not
only ~in Pittsburgh but throughout
the West. He was a native of New
York City, where he was born April
10, 1845. He was the son Of Samue
and Mary MacDonnelD Dalzell. who
came from County Down, Ireland, In
1910.
Mr.. Dalzell was attorney for all
the principal corporations in al
leghepy County, and organized the
law firm Of Dalzell. Scott & Gordon
esteemed as the greatest law firm in
that part Of the country. He was a
Shrewd business man as well as a
sound lawyer.
AS early as 1882, Mr.. Dalzell was
SoIlclted to stand for Congress, but
he was making too much money in
the practice of his profession and
was too busy man at the bar to
think. Of a legislative career. By
1886 his health was thought to be
impaired from overwork, and he was
persuaded that a term in Congress
would be in the nature of an outing
at least a change Of scene and a
change in the character of his labors,
and so he accepted the Republican
nomination, and was chosen a men,
Der Of the flftieth Congress, the sue
cessor of Gen Negley.
1t was the Congress that debated
and passed the famous measure
known as the Mills tariff bill. Per-
haps there never yet has been in our
parliamentary history an abler and
more brilliant academic discussion OF
the tariff question than was had on
the Mills bill in the Spring of 1888
1t was the issue of the campaign
that eliminated in the defeat Of Mr.
Cleveland in 1888.
Mr.. Dalzell was always a valiant
friend to scientific progress, and was
regent of the Smithsonian Institu
ton.