Evening star., 1933-03-03

came right back and forged his way to
the Speakership.
Calm and soft-spoken when in a
pipe smoking, conversational mood off
the floor, the gentleman from Illinois
Is rough-and-ready fighter in legisla-
tive debate.
He is the first resident OF Illinois to
hold the Speakership since the colorful
Uncle" Joe Cannon presided over the
House. He comes from a district once
represented by Abraham Lincoln and,
before Lincoln, by Stephen A. Douglas.
With this traditional background as an
inspiration, his friends predict he will
add to the glory of an already famous
State.
Rainey is farmer and lawyer. His
farm at Carrollton, ILL.,, really should be
called by some more dignified name. 1t
is not dirt ranch of ordinary type,
but gentleman's country estate Of
some 500 acres. 1t is electrically op-
Grated for the most part. The cows
and his herd Is one of the best in the
State-are watered, MIXED and curried
by electricity Besides the COWS he has
fine herd of deer, bred for CONNER
cial purposes, and hundreds of Hamp-
shire hogs.
Flag Pole in Yard.
There is an 80-foot flag pole in front
of the Rainey homestead When the
/ flag is flying it is a signal to all that
the Raineys are at home and ready to
receive any of their friends who wish
! to call. The home contains "a rooms,
and is furnished with antique furniture
collected by Mrs. Rainey. Among his
toric pieces are a chair and desk used
by Jefferson Davis when he was IN the
United States Senate; piece of furni-
ture that once belonged to the Wash
ington family, and several articles from
the home of Gen. Francis Marion.
swamp fox" of the Revolutionary War.
Although the Raineys have no chill
dren of their own. their place is veri-
table playground for youngsters of the
community. They make free use of
his swimming and wading pools; of his
artificial lake stocked with fish, and of
a club house which he erected in the
woods for the benefit of the Boy and
Girl Scouts.
Despite his 70 years of active life he
| retains the vigorous physique which
his younger days. At Amherst College
~
dash in the record time for that period
of l014 seconds, and this was achieved
by frame that weighted upward of
200 pounds. Boxing, a major intcrcol-
legiate sport in those days, also called
him to the fore, and he proceeded to
become National star by annexing the
| intercollegiate heavyweight boxing
championship.
Admitted to Bar.
After his graduation from Amherst
in 1888, Rainey married his pre- college
sweetheart of Knox College. Mrs
Rainey has been his inseparable COM
panion throughout his public career
presiding over his Office at the Capitol
,, Two years later he received his law de-
, gree from the Union College of Law, in
Chicago, and was admitted to the bar
He practiced law in Carrollton for
! Is years before he was elected to Con-
| gress. 1t was during his early service
in the House that he first attracted
national attention on the tariff battle
| front, where he has always been con-
, spicuous. Rainey is credited with hav-
! ing made the tariff a national issue as
the outgrowth of a dramatic speech
in which he charged that American
watches could be bought for less abroad
than in this country. The watch"
speech created Nationwide contro-
versy and ended in the Democratic
Underwood bill Of 1913.
| Decply interested in the unemploy-
! ment problem, Rainey believes that
much of the troubles of labor arise
from co-called chronological unem-
! ployment-the displacement of men by
machines. While he does not favor
return Of the age of manual labor
in order to provide more work. he has
expressed the opinion that employers
should use some of the savings effected
i by machinery in providing for the well
! fare of the employe who faces unem-
! ployment by reason Of new inventions.
Favors Soviet Recognition.
He repeatedly has urged resumption
of trade with Russia A visit to that
country in unofficial capacity two
years ago carried him into remote
parts Of the Soviet Union and con-
! vinced him that America is shutting
out profitable customer by her policy
of non-recognition of Russia.
Rainey smilingly recalls a contro-
versy which he had with President
Theodore Roosevelt over the method
Of acquiring the Panama Canal Zone.
| He made a number of vitriolic speeches
in condemnation of the Roosevelt
plans. His charges were denied by
the President, and, Rainey said re-
Gently. Il had the honor of being made
, the last member of Roosevelt's famous
Ananias Club-however, my charges
were substantiated when the Demo-
| Gratis came into power"
1t was Rainey who took the floor
on the opening day of the past Con-
gress to offer the Garner prohibition
resolution.
Grandfather Fought Indians.
Rainey comes of sturdy pioneering
into the Illinois wilderness from Ken.
lucky in 1904, engaged in battles with
the Indians before he succeeded in
founding the first homestead in
Greene County. The original farm
site long since has been developed into
town property. Like his father before
him, Rainey was born on part Of the
old homestead at Carrollton.
He learned about farming as a boy
He walked four miles to school, otter
through drifted snow, and then per.
formed a host of farm chores before
bedtime. He kept his husky frame ir
trim by pitching hay in the broad
fields.
Although he does not have the op-
portunity now to exercise in the old
| fashioned agricultural way, he keep;
his muscles in good shape by swinging
Indian clubs and by walking frequently
! TO Capitol Hill from his home.
He resides at 2O0l Sixteenth street