The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-02-01

another Virginian who after two terms retired
and later became minister to England John Bell
was the first speaker from Tennessee. He served
only one year when he was succeeded by James
Z. Polk. the future President Bell later was
secretary of war in the cabinets of Presidents
William Henry Harrison and John Tyler and in
1850 the unsuccessful Presidential candidate of
the Constitutional Union party with the famed
Edward Everett as his running mate.
The Twenty-sixth congress elected another
Virginian as speaker-Robert NJ. T. Hunter who
had had long career in congress and who, on
two occasions, had declined the Office Of secre-
tary of state. He elected to the senate in
1S47 and continued there until his state seeded
from the Union in 1861. In 1866 he was one of
the Confederate peace commissioners who met
with President Lincoln and his party at Hampton
Roads in an abortive effort to end the Civil war
After Hunter came another Kentuckian, John
White then another Virginian John W. Jones,
and after him Indiana's first speaker, John W.
Davis. The next speaker was Robert c. Winthrop
of Massachusetts who, the year after his election
was the chief orator at the laying of the corner
stone of the Washington monument on July f.
1S4S. Thirty years later congress adopted
joint resolution inviting the former speaker to
perform a similar service when the monument
was dedicated. Winthrop was then seventy-six
years old and after preparing his speech became
a victim of pneumonia and was unable to attend
the ceremonies.
In 1S49 Georgia's first speaker Howell Cobb
was elected. He later became governor of his
state, served again in congress, then became
secretary of the treasury under President Bu-
chanan- During the War Between the States
Cobb was major general in the Confederate
army. He was succeeded on the rostrum by Linn
Boyd of Kentucky, who after two terms, was fol-
lowed by Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts,
rrhn a1o
Cobb of Georgia. He, too, served many years in
congress, was governor of his state and a major
general in the War of 1S61-65, although his sery-
ice was in the Union army
Following Banks as speaker came James L.
Orr of South Carolina, William Pennington of
New Jersey, Galusha A. Grow of Pennsylvania
and Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, one of the two
speakers who became vice president Then came
the speaker for day"-Theodore N. Pomeroy
of New York. who was elected after the resigna-
ton of Schuyler Colfax and presided during the
closing hours of one session of congress.
James G. Blaine, the "Plumed Knight and the
unsuccessful Presidential candidate. ruled the
house from 1869 TO 1875 when he was succeeded
by another Hoosier, ~ C. Kerr. who was fol-
lowed by Samuel ]. Randall, politician who
was something of anomaly "high-tariff
Democrat from Pennsylvania and who served
three consecutive terms. The next speaker was
another Civil war general and Ohio's first speak
er-J. Warren Keller. He was succeeded by
John o. Carlisle of Kentucky, one of the ablest
men who ever sat in the speakers chair who
held the Office for three terms and later became
secretary of the treasury under Cleveland.
When Thomas Bracket Reed of Maine took
the speakers chair in 1889 a new era in con-
gressional procedure began. Reed changed the
rules so drastieally that the Democrats dubbed
him Gar Reed and he ruled like car from
1889 to 1881 and again from 1895 to 1899
In between Reeds two terms as speaker was
another Georgian, ChaIes F. Crisp, who served
four years After Reeds second term the next
speaker was David B. Henderson of Iowa and he
was followed by the renowned Uncle Joe" Can
non OF Illinois about whom a whole host of
legendary tales clustered during his four consecu
tive terms Champ Clark of Missouri also served
four consecutive terms and was followed by
Frederick 81. Gillett of Massachusetts, who had
three terms, as did his successor, Nicholas Long
worth of Ohio, probably the best-liked man who
ever sat in the speakers chair.
After Longworth's death in 1881 Cactus jack
Garner OF Texas was elevated to the speakership
as the result of the Democratic congressional vic
tories in the middle of the Hoover administration
and when he became vice president In 1892 the
gavel went to Henry T. Rainey of Illinois whose
death last summer paved the way for the ac
cession of the new speaker, Joseph W. Byrna
Q By Western Newspaper Union