The Coolidge examiner., 1935-02-01

from the Uuiou ia 1861. In 1865 be was one Of
the Confederate peace commissioners who met
with President Lincoln and his party az Hampton
Roads In an abortiye effort 10 end the Civil war.
After Hunter came another Keutuckian. John
White. then another yirelnlan. John W. Jones,
and after him lndiana's arst speaker John ".
Davis Tie next speaker Robert G. Winthrop
oi Massachusetts who the year after his election,
was the chief orator az the laying of the corner
stone Of the Washington monument on July 4.
iS8s Thirty seven 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 bis speech became
victim of pneumonia and was unable 10 attend
the ceremonies
In 1879 Georeia's urst speaker. Howell Cobb.
was elected. He later became governor OF his
state. served again ia congress, then became
secretary % the treasury under President Blu.
chanan. During the War Between the States
Cobb was q 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 T. Banks OF Massachusetts
whose career rather closely paralleled that OF
Cobb Of Georgia. lie, too. served many years In
congress. governor OF his state and major
general in the War OF ls6l-65 although his serv-
ice 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 NJ. Pomeroy
OF New York who was elected after the reslgna-
ton OF Schuyler Colfax and presided during the
closing hours OF one session OF congress.
-
unsuccessful Presidential candidate. ruled the
house from 1863 10 1915 when he was succeeded
by another Hoosier. NJ. {. Kerr who was fol-
lowed by Samuel J. Randall. politician who
was something OF an anomaly-a hight 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 Keifer He was succeeded by
John 6. Carlisle OF Kentucky. one of the ablest
men who 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 new era in con-
gressional procedure began. Reed changed the
rules so drastcally that the Democrats dubbed
him Gear Reed and he ruled like czar from
1889 TO 1901 and again from 1895 to 1899.
In between Reeds two terms as speaker was
another Georgian, Chales 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 q 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 Fl. Gillett Of Massachusetts who had
three terms, as did his successor. Nicholas Long
worth OF Ohio, probably the best-llked man who
ever sat in the speakers chair
After Longworths 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. Ralney of Illinois whose
death last summer paved the way for the &C
cession of the new speaker, Joseph W. Byrns.
c BY western Newspaper Union.