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

kEHuhSM years ago that another Tennessean
WMbEkN was being elevated to that position
NnGM and he was destined to have the
EwMll unique distinction of being the only
VknGW speaker of the house. the highest
official in the legislative branch Of
our government, TO become Presi-
dent Of the United States, the highest officer in
the executive branch.
That man was James z. Polk who became
speaker in 1885 and who, ten years later, was
elected President-the first dark horse" candi-
date in our history If the repetition of history
is consistent who knows but that ten years
hence Speaker Byrns may be occupying the White
House, as did his fellow-Tennessean? 1t is not
likely, of course, principally because of the age
of the new speaker. Ten years from now he will
be seyenty-tiye and IT has not been the custom
of the American people to place the heavy
sponsibilities of the highest Office in our govern
ment upon the shoulders of man who has
passed the proverbial three score and ten. But
in the whirligig of politics, virtually nothing is
impossible.
James <. Polk was not the first Tennessean to
become speaker, however. His immediate prede-
cessor, John Bell, who presided over one session
of the house in the Twenty third congress (1S34-
35) was also citizen of that commonwealth
So the election of Joseph Byrns makes the third
representative from the Volunteer state who has
welded the gavel over his congressional coll
leagues
Although James K Polk was the only speaker
who ever became President, at least five others
have aspired TO that high Office Three of the
five came as near TO it as winning the nomina-
ton of their parties, only TO be defeated in the
election.
Outstanding among these was Henry Clay
whose record of repeated bids for the Presi-
dency and being denied 1t was matched only by
William Jennings Bryan. In 1924 he received 81
electoral votes but John Quincy Adams won the
Presidency when the election was carried to the
house of representatives for decision In 1892
he received 40 electoral votes but Andrew Jack
son got 219 and the Presidency. In 1874 Clay
was back in the ring again, this time as the
nominee of the Wings Che had previously run as
a Republican and National Republican,. He
received 1O5 electoral votes but that other ex-
speaker, James K Polk, the dark horse" NOM
inee of the Democratic party. got 10 and the
election.
The next speaker TO aspire to the Presidency
was John Bell of Tennessee, who was the camel
date of the Constitutional Union party in 1860
in the election which sent Abraham Lincoln to
the White House and to his Immortality.
The next was James G. Blaine. Blaine of
Maine" whose record as a perpetual candidate
closely approached that of Henry Clay In 1876
il seemed certain that he would be the Repub-
hcan nominee but another dark horse candi-
date, Rutherford B. Hayes. won the nomination
and the election. In 1880 he was again strong
possibility but again he failed of the nomination,
this time by his own viii. He threw his strength
to James A. Garfield in order TO prevent the
nomination of Grant who was attempting to
upset the mo third term" tradition. In 1884 he
won the Republican nomination but lost the cleo
ton TO Grover Cleveland, the Democratic NOM
inee. In 1888 he was the popular choice of his
party for the nomination but he was in poor
health, tired out from his many battles in the
political arena and in mood to undergo the
rgors of another campaign. So he denied the
requests of his friends to try TO stampede the
Republican convention. which deadlocked,
and engineered the nomination of Benjamin Har-
rson. who won the election.
One of the most picturesque figures who ever
held the speakers chair was Joseph Quincy Can
non of Illinois. the redoubtable Uncle Joe" who
ruled the house from 1908 to 1911 when the re-
volt of the Insurgents ended his reign In 1908
Cannon received As votes for the Presidential
nomination at the Republican national conven-
ton in Chicago but the influence of Theodore