The Coolidge examiner., 1935-02-01

chamber year later after the Roosevelt land
slide had made the Texan vice president
To a Pcnnylvanlan. Frederick A. C. Mullen
berg. goes the honor of having been the nrsi
speaker of the house of Representatives under the
new government established by the adoption of
the Constitution on September u. i7sT and It's
ratification the ne2f year lie took office on
April ]. l7Sg. and served two years when be was
succeeded by Connectlcuts lone contribution 10
the history OF the speakershlp. This was iona
than Trumbull. the friend Of Washington In the
Revolution who gave him the nickname which Is
OF the symboleai names for the United
States" Brother Jonathan"
After Trumbull. Muhlenberg served another
twoycar term and was succeeded by Jonathan
Dayton Of New Jersey who served two terms
Daytons chief claim 10 fame is that IN 1907 he
vas arrested for completely in Aaron Burrs trea
sonabie conspiracy but he was released on ball
and never tried on the charge. Theodore Sedge
wick was Massachusetts nrst speaker. "A veteran
Of the Revolution who later studied theology and
the law and made the latter his profession lie
was the FIRST speaker 10 serve In the new capital
OF Washington presiding over the house when Il
first convened there on November L. 1900. A
few weeks later he was succeeded by North
Carolina's first speaker. Nathaniel Macon. who
held the chair from 1901 10 1907.
After Macon came another Bay Stater-Joseph
Bradley Yarnum. a Revolutionary war veteran.
who was reelected then succeeded by the
-Mlll Boy OF the Siashes" Henry Clay of Ken
tucky. Clay was first elected speaker In 1911,
be was reelected In 1913. resigned from con.
gress In 1914 and was succeeded as speaker BY
Langdon Cheyes of South Carolina. who presided
over the Thirteenth congress but the next con
gress found Clay again In the house and again
speaker. He was reelected in 1917 and again In
1919. but resigned once more in $50
John W. Taylor OF New York (the first from
that state) was the next speaker and after him
Philip T. Barbour OF Virginia (also first from his
state). In 1924 Clay back In the house
again and again elected speaker. this time serv.
INK his last term In that Office For now began
his repeated attempts 10 become President Fail.
ing the first time, he was made secretary of state
In the cabinet OF John Quincy Adams. which
caused the adherents OF Andrew Jackson whom
Adams had defeated TO renew their anguIshed
cries OF Bargain and eorrupuonl" The impllca-
ton was that Clay's portfolio In the Adams cabi-
net was his price for throwing his influence TO the
Massachusetts man when the election OF 1924
was decided In the house OF representatives. I'm
able TO use the speakership as a springboard TO
the Presidency, Clay was again elected TO the
senate In which he remained most Of the time
until his death In 49,. having in the meantime
made two more unsuccessful attempts TO get 10
the White House.
After the kentuckian's last term as speaker.
John w. Taylor Of New York served another
term. He was succeeded by Andrew Stevenson,
another yirginian, 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
X. 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
yirginian as speaker-Ro5ert VI. 7. Hunter, who
had had long career in congress and who, on
two occasions, had declined the Office OF secre-
tary of state. He was elected to the senate In
lS47 and continued there until his state seeded