The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-01-31

chamber year later after the Roosevelt land
slide had made the Texan vice president
To Pennsylvania, Frederick A. G. Mullen
berg, goes the honor Of having been the first
speaker of the house of representatives under the
new government established by the adoption OF
the Constitution September IT, 1887. and Its
ratification the next year He took office on
April |, 1859, and served two years, when he was
succeeded by ConnectIcnts lone contribution to
the history of the speakershIp. This was Jona-
than Trumbul, the friend Of Washington In the
Revolution who gave him tie nickname which Is
one of the symbolical names for the United
States-"Brother Jonathan"
After Trumbu Muhenherg served another
two-year term and was succeeded by Jonathan
Dayton of New Jersey who served two terms
Daytons chief claim TO fame is that In 1907 he
was arrested for completely In Aaron Burr's trea
sonable conspiracy but he was released bail
and never tried on the charge Theodore Sedge-
wick was Massachusetts first speaker. veteran
of the Revolution. who later studied theology and
the law and made the latter his profession. He
was the first speaker to serve In the new capital
of Washington, presiding over the house when 1t
first convened there on November III. 1900. A
few weeks later he was succeeded by North
Cardinals first speaker. Nathaniel Macon, who
held the chair from 1901 to 1907.
Bradley Varnum, Revolutionary war veteran,
who was reelected, then was succeeded by the
mill Boy of the Slashes,' Henry Clay of Ken
lucky. Clay was first elected speaker In 1871.
he was reelected In 1873, 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 1870.
John w. Taylor OF New York 1.-THE first from
that state) was the next speaker and after him
Philip r Barbour OF Virginia talso first from his
state). In 1924 Clay was back In the house
again and again elected speaker. this time serv-
ing his last term In that office For now began
his repeated attempts to become President Fall
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 corruption" The implca-
tIon was that Clays portfolio In the Adams cabi-
net was his price for throwing his influence to the
Massachusetts when the election Of 1874
was decided In the house Of representatives. I'm
able to use the speakershp as springboard to
the Presidency, Clay again elected to the
senate In which he remained most of the time
until his death In 1852, having In the meantime
made two more unsuccessful attempts to get TO
the White House.
After the kentuckianG last term as speaker,
John w. Taylor Of New York served another
term. He was succeeded by Andrew Stevenson,
another Vlrginlan, 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 or war In the cabinets Of Presidents
William Henry Harrison and John Tyler and In
1860 the unsuccessful Presidential candidate of
the Constitutional Union party with the famed
Edward Everett as his running mate.
The Twenty-sixth congress elected another
virgnian speaker-Iobert NJ. Il, Hunter, who
had had long career in congress and who, on
two OCCASIONS had declined the office OF secre-
tary Of state. lie was elected to the senate In
lS4T and continued there until his state seeded