Evening star., 1944-12-10
Capital Sidelights
BIZ Will p. Kennedy.

By Will P. Kennedy.
OF course, it will not happen this
time, but twice, within the memory
OF Capitol veterans, the Republicans
came through with a majority in con-
gressional elections, only to have the
Democrats organize the succeeding
Congresses-in the Sixty-fifth Congress
when Champ Clark was elected Speaker
and in the Seventy-second Congress
when John N. Garner was elected
Speaker.
After the November elections, before
the Sixty-fifth Congress came in in
1917, the score stood 216 Republicans
and 2l0 Democrats. On April 2, 1917,
when the election of Speaker was held
there were 428 votes cast, of which Mr.
Clark received PIT James r. Mann
Republican, Illinois,, 205; Irvine L.
Lenroot, Wis, later Senator, 2 votes.
and Frederick H. Gillett Republican,
Massachusetts, later Speaker and SEN
ator, 2 votes. Two voted present"
The swing to Clark was by members
with various 'other party" afnliations.
Randall, California. Prohibition: Mar
tin, Louisiana, Progressive Protection
list; Schall, Minnesota, Progressive:
London. New York, Socialist; Kelly,
Pennsylvania, independent, and May,
Utah, Prohibitionist-all voted for
Champ Clark. Fuller, Massachusetts,, in
dependent. voted with Gardner, Massa-
chusetts, Republican, for Lenroot, and
Dallinger Massachusetts,, and Gray, New
Jersey, both Republicans, voted for
Mr.. Gillett. Two Republicans-Haskell,
New York, and James, Michigan-an-
swered present" on the roll call. Three
Democrats had died in the interim,
Tribble, Georgia; Conroy, New York,
and Finley, South Carolina. Two of
them had been replaced by Brand,
Georgia, and Stevenson, South Carolina.
One Republican had died, Sulloway,
New Hampshire, and his seat was
vacant. Representative o. D. Bleakly
Republican, Pennsylvania, resigned
the following day, after serving less
than a month.
second Congress, the score stood-Re-
publicans, 22o; Democrats, 2l4. But
between the election on November 4,
1880, and the election of Jack" Garner
as Speaker. December 7. 1881, there had
been IA deaths, including Nicholas
Longworth Of Ohio, who had been
Speaker. He and Garner had been
close friends. When the House voted
on the speakership, there were 433 votes
cast, Of which Garner received 218,
Bertrand H. Smell, 207, and George ].
Schneider Republican, wisconsin,, 5,
with the three contestants themselves
voting present" The five voting for
Mr.. Schneider represented the Progress
sive and Farm-Iabor leanings-Amlie,
Wisconsin; Kvale, Minnesota; Peavy,
Withrow and Kading, Wisconsin. But
Speaker Garner was elected Vice Presi-
dent on November 8, 1882, and re-
signed from the House, but not until
he had achieved the unique distinc-
ton of presiding on the same calendar
day, March 4, 1888, in both House
and Senate. His final service In the
House, however, was on the Legislative
day Of March g." when the House
resumed its session latter q few hours
recess) at 10 an. March 4, and then,
adjourning sine die at 11:21 am. to
attend the first inaugural OF Franklin
D. Roosevelt, Mr.. Garner presided that
day in the Senate as Vice President.
It was on March 8, 1888. that Henry
Rainey, Illinois, was elected Speaker to
succeed Mr.. Garner. who had resigned
as of Legislative day. March 3. Out
of 4l8 votes cast, Rainey received 800,
Smell, 110, and Kvale, Progressive, S.
David Chambers, born in Pennsyl-
vania. who served in the Seventeenth
Congress from Ohio, had been conf
dental express rider for President Wash
ington during the Whisky Rebellion In
l794, at the age Of IA. He learned the art
Of printing. established . paper at zanes-
vile. Ohio; became State printer and
was volunteer aide-de-camp to Gen. Cass
in the War of 1912. Later, he was .
member Of the State House Of Repre-
sentatives (l8l4-1842): clerk Of the State
Senate, clerk Of the Court Of Common
Pleas. afiliated with the Wing party,
served IN the State Senate and was its
president IN 1914.
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