Evening star., 1952-11-06
House Patriarch AdoIph SABBATH,
86, Dies After rs Year Service
Bohemian Immigrant
Fothered and Fought
For Social Reforms

futhered und Fougnr
| For Social Reforms
Representative Adolph J Sab
ath, 86, who rose from poor i'm
migrant boy to serve As years In
Congress, died early today at the
Bethesda Naval Hospital.
A Democrat. Mr.. SABBATH had
1.-THE longest consecutive service in
Congress Of any man in history.
Just last Tuesday he was elected
| to his Gath straight House term
from a district in the middle of
Chicago. He was lying seriously
ill in the hospital when he won by
a margin Of two to one.
His death resulted from cornpli-
cations after major operation
last June. He entered the hospital
several days ago.
A special election must be held
to name. his successor.
President Truman, advised of
Mr.. Sabath's, death, said in a
statement that the legislator "ex-
|emplif1ed in his life the virtues
that make America strong"
The Presidents statement called
him a public servant Of rare dis
tinction," and added:
During all Of his years Of serv-
ice Adolph SABBATH never forgot
his own humble origins. In him
the forgotten man always found
Ia champion. He was the sponsor
|of much progressive legislation and
was an unyielding opponent of
special interests. He served well
both his constituents and his
country and he was greatly be-
loved by all who knew him."
Arrived in u. S. With So.
His life story surpassed the
most exuberant Horatio Alger
fiction. In 1881, he landed in
Baltimore with less than So in his
pocket but with plenty Of pluck
and luck.
He took cattle train to Chi
Icago and found q place In the
Pilsen district. q polyglot center
|of Poles. Czechs, Lithuanians and
other Balkan people. Little Bo-
|hemia, as it was called, became
the base of his extraordinary po-
litical career.
It was a long struggle but he
trained himself in business, ac-
counting and law. made success
in real estate. served 10 years as
"a police magistrate and then was
elected and reelected to the
House until he ran up a new rec
ord for the longest consecutive
congressional SERVICES years
and six months.
Seventy years after he ar
rived in this land of opportunity,
"a bewildered but determined boy
of Is. he was dean of the House,
chairman of its powerful Rules
Committee, and only a few
months shy of the long distance
record for service Of any kind in
Congress.
That marathon record still is
held ny the last of the House
autocrats, former Speaker "Uncle
Joe" Cannon, Republican. Of IL
linois. He served for As years but
it took three different periods to
do it, 1S7S-1891, 1898 to 1918 and
1915 to 1923.
Served Under 8 Presidents.
Mr.. SABBATH would have topped
even that record II he had served
through nextsNAarch 4.
Nearly two years ago he upset
the longstanding record for con-
secutive service in Congress when
he sailed past the mark Of AZ
years, nine months and "a days set
in 1898 by Justine s. Morrill,, q
former member Of the House who,
without break, added some years
in the Senate.
In the House, he has served un-
der eight Presidents and nine
Speakers.
He was honored, however, for
more than a record length of serv.
ice for he fathered or helped to
enact many liberal or progressive
measures.
Mr.. Cannon was Speaker when
Mr.. SABBATH came first to the House
in 1907 and the Chicago freshman
helped break the domination Of
the House by that old master.
Fathered Compensation Act.
He introduced the first work.
mems compensation measure. It
became law and he won the per-
sonal congratulations of President
Theodore Roosevelt.
He also was one Of the earliest
advocates of old-age pensions, of
a measure for control Of securities
and stock exchanges, of the crea-
tion of the parcel post system and
the air mail service and the Re-
construction Finance Corp. He OPP
posed the prohibition amendment
and fought for its repeal.
He was a dependable hacker of
the Franklin D. Roosevelt's New
Deal and the Truman Fair Deal
administrations, serving on the
Rules Committee for the last 90
years. He was its chairman since
1888 except for the two years of
Republican control during the
80th Congress.
He won undying fame among
Chicago school teachers some
years ago when the city faced
bankruptcy. He put through a bill
for $23 million RFC loan to
give them overdue back pay.
Never Stopped Fighting.
AS chairman of the Rules Com
mittee which regulates the flow
of bills for House action--he had
q difficult time through most of
the New and Fair Deal eras. For
there he was outflanked and reg
osn .