The Speaker

Frederick Huntington Gillett, a member of Congress from the Second Massachusetts District since 1893, the longest record of service in Congress possessed by any of its present members,-- became Speaker of the third Congress in succession. His record in the chair of the House is generally known as fair and equitable. The only reason that his reelection as Speaker was deferred until the ninth ballot was that Republican insurgents were holding up organization until they could secure concessions on the rules of procedure.

Opposed to him were Finis J. Garrett, Democrat, backed solidly by his followers, and Henry Allen Cooper, Republican, backed by the Republican insurgents. Martin B. Madden, Republican, was, contrary to his wish, voted for by a small group of insurgents. The voting on all the roll calls until the ninth was remarkably uniform:

Gillett Garrett Cooper Madden First .. 198 195 17 Second 195 193 17 Third 195 196 17 Fourth 197 196 17 Fifth 197 197 17 Sixth 195 197 17 Seventh 196 198 17 Eighth 197 198 17 Ninth .. . 215 197 0

When the results were announced, Congressmen Longworth (Republican Floor Leader), Garrett (Democratic Floor Leader), Madden (Chairman of the Appropriations Committee) and Cooper escorted Mr. Gillett to the Chair.

Mr. Garrett made a short speech, describing his recent opponent as "a gentleman by birth, breeding and culture, a legislator of long experience and fine capacity, a robust partisan, but a polite one, and a presiding officer honest and fair."

The House rose and cheered.

Speaker Gillett, in replying, said: "Since the Speaker ceased to be Chairman of the Committee on Rules, I think there has been a steady tendency that he should be more and more a judicial officer, and I think that I shall be carrying out the wishes of those who elected me if I endeavor fairly and with my best judgment to apply the rules of parliamentary law and to interpret them as I believe they should be interpreted without favor and without malice, so that every man shall have the rights which the rules give him, and that this may be a Government of law and not of men. . . ." Compliments were not all on the side of the Democrats. Republican Floor Leader Longworth rose and eulogized Mr. Garrett, who in accordance with tradition, having been minority candidate for Speaker, became minority Floor Leader: "I congratulate the Demo-crats upon their wisdom in selecting their leader. He is courageous, kindly, good-natured, a splendid orator, a fine debater, an expert parliamentarian, and as my friend, Mr. Madden, suggests, preeminently an honorable man."

-- Joseph G. Cannon, retired Congressman from Illinois, held office for 23 noncontinuous terms (46 years).