274 16 ipy 1 U. Sixty-Sixth Congress, Third Session House Document No. 1023 J. WILLARD RAGSDALE (Late a Representative from South Carolina) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION January 25, 1920 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING WASHINGTON 1922 274 6 py 1 ^-'^ii Sixty-Sixth Congress, Third Session House Document No. 1023 J. WILLARD RAGSDALE ( Late a Representative from South Carolina ) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION January 25, 1920 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 7 ^7. ■■■■ "L-ts» '^^ ^''^■ WASHINGTON 1922 ■..iii — i .mn I I ■»■« II M ipiii h t i UBHAKt OF CONGIKE88 •tECCIVED TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Proceedings in the House 5 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D, D 6, 9 Memorial addresses by — Mr. Fred H. Dorainick, of South Carolina 13 Mr. Edward C. Mann, of South Carolina 16 Mr. Champ Clark, of Missouri 17 Mr. William F. Stevenson, of South Carolina 19 Mr. James F. Byrnes, of South Carolina 24 Mr. Leonidas C. Dyer, of Missouri 30 Mr. Philip H. Stoll, of South Carolina 32 Proceedings in the Senate 35 [3] HON. J-V/ILLARD RAGSDALE DEATH OF HON. J. WILLARD RAGSDALE PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE Wednesday, July 23, 1919. Mr. Byrnes of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I desire to offer the following resolution. The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, a Representative from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That a committee of 15 Members of tlie House, with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection thereof be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. The resolutions were agreed to. The Clerk read the following further resolution : Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now adjourn. The resolution was agreed to. Accordingly (at 3 o'clock and 17 minutes p. ui.) the House adjourned until to-morrow, Thursday, July 24, 1919, at 12 o'clock noon. [5] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale Thursday, July 24, i919. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the following prayer: We lift up our hearts in gratitude to Thee our Father in Heaven for thai suhtle and mysterious quality Thou hast woven into the soul of man we call love, which in times of great crises lifts man out of himself and makes him a hero. When the Government and its sacred principles are threatened by an insidious foe it makes him a patriot. It forms the home and makes it the dearest spot on earth. Through it friendships are formed which never die — hence the congressional family has been stirred to its depths by the passing away of one of its Members. It is the foundation of the immortality of the soul which brings comfort and solace to those who are stirred by the passing of a loved one. So we look up to Thee v^^ith faith and confidence in this hour of sorrow. Be with the friends of the deceased. Comfort the stricken widow and children with the blessed hope that sometime, somewhere, they shall feel the touch of his hand, hear his voice, and rejoice in his presence. Hear us, we pray Thee, and so comfort and guide us on our way to the blessed reunion with our friends and loved ones; and all glory and praise shall be Thine through Him who died and lives, thus proving that life is stronger than death. Amen. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Dudley, one of its clerks, announced that the Senate had passed the follow- ing resolutions: Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announcement of the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, Jate a Representative from the State of South Carolina. [6] Proceedings in the House Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the Vice President to join a committee appointed on the part of the House of Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the deceased. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. The Speaker appointed the following committee to attend the funeral of the late Representative Ragsdale : Mr. Lever, Mr. Byrnes of South Carolina, Mr. Whaley, Mr. Nicholls of South Carolina, Mr. Stevenson, Mr. Clark of Missouri, Mr. Flood, Mr. McKeown, Mr. Robinson of North Carolina, Mr. Phelan, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Focht, Mr. Longworth, and Mr. Browne. Thursday, September 4, 1919. Mr. Igoe. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to ex- tend my remarks in the Record by printing some resolu- tions sent to me on the death of the late Representative Ragsdale, of South Carolina. The Speaker. The gentleman from Missouri asks unani- mous consent to insert in the Record some resolutions concerning the death of the late Representative Ragsdale, of South Carolina. Is there objection? There was no objection. Following are the resolutions referred to : St. Louis, Mo., July 29, 1919. Hon. William L. Igoe, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. My Dear Congressman: On the motion of Dr. Emmett Kane, I was instructed to forward you inclosed resolution of sympathy, [7] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale with the request that you have it printed in the Congressional Record. Thanking you for your attention in this matter, I am Yours, very truly, C. J. DOLAN, Chairman of Resolutions Committee. Whereas the Friends of Irish Freedom of St. Louis have learned with profound sorrow of the untimely demise of Congressman J. W. Ragsdale, of South Carolina; and Whereas they are mindful of his sincere sympathy for the cause of Irish freedom, which he manifested in so unmistakable a manner during the hearings on the Irish question before the Foreign Relations Committee of the House; and Whereas he was at all times a stanch champion of the right of free government: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Friends of Irish Freedom of St. Louis tender to the colleagues of the deceased Congressman their sincere sym- pathy; and be it further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to Congressman Henry D. Flood, of Virginia. Friday, December 19, 1919. Mr. Byrnes of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, 1 ask unan- imous consent that the House hold a session on Sunday, January 25, 1920, for the purpose of enabling the Mem- bers to pay tribute to the memory of the late J. Willard Ragsdale, of the fifth district of South Carolina. The Speaker. The gentleman from South Carolina asks unanimous consent that the House hold a session on January 25, 1920, in memory of the late Mr. Ragsdale, of the fifth district of South Carolina. Is there objection? There was no objection. [8] Proceedings in the House Sunday, January 25, 1920. The House met at 12 o'clock noon. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the following prayer : Father in Heaven, look down from Thy throne of grace with kindly eyes and an approving heart upon us as we thus assemble wdthin this historic Chamber to pay a tribute of love and respect to two men who bj^ dint of their own efforts, inspired of Thee, left a deep impression upon the hearts of their countrymen and writ in charac- ters of gold a history upon their State and Nation. Long may their memories live in our hearts and on the pages of history, that they may be an ensample to us and lo those who shall come after us; and we will ascribe all praise to Thee. Comfort us, their colleagues and friends, their stricken families, with the truth that life is immortal, and some day, somewhere, we and they shall meet again in a realm where love ties shall never again be severed. When the mists have rolled in splendor From the beauty of the hills, And the sunshine warm and tender Falls in kisses on the rills; We may read love's shining letter In the rainbow of the spray; We shall know each other better When the mists have cleared away. We shall know as we are known, Never more to walk alone In the dawning of the morning, When the mists have cleared away. Amen. [9] Memorial Addresses : Representative Ragsdale The Speaker. The Clerk will report the first special order of the day. The Clerk read as follows: On motion of Mr. Byrnes of South Carolina, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That there shall be a session of the House on Sunday, January 25, 1920, for memorial services on the life, character, and public services of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, deceased. The Speaker. The gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Byrnes] will please take the chair. Mr. Byrnes of South Carolina took the chair as Speaker pro tempore. Mr. DoMiNiCK. Mr. Speaker, I offer the following reso- lution and move its adoption. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from South Carolina offers a resolution, which the Clerk will report. The Clerk read as follows : House resolution 446 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, late a Member of this House from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of the exercises of this day, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. The Speaker pro tempore. The question is on the adop- tion of the resolution. The resolution was agreed to. [10] Proceedings in the House Mr. DoMiNiCK. Mr. Speaker, Messrs. Whaley, Nicholls of South Carolina, and Stoll are detained and absent on account of illness. I therefore ask unanimous consent that they, as well as any other Members who are unavoid- ably detained, may have leave to extend their remarks. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from South Carolina asks unanimous consent that his colleagues, Messrs. Whaley, Nicholls of South Carolina, and Stoll, be granted permission to extend remarks in the Record. Is there objection? There was no objection. [11] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Dominick, of South Carolina Mr. Speaker : From time to time we are called upon to pause in our work here and set aside a day to pay tribute and respect to a deceased colleague. It is a time-honored and beautiful custom and one that should be always observed. With each recurring service we are all re- minded of the uncertainty of life and the certainty of death. J. WiLLARD Ragsdale, of Florence, S. C, was serving his fourth term in Congress as the Representative from the sixth South Carolina district when he died in Wash- ington on the 23d day of July, 1919. From his early man- hood he always took a lively and active interest in pub- lic and political affairs, and soon after his admission to the bar of South Carolina, in 1898, he started his political career. He represented his county as State senator, and he soon gained a state-wide reputation by his work there. He was many times a delegate from his county to the State conventions, and one of the most dramatic incidents of his political career occurred at the South Carolina State con- vention of 1912, when the question of the indorsement of a candidate for President and instructing the delegates to the national convention came up. At that convention a resolution was offered instructing the delegates to the national convention to vote for Gov. W^oodrow Wilson as the candidate for President. Immediately a resolution was offered against instruct- ing for any candidate and there was a bitter fight. Before [13] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale either of these resolutions could come to a vote a sub- stitute was offered for instruction and this substitute was defeated by a vote of 218 to 122. The resolution against instructing for any candidate was then adopted by a vote of 178 to 162. Notwithstanding this action on the part of the convention, Willard Ragsdale obtained the floor and, after an eloquent and ringing speech pleading that some affirmative action be taken expressing the choice of the convention for a presidential candidate, he presented an- other resolution indorsing the candidacy of Woodrow Wilson for the Democratic nomination and instructing the delegates to vote for him as a unit. The convention was held spellbound by the eloquent and forceful pre- sentation of his views and the effect of his speech was electrical; but the resolution was ruled out on a point of order and then, in the language of a newspaper report of the convention, " pandemonium reigned for a few min- utes." Ragsdale, with his energy and aggressiveness and stick-to-itiveness would not give up his fight, but, seeing his opportunity, at once offered another resolution in- dorsing Gov. Wilson without instructions, shouting at the time, "They can't quibble over that." This resolution was carried and Ragsdale had won his fight for Wilson — a fight that is memorable to those who were present at that convention. He was elected to Congress in 1912 and served his peo- ple faithfully and well, and especially during the burden- some days of the Great War. So well did he serve them during those trying times that he was renominated and re- elected without any opposition whatsoever. While he was a party man, he was not a partisan. He always wanted to be in accord with his party and party associates and vote with them, but at the same time, if his judgment was [14] Address of Mr, Dominick, of South Carolina otherwise, he was independent enough and man enough to vote his own honest convictions, even if that vote was not in accord with his party associates. He was an able lawyer, a successful business man, a fearless fighter, big- hearted, whole-souled, sociable, companionable, and he would do anything in his power for his friends. The high esteem and affectionate regard in which he was held by his people could not have been better shown than upon the day of his funeral, when all business was suspended and a great throng congregated at the overflowing church and crowded cemetery to pay a last tribute of respect and to do honor to their able and distinguished citizen and their friend. 15] Address of Mr, Mann, of South Carolina Mr. Speaker : It is with a feeling of regret, and also of pleasure, that I stand before you this morning and in my feeble way say a few words in memory of our friend whom the grim reaper cut down in the very prime of his life. I regret that it was not my honor to serve in your distinguished body with the late J. Willard Rags- dale, but it was my pleasure to know him, and to know him well and intimately from the days of my boyhood to the day of his death, and it was my privilege to know that at all times he was my friend. Mr. Ragsdale was a man of great capacity, wonderful ability, indomitable energy and courage, and honorable ambition. He was close to the people, served well and faithfully his county, his district, his State, and his coun- try while here as their Representative in Congress. I do not attribute greatness to our departed friend, but useful- ness and a common importance belonging to a useful life. He was one of the biggest-hearted men that I have ever known, and his kind deeds were manifold. It did not matter who it was that solicited his aid; it was always given and given gladly and freely. Many a young man in South Carolina who stands to-day as a living monument to his memory owes his start in life to the benefactions of J. Willard Ragsdale, making true the old Latin proverb, " Vs^ho doeth a kindness to a good man doeth a greater to himself." I might go on and extol his virtues, but lack of time will not permit. I have said that he was honest, faithful, brave, warm-hearted, true, and ever ready to serve. What more can be said of any man? His life was not lived in vain. [16] Address of Mr. Clark, of Missouri Mr. Speaker: Death has reaped a large harvest among the Democrats of the House of the Sixty-sixth Congress — Ragsdale, of South Carolina; Burnett, of Alabama; Van Dyke, of Minnesota; Thompson, of Oklahoma; Watson, of Virginia; Helm, of Kentucky; and Sulzer, of Alaska — men all in their prime. J. Willard Ragsdale, of South Carolina, one of the most robust men in the House, was taken in the twinkling of an eye. Anyone called upon to pick a dozen Members destined for long life would have placed Mr. Ragsdale in the list. His sudden death in the very flower of his years teaches us once more what shadows we are and what shadows we pursue. He was not only robust physically but robust mentally. No man appeared to enjoy life more than Mr. Ragsdale. He was intense in everything. His opinions on any subject with which his exceedingly active mind concerned itself were positive. There was in him no hesitancy in taking a position and in maintaining it when taken. Nobody ever had to go on a voyage of discovery to ascertain where he stood. He took orders from nobody. He did his own thinking, spoke out in meeting, and was unafraid. He was both a lawyer and a business man — successful beyond the aver- age in two fields of human endeavor. He was a great practitioner of traditional southern hospitality, and per- haps entertained more than any other Member of the House. No man enjoyed more than he to have his friends about his board. I was fond of him and he was fond of me. While firm in his opinions, vehement in manner, bold in utterance, 51591—22 2 [17] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale he was amenable to suggestions from men he deemed his friends. He conferred freely and frequently with me, and I am certain that he received suggestions from me in the kindliest feeling. Sometimes he accepted them in whole or in part; some- times he rejected them in toto. In turn he made many suggestions to me, some important and of great value. He was not a frequent debater, but was always clear and forcible and honest in the expression of his views. At the time of his death he was one of the rising men in the House, apparently destined for a long and high career. I was appointed by the Speaker to attend his burial at Florence, S. C. It was a lovely day in early summer. The little city was in mourning. A large concourse of people, old and young, high and humble, white and black, attended. I have never seen more evidences of love and sorrow exhibited at any time or place. He seemed to be universally beloved. [18J Address of Mr. Stevenson, of South Carolina Mr. Speaker: Willard Ragsdale was my neighbor. He was born in the county adjoining the one in which I have lived all through my manhood. Subsequently the county in which he was born was divided, and he fell in that part which did not adjoin mine; but his people and the tradi- tions of his ancestry, a long and honorable line, have been wrought into the very woof of the people of my territory and of the district which I have the honor to represent. His characteristics, which have been very accurately re- ferred to by the speaker who preceded me [Mr. Clark of Missouri], were those which descended to him from the Virginia Cavaliers, who constituted his ancestry on both sides. The Ragsdales of the Cavaliers who settled Virginia came to South Carolina during the eighteenth century. They were always distinguished for business capacity, for interest in public affairs, though not often seeking public office; for a determination of character which had always made them a leading force in the community in wliich they lived. His mother, a member of the distinguished Byrd family, was of the same family as the noted Byrd of Virginia, the wit and poet, who died about the middle of the eighteenth century, who was the founder of the city of Richmond and the author of the " Westover " manuscript. They were a type of people not of the domi- nating and aggressive character of the Ragsdales, but nevertheless Virginia Cavaliers who knew how to lead and who did lead in all the history of the great section of the country in which they lived. [19] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale It was my pleasure to know and frequently to be asso- ciated with Mr. Ragsdale's distinguished grandfather, who for 20 years was a State senator in South Carolina, and who, up until 1890, was possibly the most influential sena- tor from the Peedee section of South Carolina. From that side of the house Mr. Ragsdale acquired his political acu- men, which was so noted for the 23 years of his public life. I was first intimately associated with him when he came to the legislature, in 1898. I came to know him not only as a politician but as a friend whose friendship could not be severed except by injustice or by improper dealing with him. Politically he was one of the most aggressive men in South Carolina, a State in which politics is rather aggres- sive, but at the same time he was not only aggressive, and was frequently called impetuous, but he was one of the most alert and keen-sighted of politicians. What was fre- quently termed impulsiveness on his part, and was some- times considered imprudent impulsiveness, was not action without principle, without consideration. The distinguish- ing characteristic of Willard Ragsdale was that he could see and analyze a situation more quickly than ninety men out of a hundred and reach a conclusion, which in a large majority of cases would be a sound conclusion, while many men were still considering, but when a conclusion was reached there was absolutely no swerving him from retaining the position in which that conclusion placed him. Consequently he became a leader of the men of his generation. He was younger than I. I had been in the legislature some time when he came there, but that characteristic was one which always attracted him to me, and our associa- tions for twenty-odd years have been of the closest. I [20] Address of Mr. Stevenson, of South Carolina can say that as a politician he was as true to his friends in politics as their principles would allow him to be, and he never deserted a man unless he was given just cause to do so. I have come in contact with him a great deal, practicing for 30 years, as I have, at the same bars with him, he having begun, however, 10 years after I did. I learned to know him there; and what better place is there to find out whether a man is a gentleman than in the hot con- tests in the courthouse where great stakes are being fought for? He was not a plodding lawyer. His whole temperament was action. He could not rely upon the technicalities of construction. It was the law of common sense, upon which the com- mon law was based, upon which he acted, and in a ma- jority of instances that is the best basis upon which to act. While he did not deal with the technique of the law, he threw his personality and all of the wonderful magnetism of his enthusiasm into a case in a way that made him almost irresistible before a jury of his county, with whom he was always in close touch, because he was eminently a man of the people, and knew them, and he stood for their best interest as he saw it. Trained at a bar that was overshadowed until his advent by some of the most eminent lawyers in South Carolina — yea, in the South — he soon came to measure up with them when it came to the contests in court, and he has left an impress upon the bar and upon the legal history of the Peedee country of South Carolina which can not be eradicated. His conclusions on questions of law and justice were reached very quickly and were reached, apparently, fre- quently by inspiration, though it was not that but was a process of quick thinking out of a situation, and those 21 Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale conclusions were in a large majority of instances justified by the decisions of the courts of the land. As a business man, in addition to his characteristics as a lawyer, Mr. Ragsdale became a banker of standing and a successful financier of the territory in which he lived. Coming into public life and beginning his career at a time when the country in which he lived was depressed beyond anything conceivable at this day, at a time when money was almost impossible of acquisition, he embarked upon the career of banking within a few years, with the desire to build up his community by furnishing the capital so absolutely necessary to the development of the limit- less resources of that country. He entered into competi- tion wdth other bankers who had been for a lifetime in the business, and he left when he died an institution that stands as one of the assets of the community and as one of the landmarks of the financial acumen of that country, one of the institutions which had enabled his city to become, as undoubtedly it is, the leading city of this eastern section of South Carolina. I want to say just one word about Mr. Ragsdale as a friend. Many of the Members of this House know his impulsive disposition, his affectionate disposition to those who enlisted his assistance, his demand for proper treat- ment by all, and yet his overflowing love for man as man if that man were acting as the gentleman that he was brought up to consider himself. He could engage in any kind of a bout, in any kind of a controversy. He was a sportsman from the heart. He inherited it from his dis- tinguished ancestry on both sides. He could give and take; but a mean thing done to him was something that would become ineradicable in his heart, because he would not tolerate a man who would do a mean thing [22; Address of Mr. Stevenson, of South Carolina to him or to anyone in whom he was interested. On the other hand, there is no man in this House or any- where else with whom I have come in contact whose affection was more persistent, whose self-sacrifice was more readily given, whose aid was more readily extended for anyone whom he could call his friend than Mr. Ragsdale. His taking away was one of the wrenches of my public life. I could hardly conceive that he was gone; and that leads me to close by saying that we are here to-day pay- ing a last tribute to two of our comrades who went with- out warning, who went in the twinkling of an eye, who it seems to me just simply stepped through the invisible barrier that stands between us and an unknown eternity, leaving us remembering their virtues, their powers, their lovable qualities, and yet separated from them by this invisible barrier, wholly without knowing when it may come our time to step through the same barrier and be separated from our fellows and reunited with them. [23] Address of Mr. Byrnes, of South Carolina Mr. Speaker: As I have listened to my friends pay tribute to the life and character of our deceased col- league and friend I have become greatly depressed. I recall that when I came to the House, in 1911, I found constituting the South Carolina delegation Messrs. Legare, EUerbe, Aiken, Lever, Johnson, and Finley. Of these six men, all young, four have passed away. Our beloved friend George Legare was first claimed by death. Later, Ellerbe, who loved Legare as few men love each other in this life, was called to his reward. Judge Finley, who for 18 years had served as a Member of this House, died while still in service. Judge Johnson, a few years after he left this body, passed away. I might also say that in the other body Senator Tillman, only a short while ago, after a service long and distinguished, was claimed by death, and one year after his death, in July, 1919, he was followed by a man who always loved him and was one of his stanchest political supporters, J. Willard Ragsdale. I doubt if in the House there is another State delegation in which there is more geniality and more true comrade- ship than in the delegation from the State of South Caro- lina, and I say this notwithstanding the fact that I know how closely men are drawn together when they come from States far distant. It is not surprising that this comradeship exists, for when human beings come to know each other they generally come to entertain for each other a more genuine affection. This certainly has been the rule in our delegation, and therefore you can appre- ciate how shocked and grieved we were to learn of the sudden death of Willard Ragsdale. To me it was espe- [24] Address of Mr. Byrnes, of South Carolina cially shocking, for during the two or three days preced- ing his death I had spent much time with him. I knew that he was not a well man. He told me he was consult- ing a physician, but I little dreamed, and he little dreamed, that he was so near to death. I knew him, Mr. Speaker, before I came to the House, but I was not as intimately acquainted with him then as I afterwards became. I knew, however, that he was what we generally call a self-made man. He was born at Timmonsville, Florence County, S. C. After attending the schools of the little city of Timmonsville and the school at Darlington, where he resided for a short time, he went to Wilmington, N. C, where he spent a few years, and his first employment in life was there with the Atlan- tic Coast Line Railroad. Leaving there, he returned to South Carolina, attended the university of our State, studying law under Pope, whose reputation as an edu- cator extended beyond the borders of South Carolina. Admitted to the bar, his success as a young lawyer was phenomenal. Those of us who knew him can understand it. Ragsdale was a great jury lawyer. He quickly be- came recognized as one of the best criminal lawyers in the eastern part of the State, and there was hardly a case of any importance in which he was not employed either as counsel for the defendant or assisting the solicitor in the prosecution. In addressing a jury he was effective, because Ragsdale knew men. As a master who plays upon the strings of a musical instrument, he could play upon the feelings and upon the prejudices of a jury or of an audience. He was a most effective stump speaker. As an illus- tration of his effectiveness as a stump speaker — I heard him in Philadelphia in the last national campaign. He [25] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale told me he was going to speak at a monster meeting in the opera house. I went to hear him, and I found that I was correct in beUeving that Ragsdale knew men, for here, addressing men whom he had never seen before and with whom he had never been associated, with his fiery eloquence and his knowledge of human nature he soon had the audience applauding and yelling for him. I understood then as I listened to him why he was so successful as a stump speaker in his own district. Possessing this gift, and possessing, too, his unlimited energy and his love of excitement and adventure, it was only natural that he early entered politics. He was elected to the legislature and served two years in the house. He was then elected to the State senate, and after serving one term he became a candidate for the office of attorney general. In that contest he was defeated. But, though defeated, he won for himself throughout the entire State of South Carolina friends who always remembered him and who always admired him. Two years later he be- came a candidate for Congress, opposing our former colleague, Mr. Ellerbe. He was defeated; but in the next contest he was successful, and he served here for three terms and was serving his fourth term when claimed by death. During his final term here he was a member of the Com- mittee on Banking and Currency. He soon convinced me of his ability to accurately analyze a situation. In the caucus upon the Federal reserve bank bill, where a num- ber of us who were interested in securing the recognition of agricultural products as the basis for the rediscount privilege had been making an earnest fight for many days, Ragsdale, with some of his friends, immediately assumed what we regarded as an extreme position. [26] Address of Mr, Byrnes, of South Carolina Finally, after many days of debate and of contest in this House, when I offered to the chairman of the Com- mittee on Banking and Currency a compromise, which was agreed to by the then chairman, Mr. Glass, I went to my colleague, Mr. Ragsdale, asking him to agree to my compromise and stop the fight upon the bill. I antici- pated a very difficult time in persuading him; but, to my amazement, as soon as I presented the compromise, he said, " Why, I never had any idea of obtaining anything better, but only by assuming this attitude did I have any hope of securing a compromise." He had truly analyzed the situation and had pursued his course, regarded then by many as unwise, with the sole purpose of securing such a compromise as we did secure upon that question. Later he served upon the committee having jurisdiction of the District of Columbia affairs, and then on the Com- mittee on Foreign Affairs. In the House he was always forceful. As the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. Clark] has said, " There was never any doubt of where Ragsdale stood " upon any question. He was a man of decided opinions, and he always expressed those opinions. He was fearless; he was independent. He often differed from his party associates here, but he always gave good reasons for doing so. Aggressive and forceful, it was remarkable that so fluent a speaker was so accurate a speaker. Time and again I have seen him turn in the manuscript of his remarks delivered upon the floor with the rapidity so characteristic of him without revising or changing a single word in the pages of manuscript. Mr. Speaker, those who saw Mr. Ragsdale only when he was engaged in some contest on this floor, and who regarded his manner as stormy, can have no true concep- tion of his kindly nature. Those of us who knew him [27] Memorial Addresses: Representative Ragsdale intimately knew that, while he was impulsive and quick tempered, he was at the same time generous and forgiv- ing. Ragsdale was true to his friends, and it was doubt- less this loyalty and sincerity that won for him the friend- ship of men who were true to him during his entire political career. In his home he was a devoted husband and a loving father. In early life, shortly after leaving college, he married Miss Louise Joynes, a daughter of Dr. Joynes, of South Carolina University. This union was blessed by two children, a son, James, who is now 18 years of age, and a daughter, Louise, now 14 years of age. I have never known a happier family.. His was possibly the most hospitable home in congressional cir- cles. He loved to have his friends around him, and his greatest pleasure was to bring happiness to them. Reference has been made to his success in business. He was successful. He organized the Farmers & Mer- chants Bank of Florence, which he served as president for many years; he operated extensive farms, and even during his service in Congress here he practiced law at home. He made money, but he believed in spending money. He valued it only for the happiness it could bring to himself, his family, and his friends. He was as chari- table as any other man in my acquaintance, and, as my colleague Mr. Mann has said, many young men in the State of South Carolina to-day are prospering because they were the beneficiaries of his unselfishness. No greater tribute to the life of a man can be asked than the love of the people among whom he lived. J. Willard Ragsdale possessed that love, and no better evidence of this could have been asked than the gathering of thou- sands of his friends from all over the congressional dis- trict to pay tribute to his memory when his funeral serv- [28] Address of Mr. Byrnes, of South Carolina ices were held last July. They came from all walks of life, and the tears in the eyes of men, as well as of women, gave proof of the fact that they came not out of idle curiosity but in order to pay tribute to a man whose mem- ory they loved. His body rests in the little cemetery at Florence, in the soil of the State he loved so well, but his memory rests secure in the hearts of those who knew him and who loved him. [29] Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri Mr. Speaker: One of the sad duties devolving upon us as Members of Congress is to note the deaths of those whom we have learned to love and to respect here as our colleagues. Our life is but a dream; Our time, as a stream Glides swiftly away, And the fugitive moment Refuses to stay. The arrow is flown. The moments are gone; The millennial year Rushes on to our view, And eternity is here. I have been particularly grieved, as I am sure the mem- bership generally have been, at the departure of some of those whom we esteemed so highly. Mr. Ragsdale had a strong physique, and he came here possessed of wonder- ful ability and of a geniality that soon won for him the friendship and admiration of his colleagues. I knew him quite well. I admired him in many respects, and when the sad news came of his taking off so suddenly it was to me a great shock, as it was to the membership of this body. I join with you this morning, my colleagues of the great State of South Carolina and those of the other great States of our splendid Union, in paying tribute to his worth as a man and as a Representative of the people. He was a true and genuine southerner. He believed in the great State that he in part represented. He believed also in the great Republic which he loved to serve here in Congress; and as we have become acquainted with men of that character and served here with them their taking [30] Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri off is a great and irreparable loss. The greatest benefit that has come to me personally as a Member of the House in the more than eight years I have been here has been the acquaintance of the men with whom I have served. I believe that what little good I have been able to accom- plish here has been achieved largely through the friend- ship of my associates, and I shall always esteem it a great honor and privilege to have served with men of the char- acter and worth of our late colleague, Mr. Ragsdale. Humbly I pay tribute to the memory of our colleague who has gone, and I desire to record for the benefit of posterity and of the loved ones left behind by this gallant man my appreciation of his personal worth and of the value of his services to his State and to the Republic. And when earth's last picture is painted And the tubes are twisted and dried; And the oldest colors have faded, And the youngest critics have died, "We shall rest, and faith we shall need it. Lie down for an aeon or two, 'Till the Master of all good painters Shall set us to work anew. And those who were good shall be happy; They shall sit in a golden chair. They shall splash at a ten-league canvas With brushes of camel's hair; They shall have real saints to draw from — Magdalene, Peter, and Paul — They shall paint for an age at a sitting And never get tired at all; And only the Master shall praise us. And only the Master shall blame. And no one shall work for money. And no one shall work for fame. But each for the joy of the doing. And each in his separate star Shall paint the thing as he sees it, For the God of things as they are. [31] Address of Mr. Stoll, of South Carolina Mr. Speaker : In the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale South Carolina lost a distinguished son and the Nation was deprived of the services of a conscientious and coura- geous public servant. He loved his native State de- votedly, v^as proud of her achievements in the past, worked incessantly for her development, and hoped for her great things in the future. Likewise he loved the Nation, and his earnest desire was that our Government should indeed be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. From early manhood he was keenly interested in all public matters, and soon after being admitted to the bar he entered politics and served with distinguished ability his county in the State senate. As a lawyer he was very aggressive, and as an advocate in the courts of South Carolina he had few equals and won many verdicts by his bold and eloquent pleas to the jury. His activities were not confined to his law practice or public affairs of the State and Nation, but he was also a progressive and successful business man, specializing in banking. Mr. Ragsdale represented the sixth congressional dis- trict of South Carolina for seven years, having just begun the service of his fourth term when the summons came that called him from his earthly labors. He was very popular in his district, and his popularity grew with his service. He was an unusually forcible campaign debater, and those who had the temerity to oppose him for his seat in Congress found in him an opponent of force. One of Mr. Ragsdale's most marked characteristics was his zeal for his friends. He never turned a deaf ear to [32] Address of Mr. Stoll, of South Carolina those who sought his assistance, and quite frequently he sought them and volunteered his services. Open and frank in manner, big-hearted and courteous, he numbered his friends by the hundreds. He lived for his family, his friends, and his country, and when he died thousands mourned. It was my privilege and pleasure to know Mr. Ragsdale for about 15 years. Our relations were always pleasant and cordial. He was my friend, and I personally mourn his untimely death. His sudden and unexpected passing reminds us that death is but the gate between the lesser and greater life; that toward it all humanity travels, and through it we all must pass, and as we think on his life and character we recall the closing lines of Thanatopsis: So live that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan that moves To that mysterious realm where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death, Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him and lies down to pleasant dreams. The Speaker pro tempore. In accordance with the reso- lution already adopted, the House stands adjourned until to-morrow at 12 o'clock. Accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 50 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until Monday, January 26, 1920, at 12 o'clock noon. 51591—22 3 [33] PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE Wednesday, July 23, 1919. A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the Sen- ate the intelligence of the death of Hon. J. Willard Rags- dale, late a Representative from the State of South Caro- lina, and transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. The Vice President. The Chair lays before the Senate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which will be read. The Secretary read as follows : In the House of Representatives, July 23, 1919. Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, a Representative from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That a committee of 15 Members of the House, witli such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect, this House do now adjourn. Mr. Smith of South Carolina. Mr. President, I ask for the immediate consideration of the resolutions which I send to the desk. I should like to state before the reading of the resolutions that at the proper time I shall have [35] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 496 269 2 Memorial Addresses : Representative Ragsdale something further to say in reference to the death of my friend Mr. Ragsdale. We were all shocked to hear of his sudden and untimely death at noon to-day. 1 ask unani- mous consent for the immediate consideration of the resolution. The resolutions (S. Res. 131) were read, considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows : Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announcement of the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, late a Representative from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the Vice President to join a committee appointed on the part of the House of Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the deceased. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. The Vice President. The Chair appoints the senior Sena- tor from South Carolina [Mr. Smith], the Senator from Arizona [Mr. Ashurst], the Senator from Kentucky, [Mr. Reckham], the Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Harrison], the Senator from Maine [Mr. Fernald], the Senator from Oregon [Mr. McNary], the Senator from Missouri [Mr. Spencer], the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Suther- land], the Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Sterling], and the junior Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Dial] as the committee on the part of the Senate to attend the funeral. Mr. Smith of South Carolina. Mr. President, as a fur- ther mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Repre- sentative, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 5 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Thursday, July 24, 1919, at 12 o'clock meridian. [36] p ■ '^6' LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 014 496 269 2 Memorial Addresses: Representatixte Ragsdale something further to say in reference to the death of my friend Mr. Ragsdale. We were all shocked to hear of his sudden and untimely death at noon to-day. I ask unani- mous consent for the immediate consideration of the resolution. The resolutions (S. Res. 131) were read, considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows : Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announcement of the death of Hon. J. Willard Ragsdale, late a Representative from the State of South Carolina. Resolved, That a committee of 10 Senators be appointed by the Vice President to join a committee appointed on tlie part of the House of Representatives to talve order for superintending the funeral of the deceased. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. The Vice President. The Chair appoints the senior Sena- tor from South Carolina [Mr. Smith], the Senator from Arizona [Mr. Ashurst], the Senator from Kentucky, [Mr. Beckham], the Senator from Mississippi [Mr. Harrison], the Senator from Maine [Mr. Fernald], the Senator from Oregon [Mr. McNary], the Senator from Missouri [Mr. Spencer], the Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Suther- land], the Senator from South Dakota [Mr. Sterling], and the junior Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Dial] as the committee on the part of the Senate to attend the funeral. Mr. Smith of South Carolina. Mr. President, as a fur- ther mark of respect to the memory of the deceased Repre- sentative, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 5 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Thursday, July 24, 1919, at 12 o'clock meridian. 36]