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62d Jongress) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES l^ U i2f T 
 
 3d Session J I No. 14o4 
 
 SYLVESTER CLARK SMITH 
 
 ( Late a Representative from California ) 
 
 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 DELIVERED IN THE 
 
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE 
 
 OF THE UNITED STATES 
 
 SIXTY-SECOND CONGRESS 
 THIRD SESSION 
 
 Proceedings in the House 
 February 23, 1913 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 
 March 1, 1913 
 
 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF 
 THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 1014 
 
 
 

 [). OF D, 
 

 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page. 
 
 Proceedings in the House 5 
 
 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5, 7 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Needham, of California 11 
 
 Mr. Mondell, of Wyoming 24 
 
 Mr. Knowland, of California 26 
 
 Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri 31 
 
 Mr. Hayes, of California 34 
 
 Mr. Kahn, of California 38 
 
 Mr. Pray, of Montana 41 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 45 
 
 Prayer by Rev. Ulysses G. B. Pierce, D. D 46 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Perkins, of California 49 
 
 Mr. Hitchcock, of Nebraska 54 
 
 Mr. Gronna, of North Dakota 56 
 
 Mr. Sheppard, of Texas 58 
 
 Funeral oration by Rev. E. R. Fuller 15 
 
 Eulogy delivered by Judge J. W. Wiley 18 
 
 [3] 
 

DEATH OF HON. SYLVESTER CLARK SMITH 
 
 Proceedings in the House of Representatives 
 
 Monday, January 27, 1913. 
 The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
 following prayer: 
 
 Father in heaven, draw near to us as we draw near to 
 Thee and fill our minds with clear perceptions, noble de- 
 sires, pure convictions, and the courage to live them, that 
 we may be one with Thee in the furtherance of every 
 good, and thus be strengthened by imparting strength, 
 wise by imparting wisdom, pure by imparting purity as 
 we journey through life's rugged way, and so glorify Thee 
 in a faithful service to our fellow men. 
 
 Once more in the dispensation of Thy providence death 
 has entered our family and taken from us a faithful 
 servant. Comfort us and his bereaved family by the 
 blessed hope of the life eternal; in Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 Mr. Needham. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty to an- 
 nounce to the House the death of the Hon. Sylvester 
 Clark Smith, a Representative from the State of Cali- 
 fornia. During the lifetime of Mr. Smith he requested in 
 the event of his death while a Member of the House that 
 there be no committee appointed to attend his funeral. I 
 
 [5] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 have therefore omitted from the resolutions which I have 
 offered any reference to a committee. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, I offer the following resolutions and move 
 their adoption. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows : 
 
 House resolution 797 
 
 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
 the death of Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, a Representative 
 from the State of California. 
 
 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. 
 
 The question was taken, and the resolutions were unani- 
 mously agreed to. 
 
 Thereupon (at 4 o'clock and 33 minutes p. m.) the 
 House adjourned to meet to-morrow, Tuesday, January 
 28, 1913, at 11 o'clock a. m. 
 
 Tuesday, February 4, 1913. 
 Mr. Needham. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
 for the adoption of the following order. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will report the order. 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Ordered, That Sunday, February 23, 1913, be set apart for ad- 
 dresses upon the life, character, and public services of the Hon. 
 Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Representative from the State of 
 California. 
 
 The Speaker. Is there objection. [After a pause.] 
 The Chair hears none. 
 
 The question was taken, and the order was agreed to. 
 
 [6] 
 
Proceedings in the House 
 
 Sunday, February 23, 1913. 
 The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the 
 following prayer : 
 
 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the 
 end of the earth will I cry unto Thee when my heart is 
 overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 
 For Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower 
 from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever; 
 I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. 
 
 From time immemorial, O God our Father, men's 
 hearts have turned instinctively to Thee in great crises 
 for help, in sorrow and grief for comfort, in every con- 
 tingency for inspiration and guidance; so our hearts turn 
 to Thee as we assemble in memory of men who by faith- 
 ful service in State and Nation gained for themselves 
 the respect and confidence of the people, wrought well 
 among us, left the impress of their personality upon our 
 minds, and made a place for themselves in our hearts 
 which time nor space can erase. " For we know that if 
 our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we 
 have a building of God, an house not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens." 
 
 "We leave this and straightway enter another palace 
 of the King more grand and beautiful." 
 
 We mourn their going, but not without hope. We are 
 cast down but not overwhelmed, dismayed but not con- 
 founded. 
 
 For the love of God is broader 
 
 Than the measures of man's mind, 
 And the heart of the Eternal 
 Is most wonderfully kind. 
 
 Enter Thou O God our Father into the desolate homes 
 and bind up the bruised and broken hearts with the oil of 
 
 [7] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 Thy love, that they may look through their tears to the 
 rainbow of hope and follow on without fear and doubting 
 into that realm where all mysteries shall be solved, all 
 sorrows melted into joy, soul touch soul in an everlasting 
 communion, and eons of praise we will ever give to Thee, 
 in the spirit of the Lord Christ. Amen. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will read the Journal of the 
 proceedings of yesterday. 
 
 Mr. Morgan of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- 
 mous consent that the reading of the Journal be dispensed 
 with. 
 
 The Speaker. The gentleman from Louisiana asks 
 unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the 
 Journal. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The 
 Chair hears none. Without objection, the Journal will 
 stand approved. 
 
 There was no objection. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will report the order of busi- 
 ness in reference to the Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, 
 late a Representative from California. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 On motion of Mr. Nccdham, by unanimous consent, 
 
 Ordered, That Sunday, February 23, 1913, be set apart for 
 
 addresses upon the life, character, and public services of Hon. 
 
 Sylvesteii Clark Smith, late a Representative from the State of 
 
 California. 
 
 The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 House resolution 865 
 
 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended 
 thai opportunity may be given for tribute to the memory of 
 Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Member of this House from 
 the State of California. 
 
 [8] 
 
Proceedings in the House 
 
 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 memorial exercises of 
 the 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 resolution was unanimously agreed to. 
 
 [9] 
 

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 Address of Mr. Needham, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Sylvester Clark Smith was born on 
 a farm near Mount Pleasant, Iowa, August 26, 1858, and 
 died in Hollywood, Cal., Sunday, January 26, 1913. His 
 grandfather was Sylvester Smith, a native of New Eng- 
 land, and his father, Edward Smith, was a native of New 
 York. The father moved, first, to Ohio, and then to Illi- 
 nois, and in 1835 settled in Iowa, where he raised a family 
 of five sons and three daughters. 
 
 Sylvester Clark Smith, whose memory we honor to- 
 day, moved to California in 1879 when 21 years old and 
 taught school in Colusa County, where he married, on 
 May 7, 1882, Miss Maria J. Hart. The winter of 1882 and 
 1883 was spent in San Francisco studying law. The fol- 
 lowing summer, in 1883, he moved to Kern County, where 
 he continued to teach school and study law. In October, 
 1885, he was admitted to the bar and opened a law office 
 in Rakersfield, the county seat of Kern County. 
 
 In 1886 a number of farmers bought a newspaper plant 
 and established a paper for the purpose of presenting 
 their views on the question of water rights, which was 
 then a burning issue in our State, and especially in Kern 
 County, and Mr. Smith was selected as editor of the 
 paper — the Kern County Echo. Three years later he 
 purchased the paper and plant and continued to be its 
 principal owner until the date of his death. 
 
 From the date that he became a citizen of Kern County 
 he was one of the most active and influential residents 
 
 [11] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 of his county, and was always an active and influential 
 factor in all public questions affecting its welfare. He 
 took up a homestead in the county and rode horseback 
 between his home and his business in Bakersfield. He 
 was a member of the local militia. Company G, and 
 served during the railroad strike in 1894. 
 
 In 1894 he was nominated by the Republican Party for 
 the State senate in the district comprising Kern and San 
 Luis Obispo Counties, and was elected, although the dis- 
 trict was strongly against him politically. He immedi- 
 ately took high rank in the legislature as an independent, 
 fearless, and able legislator. In the State senate, which 
 was composed of some of the ablest men of California, 
 he became a leader and was acknowledged to be one of 
 the best debaters in that body. He was reelected in 1898, 
 and his second term in the State senate was one of great 
 usefulness to the State. He stood for the best in legis- 
 lation, and his entire course in the State Senate of Cali- 
 fornia was one of great credit to himself, his party, and 
 his district, and, in fact, to the whole State. 
 
 He was nominated for Congress in 1904 from the eighth 
 district of California by his party, and was elected, and 
 reelected in 1906, 1908, and 1910. 
 
 His service in this body is still fresh in the minds of 
 those who served with him. From the first he took high 
 rank here, and his progress was rapid. He obtained the 
 confidence of the Members from the beginning; he was 
 early recognized by the leaders of the House as a man of 
 more than ordinary ability and capacity, and was singled 
 out for recognition, honors, and leadership. When he 
 spoke he always had the undivided attention of the 
 membership. His clear, musical voice rang out and filled 
 this Chamber and riveted attention. Any disorder which 
 might have prevailed immediately ceased from the mo- 
 ment he addressed the Speaker. He was not a large man 
 
 [12] 
 
Address of Mr. Needham, of California 
 
 physically, yet his voice was so penetrating and his man- 
 ner of speech so incisive, his argument so clear and sin- 
 cere, that those within hearing could not fail to listen 
 and follow him. 
 
 During his services in the House he was honored with 
 membership on the Committees on Public Lands, the Post 
 Office and Post Roads, Labor, and Education, and was 
 one of the first to be chosen to the Rules Committee when 
 the House determined to elect this committee. He was 
 also a member of the Monetary Commission until ill 
 health compelled him to resign. On the Committee on 
 Public Lands he rendered conspicuous service, being an 
 authority upon and a deep student of the public-lands 
 question. His most conspicuous accomplishments while 
 in this body were the obtaining of an appropriation of 
 $1,000,000 to control the Colorado River and the passage 
 of the Smith bill, which was a bill to remedy the effect 
 of a decision known as the " yard decision " upon oil 
 canals — legislation of the most vital and far-reaching im- 
 portance to his constituents. 
 
 Representative Smith was a man of supreme courage; 
 he had his convictions and resolutely held to them. He 
 would not compromise for the sake of temporary popu- 
 larity. He at all times, whether in his paper, on the 
 stump, or in legislative hall, would maintain and defend 
 his convictions. He hated and despised a political trim- 
 mer. At no time in his career would he surrender his 
 views to curry favor or gain popular applause. 
 
 He was supremely loyal to the community in which he 
 lived; no labor was too great to advance its best interests. 
 He was constantly planning for its betterment and was 
 full of ideas for its improvement and growth. 
 
 He was greatly attached to his work as a Member of 
 this House. He enjoyed his work here, and here he 
 found a field suitable to his tastes and talents. Long 
 
 [13] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 after ill health had made it apparent to his friends that 
 he must give up his activities here, he refused to cease 
 his labors, and his determined devotion to duty shortened 
 his life. 
 
 I first became acquainted with Mr. Smith while he was 
 serving his first term in the State senate, about the year 
 1897. Our relations became intimate after he became a 
 Member of this House. We occupied adjoining rooms in 
 the House Office Building. We generally walked home 
 together daily upon the adjournment of the House, and 
 we became strong personal friends. His family and my 
 family enjoyed an intimate association. 
 
 His death to me is like the passing of a near relative, 
 and there are but few men whose going would cause the 
 same sense of personal loss. 
 
 Some years ago he requested me to see to it that in the 
 event of his death while a Member of this body no com- 
 mittee be appointed to attend his funeral. This request 
 was characteristic of the man and typical of his simple 
 and unostentatious life; free, as it ever was, of all pomp. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, this Congress has lost by death a large 
 number of its membership, but in the long list of de- 
 parted colleagues none more faithfully represented his 
 constituency than did Sylvester Clark Smith, of Cali- 
 fornia. He died in the very noontide of his life — he was 
 cut off at the very height of his abilities — at a time when 
 by reason of his experience his State could ill afford to 
 spare him. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, my association with my late colleague 
 was so close that it is difficult for me to speak impartially 
 of his life, character, and public services. Upon the oc- 
 casion of his funeral, in Bakersfield, his home city, there 
 was an immense throng from all walks of life gathered 
 to do honor to their most distinguished fellow citizen and 
 to pay their last sad tribute to the memory of one they all 
 
 [14] 
 
Address of Mr. Needham, of California 
 
 loved and honored in life and mourned in death. It was 
 a tribute that will long be remembered by the citizens of 
 Kern County, and worthy of all those who participated in 
 the loving remembrance in honor of Kern County's lead- 
 ing citizen. 
 
 Sylvester Clark Smith is dead, and we shall miss his 
 cheery voice and his always pleasant personality; his 
 friends, while cast down, still are proud of his life and 
 its accomplishments, for the world is better because of 
 his life. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to print as sup- 
 plementary to my remarks addresses delivered upon the 
 occasion of his funeral by Rev. E. R. Fuller and Hon. J. W. 
 Wiley. 
 
 The Speaker. Is there objection? The Chair hears 
 none. 
 
 The addresses are as follows: 
 
 Funeral Oration by Rev. E. R. Fuller 
 
 To-day we are met on a mission at once most sad and most 
 sacred. At every step of my preparation I have met troops of 
 thronging memories that sweep across the field of the last 15 
 years — years fraught with larger meaning than we are apt to 
 think. 
 
 " Every character is the joint product of nature and nurture." 
 How much of good and evil we inherit — not merely from parents, 
 but from a long line of ancestors! Who shall estimate the power 
 wrapped in the spirit of a newborn babe, forces the germs of 
 which are transmitted from generation to generation? Nature, 
 thrifty and provident, gathers up these fragments that nothing 
 be lost and rearranges them in new character combinations. 
 Thus each child is the " heir of all the ages." But however much 
 we inherit, nurture to us is the more important, since it is under 
 our direction and control. 
 
 Sylvester Clark Smith was born August 26, 1858, on a farm 
 in Iowa. His mother died when he was but 8 years old. Yet her 
 splendid Christian influence in those early years was a prime 
 
 11357°— 14 2 [15] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 factor in molding his sterling character. He was trained in the 
 district school and a local academy. At 18 he began teaching to 
 better fit himself for life. At 21 he came to California. Four 
 years later (in the summer of 1883) he came to Kern County and 
 settled in this city in December, 1885, which has since been his 
 home. 
 
 During the first six years in California he taught school and 
 studied law in Colusa, San Francisco, Ventura, and Kern Counties. 
 He claimed as his bride Miss Maria J. Hart, who has been such 
 an efficient helpmeet. Of this union two daughters have blessed 
 and brightened the home — Mrs. E. S. Larsen, of Washington, D. C, 
 and Mrs. A. W. Mason, of this city. 
 
 Kern County is still considered one of the newest and most 
 undeveloped of all the counties of this great State. But when Mr. 
 Smith brought his family here it had but one resident where 
 now it has five, and financially, educationally, and religiously the 
 contrast was even greater. His course was over a rough road in 
 this new West, but difficulties are not necessarily disadvantages. 
 In his case the necessity to work was joined with a capacity and 
 determination to work in things that were a succession of solid 
 stepping-stones to a higher destiny. 
 
 Personally I am persuaded that the improved conditions that 
 we enjoy have been made possible in no small measure by the 
 clean, public-spirited young school-teacher who came to this 
 county in 1883. For 30 years he has given himself without 
 reserve as teacher, lawyer, editor, State senator, and Congress- 
 man, and true friend to this, his chosen county. To this city 
 and county he has given his best. When not on duty elsewhere, 
 here was where he longed to be. His last thoughts on the evening 
 before he rested from his labors were as to how he could help 
 better the moral conditions in this city. He had a passion for 
 doing good. He never found it necessary to make war upon 
 society in order to capture a field for the exercise of his splendid 
 powers. Bring your choicest flowers to his bier, but fail not 
 to carry away the lessons of his life — " the flower of manhood 
 and the wreath of honor." 
 
 Fair, fearless, independent, capable, he has stood steadfastly for 
 betterment of every kind. His principles were noble, his ambi- 
 tions lofty, his spirit and poise fine. His sainted mother builded 
 well, for this her son was alive with a simple, sincere Christian 
 faith and a purpose high and holy. He loved the church well 
 
 [16] 
 
Funeral Oration by Rev. E. R. Fuller 
 
 and was generous in its support. One of the last letters he dic- 
 tated and signed was to urge better church equipment and to 
 pledge his full cooperation. 
 
 In his lingering sickness he was patient and gracious to the 
 last. When a caller asked if he suffered, he would say, " The 
 Lord is very good to me, for I do not suffer. I am just comfort- 
 ably sick." As Paul wrote (Titus i, 18), "Given to hospitality, 
 a lover of good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled." The 
 fitting text a close friend chose was this, " Not slothful in busi- 
 ness, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." (Romans xii, 11.) 
 
 Aside from his perfect candor, nothing impressed me more 
 than his splendid mastery of himself. I have seen him under 
 very trying circumstances, but I never saw him lose his self-con- 
 trol. This may explain in part how, even when under the strain 
 of public life at Washington, he found time to respond to every 
 earnest, honest appeal, whether it was that of a Chinaman with 
 visions of wealth through a patent or a schoolboy wanting help 
 in debate. Each time he was prompt, thorough, painstaking, 
 often writing many pages in reply. 
 
 Remember, friends, it is Congressman Smith, and not ex-Con- 
 gressman. He fell with his armor on. Never was mind more 
 alert or heart more responsive to every worthy cause. Never 
 has his honor been impeached or his reputation sullied by charges 
 of corruption. 
 
 Suffice it to say he never brought 
 
 His conscience to the public mart, 
 But lived himself the truth he taught, 
 
 White-souled, clean-handed, pure of heart. 
 
 By means of mails and messages he kept to the very last in 
 closest touch with matters in general, yet more especially here in 
 Bakersfield and in Washington. On that last day a public docu- 
 ment called to his attention the fact that 16 Members of this 
 Sixty-first Congress had died. Before the sun had risen he was 
 the seventeenth. 
 
 Such are some of my wandering thoughts in the face of this 
 our sorrow. 
 
 To these loved ones our hearts go out in deepest sympathy. 
 But, oh, the weakness of words. The memory of loved ones gone 
 should be a tower of strength. What they achieved and aspired 
 
 [17] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 to should nerve us to meet worthily the present. What an 
 anodyne of grief are rightly cherished memories. What a solemn 
 pride must these dear ones feel to have laid so great an offering 
 on the altar of civic betterment. 
 
 A good man's influence is felt by multitudes. It is not limited 
 to this life, but reaches onward to the eternal future. Virtue is 
 not only an antidote for life's greatest evils, but it is the chief 
 measure of present enjoyment. It secures the approval of one's 
 conscience, harmony of one's faculties and affections, the regard 
 of one's fellow men, and hope beyond the grave. His life is an 
 inspiration, a breath of new life, of quickening, purifying, and 
 elevating power. Forget not that as we exhibit the virtues of 
 faithfulness we embalm his memory and pay him our best 
 tribute. 
 
 Not many great, not many mighty have gone forth- from this 
 city to worthily advance State and National honor. To-day we 
 pay tribute to a child of the prairie, who came to us in the prime 
 of young manhood. The blood of the Pilgrims flowed in his 
 veins. In a simple, yet sublime, spirit he climbed by sterling 
 worth and indomitable courage to a prominent place in the 
 Nation's council chambers. This friend and neighbor that we 
 had learned to love and trust went from us that he might serve 
 us and all humanity better. 
 
 Human hopes and human creeds 
 Have their root in human needs. 
 
 Humble child of the prairie, laborer, teacher, lawyer, politician, 
 orator, statesman, true Christian, and true man, we receive and 
 will cherish the lessons of thy life. We are grateful to thee that 
 thou wast true to thyself, to us, and to thy Maker; grateful also 
 to that Providence that endowed and led and consecrated thee 
 to the sacred cause of civic righteousness. Dead, do they say? 
 Nay, that can not be. Thou resteth from thy labors, but livest 
 unfettered a more abundant life. 
 
 Eulogy Delivered by Judge J. W. Wiley 
 
 This occasion brings us together in sorrow and pride. Although 
 death is as common as life, it ever brings sorrow as deep as was 
 our friendship, love, gratitude, and esteem in life. The sorrow 
 
 181 
 
Eulogy by Judge J. W. Wiley 
 
 and esteem are more eloquently manifested by this multitude of 
 sad faces than words at my command can express. Yet de- 
 pressed as we are we are filled with pride that the distinguished 
 dead, in whose honor and memory resolutions have been passed 
 on both shores of this Nation, was our dear friend and neighbor. 
 He was one of us. He worked and toiled and suffered with us 
 in our undertakings; he sympathized with us in our failures and 
 rejoiced with us in our successes. It is fitting and proper for 
 the National Congress, the State legislature, the commercial and 
 civic bodies of other communities to give expression of their high 
 esteem and appreciation of his worth as a public man, but we 
 knew him by the shake of the hand, the kindly smile, the neigh- 
 borly acts of kindness, and his words of good cheer. We were 
 and are proud of his successes in public life because he won 
 them on merit. He asked no odds, he claimed no preference. 
 Think not you, however, that his career has been one of easy 
 victories and triumphal marches. On the contrary, he bore the 
 cross before he wore the crown. He was chastened by fire. 
 While he never felt the pinch of poverty, his early life was one 
 of toil and self-denial. He once said to me: "I had to learn how 
 to be poor." He began at the bottom with nothing to aid him 
 but his own individuality. He realized and appreciated as a 
 maxim that he would be accepted at what his own efforts and 
 trials of character made him. His industry, his devotion to duty, 
 his high standard of morals, both public and private, and a 
 patient continuity of purpose constituted the elements of his 
 success. As editor of the Kern County Echo, since 1888, he has 
 been identified with the public affairs of this community. Turn 
 back to the old files of the Echo and you will find him advocating 
 and suggesting plans and schemes for the betterment and general 
 welfare of Bakersfield and Kern County. Bakersfield was not in- 
 corporated as a city until 1898, but you will find in these editorial 
 columns that the deceased had been consistently and continuously 
 arguing and pleading for a municipal government for many 
 years. Those of you who were citizens of Bakersfield at the time 
 need not be told of his activities in promoting the San Joaquin 
 Valley Railroad, which is now a part of the Santa Fe system. He 
 was active in organizing the local board of trade, and became its 
 president. Later he promoted the San Joaquin Valley Commercial 
 Association and became its executive head. 
 
 [19] 
 
Memorial Addresses : Representative Smith 
 
 IN STATE SENATE 
 
 In the State senate, by virtue of his clearness of insight and 
 quick perception, his power of discrimination and ability as a 
 debater readily won him recognition and leadership. I have 
 known many of his colleagues in the senate, and the esteem and 
 respect in which he is held by them is a priceless legacy to those 
 who hold his memory dear. To speak in detail of the measures 
 and policies he initiated and brought into law as a member of 
 the State senate would extend beyond proper limitations. 
 
 But some deserve mention. His greatest pride in his legislative 
 achievement was the establishment of the California Polytechnic 
 School, at San Luis Obispo. His theory of life was that every 
 person who was honest and industrious and frugal should be 
 able to establish and maintain a home, rear a family, and com- 
 fortably house, clothe, and feed them, educate them, have time 
 to enjoy their society, and accumulate a competency for the in- 
 firmities of old age. To bring this about he believed that labor 
 should be rendered more efficient and less irksome. To do this 
 the followers of industrial pursuits should be educated and 
 trained to their respective pursuits. To this problem he gave his 
 early attention as a legislator. At his first session, in 1895, he got 
 the measure passed in the senate, but failed in the assembly. In 
 1897 it passed both houses, but was vetoed by the governor. Ses- 
 sion after session he labored for the measure, and it finally be- 
 came a law in 1901 and the school was established. The object 
 of the institution may be quoted from the law establishing it: 
 " The purpose of this school is to furnish to young people of both 
 sexes mental and manual training in the arts and sciences, in- 
 cluding agriculture, mechanics, engineering, business methods, 
 domestic economy, and such other branches as will fit the stu- 
 dents for the nonprofessional walks of life. This act shall be 
 liberally construed, to the end that the school established hereby 
 may at all times contribute to the industrial welfare of the State 
 of California." 
 
 In 1904 he was elected to the House of Representatives in Con- 
 gress from the eighth congressional district of California. 
 
 CONGRESSIONAL CAREER 
 
 Of his achievements in Congress I would mention his securing 
 an appropriation of $2,000,000 to protect the settlers in Imperial 
 Valley from the ravages of the Colorado River. In 1911, when 
 
 [20] 
 
Eulogy by Judge J. W. Wiley 
 
 death seemed impending, he secured, against determined oppo- 
 sition, the passage of what is called the Smith bill, whereby the 
 investors in located oil land were saved from the effect of a 
 decision of the Department of the Interior that threatened and 
 jeopardized investments of millions of dollars in the oil lands of 
 this country. 
 
 In 1908 he was appointed as a member of a joint committee 
 from the Senate and House of Representatives on what is known 
 as the National Monetary Commission. This was his highest 
 recognition in public life. He had then served in Congress less 
 than two terms, and was selected as one of nine from the total 
 membership of the House of Representatives to collaborate and 
 devise a monetary system that would better meet the needs and 
 requirements of the complexities of our financial conditions. 
 From this commission he was compelled to resign two years later 
 by declining health. One of his first efforts after becoming a 
 Member of Congress was to introduce a bill looking to the con- 
 struction of a Federal post-office building in Bakersfield. In 1910 
 he secured an appropriation of $20,000 for a site, and there is 
 now included in the proposed general appropriation bill of Con- 
 gress a recommendation by the Public Buildings Committee for 
 the appropriation of $135,000 for the erection of a post-office 
 building at Bakersfield. That the appropriation will be made is 
 practically assured, and we may confidently hope to see the 
 edifice stand in the near future as a monument to his efforts in 
 behalf of his home city. 
 
 With this brief recital of a few of the more salient events in 
 the career of our friend and neighbor, our thoughts are turned 
 by the hand of death from history into the field of speculation. 
 We may, in reason, believe that had he been given the average 
 allotment of life, had he been permitted to enjoy the twilight of 
 old age, he could have reviewed a career marked by achievements 
 greater and more distinguished than those we here commemorate. 
 But such was not to be. His sun went down at noon, leaving the 
 harvest half gathered. But we are left more than a memory. 
 We have another demonstration that the cherished hopes of the 
 founders of this Government have been realized. It is a saying, 
 far too common, that the poor man or the child of obscurity is 
 here without opportunity or possibility of progress. Congress- 
 man Smith has proved that by industry, by fidelity to duty, hon- 
 esty of purpose, and courage in defeat and disappointment the 
 
 [21] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 child of obscurity may achieve fame and recognition. But his 
 courage was not that of the bulldog. It was the courage of his 
 convictions, that could stand in the face of temptation or threat- 
 ened defeat. These elements of success are not peculiar to the 
 statesman, but apply to every vocation known to civilization and 
 have no exceptions. Take any merchant, any professional man, 
 or any mechanic who has won distinction in his vocation and you 
 will find one who has traveled the road from the bottom. 
 
 A MAN OF THE PLAIN PEOPLE 
 
 But in the everyday walks of life he was at his best. His hand 
 was ever ready to do charity, but always without ostentation. 
 His charity was not limited to giving alms but was based in a 
 broad and deep human sympathy. Did anyone need work? 
 Smith would find time to help him get a job. Did a stranger 
 come within our gates? Smith would give him the glad hand 
 of welcome and make him feel at home. In the hour of his 
 triumph he seemed to cling the more closely to the old friends 
 in adversity. Their companionship was ever welcome and he 
 seemed happiest when they were gathered round his board 
 enjoying his hospitality. He had self-confidence, but it was 
 never tainted with bigotry or egotism. He was democratic in 
 the purest sense. 
 
 As a guest, who may not stay 
 Long and sad farewells to say, 
 Glides with smiling face away. 
 
 Of the sweetness and the zest 
 Of thy happy life possessed 
 Thou hast left us at thy best. 
 
 Now that thou hast gone away, 
 What is left of one to say 
 Who was open as the day? 
 
 What is there to gloss or shun? 
 Save with kindly voices none 
 Speak thy name beneath the sun. 
 
 [22] 
 
Eulogy by Judge J. W. Wiley 
 
 Safe thou art on every side; 
 Friendship nothing finds to hide; 
 Love's demand is satisfied. 
 
 Over manly strength and worth, 
 At thy desk of toil, or hearth, 
 Played the lambent flame of mirth. 
 
 Mirth that lit, but never burned; 
 All thy blame to pity turned; 
 Hatred thou hadst never learned. 
 
 Every harsh and vexing thing 
 At thy home fire lost its sting; 
 Where thou wast was always spring. 
 
 And thy perfect trust in good, 
 Faith in man and womanhood, 
 Chance and change and time withstood. 
 
 Small respect for cant and whine, 
 Bigot's zeal and hate's malign 
 Had that sunny soul of thine. 
 
 [23] 
 
Address of Mr. Mondell, of Wyoming 
 
 Mr. Speaker: It was my good fortune to be intimately 
 acquainted and to sustain pleasant friendly relations with 
 Sylvester Clark Smith during his entire service in the 
 House of Representatives. Coming from the same region 
 of the country, serving on the same committee, and hold- 
 ing to a considerable extent like views on many public 
 questions, it was natural that the acquaintance that 
 formed should ripen into a friendship which continued 
 to the close of Mr. Smith's service here. 
 
 Few men whom I have met during my service in this 
 body have impressed me as our late colleague did with 
 the intense earnestness of his character and the stead- 
 fastness of his opinion. He was not only a man of strong 
 convictions, but he possessed to a marked degree the 
 courage to back up and express his opinions and convic- 
 tions under any and all circumstances. In every walk 
 of life men are constantly under temptation to compro- 
 mise views and opinions and to withhold emphatic 
 expression of them when they are not in harmony with 
 the views of those with whom they associate or with local 
 or general public opinion. Within reasonable bounds it 
 is not a sign of weakness, and it is entirely proper, for 
 one to yield to such influences. In order to secure results 
 and make headway it is frequently necessary for us to 
 somewhat compromise our extreme views and opinions. 
 It is not only a gracious concession, it is often the part 
 of wisdom to refrain from over-emphasizing views that 
 may be offensive or obnoxious to others. But all this 
 must be within reason, for one should never compromise 
 on a matter of principle, and a disposition of ready com- 
 
 [24] 
 
Address of Mr. Mondell, of Wyoming 
 
 promise on matters of policy may entirely defeat our 
 usefulness. 
 
 Our departed friend was one of those who seldom un- 
 wisely yielded to a compromise of his views and opinions. 
 Always thorough, honest, and painstaking in his investi- 
 gation of questions and problems, his opinions with regard 
 to them when finally formed were so firm, steadfast, and 
 sincere that he maintained them as emphatically and 
 valiantly among those holding different views, and at a 
 time when other views were popular, as he did when his 
 opinion was the prevalent one and therefore easy to 
 maintain. Mr. Smith had a world of good qualities — he 
 was fair and faithful, just and reasonable, but above all 
 things he was sincere in his convictions and fearless and 
 persistent in maintaining them. 
 
 Those who have been long in public life, who realize 
 how great is the temptation to timeserving, to drift along 
 with a wave of popular sentiment, or through hypocrisy 
 and demagoguery to advance it, can not fail to have a 
 high regard and a sincere admiration for those qualities 
 of honest}' and sincerity of opinion and expression which 
 characterized him in whose honor we are gathered here 
 to-day. No period of Mr. Smith's life illustrated his real 
 courage better than the last months, when he maintained 
 his courage and a large degree of cheerfulness in the face 
 of increasing certainty that his days were numbered. I 
 have counted it one of the most cherished experiences of 
 my service here that I have acquired and retained the 
 friendship of this honest, just, and steadfast man. The 
 recollection of his virtues will be a comfort to all those 
 who mourn him and an inspiration to all who knew him. 
 
 [25] 
 
Address of Mr. Knowland, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: My first acquaintance with Congressman 
 Smith dates back to 1899, 14 years ago, when I entered 
 the lower branch of the Legislature of the State of Cali- 
 fornia. He was then a member of the State senate, in 
 which body he served for eight years. He had the repu- 
 tation of being one of the most able fighters in either 
 branch of the legislature, a characteristic which distin- 
 guished him throughout his public career and which he 
 manifested up to the very last in his heroic struggle 
 against death. 
 
 I recall having passed through the assembly a bill in 
 which I was particularly interested, providing against 
 home study for children under a certain age, and the 
 prospect that this bill was likely to become a law filled 
 my young heart with pride. The day of its considera- 
 tion by the senate I walked over to that chamber con- 
 vinced that the members of that body would appreciate 
 its many meritorious provisions. It was one of my first 
 bills, and every legislator appreciates how wrapped up 
 we may become in the first measure we father. Senator 
 Smith rose in his seat and proceeded to vigorously 
 attack certain features of my measure, and no doubt he 
 was right, being largely instrumental in bringing about 
 its defeat, although a reconsideration was later had and 
 the bill passed. When the roll call disclosed the defeat 
 of my pet bill, young and inexperienced as I then was, I 
 convinced myself that Smith and I could never be friends. 
 But I soon grew to admire and respect him, and later, 
 when we joined issue in a contest before the legislature 
 to bring about the defeat of one candidate for United 
 
 [26] 
 
Address of Mr. Knowland, of California 
 
 States Senator and the election of another, we hecame 
 friends, which friendship grew when he entered this body 
 at the beginning of the Fifty-ninth Congress. 
 
 As a State senator Smith was active and effective. He 
 was deeply interested in the introduction of manual train- 
 ing in the schools of his State. It was largely through 
 his efforts that the State polytechnic school at San Luis 
 Obispo was erected. Smith was a thorn in the side of 
 every lobbyist who attempted to slip through the legisla- 
 ture an apparently harmless bill which contained hidden 
 away somewhere what is frequently termed a " bug." 
 He would find the objectionable language and point out 
 its baneful effect when others had failed to discover any- 
 thing wrong in an apparent^ innocent bill. 
 
 Sylvester Smith early developed those traits of char- 
 acter so essential to success in public life. His word was 
 always good. He never hesitated to declare where he 
 stood. He fought fairly but always vigorously. His 
 judgment was sound. When the House Office Building 
 was completed and we selected offices, Smith and I occu- 
 pied adjoining rooms. I consulted with him frequently, 
 for he was 15 years my senior, and I always found his 
 advice to be sound. 
 
 The Morning Echo, published in Bakersfield, Cal., 
 which paper Smith edited and controlled, was a paper 
 widely read and quoted throughout the State, because of 
 its able editorials. Its opinions were sound, although not 
 always following public sentiment in California, which 
 within recent years has been somewhat variable. The 
 paper was always independent and courageous, like its 
 able editor. His physical courage was illustrated many 
 years ago when there came into the Echo office a man 
 with a revolver in one hand and a clipping from the 
 paper in the other, the gun being leveled at Smith's head. 
 A demand was made that the editor retract. Smith 
 
 [27] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 coolly told one of his men to phone for the sheriff, and 
 continued to write at his desk. 
 
 In life we too frequently see striking examples of at- 
 tempts to place round men in square holes, or the reverse. 
 I am of the opinion that in legislative life particularly 
 no man is a success unless he possesses a special liking 
 for the work. Smith had a special aptitude for legis- 
 lative work. I remember the last time he came into this 
 Chamber, and after I had helped him from his carriage 
 to his seat, that he said to me, with just a tinge of sadness 
 in his voice: 
 
 Knowland, I wish I was able to stay here. I like the work 
 and the opportunity it gives one to keep in touch with public 
 affairs. It is worth while. 
 
 Smith was successful here because he loved the work. 
 He was not only interested in legislation, but he enjoyed 
 the game of politics. He did not become easily discour- 
 aged, as do many men who enter this body, because he 
 could not upset existing conditions and reform the coun- 
 try in a day. He worked hard. His career gives the lie 
 to the contention that a man succeeds here largely 
 through luck. It is no more true here than elsewhere. 
 A man succeeds here because of work — constant work 
 and close attention to duties. 
 
 Congressman Smith's ability and aptitude for work 
 were recognized by the House leaders, and he was given 
 some of the best committee assignments of any Member 
 from the Pacific coast. He was a member of the Commit- 
 tee on Rules, at that time looked upon as one of the most, 
 if not the most, important of the House committees. He 
 was also a member of Committees on the Public Lands and 
 the Post Office and Post Roads. Smith was responsible 
 for much legislation of value to his State and country. He 
 was a member of the National Monetary Commission. 
 As a member of the Public Lands Committee he never 
 
 [28] 
 
Address of Mr. Knowland, of California 
 
 hesitated to freely and publicly criticize policies of the de- 
 partment which he believed to be wrong and not in the 
 interest of the people of his State. 
 
 Congressman Smith was not easily carried off his feet. 
 He held convictions which took more than temporary 
 waves of public sentiment which sweep across the country 
 to change. He loved a fight, and I believe he would 
 rather at any time have addressed a hostile audience 
 than one which held opinions similar to his. 
 
 When the insidious disease which later carried him off 
 first manifested itself his colleagues pleaded with him to 
 go home, where the balmy climate might have effected a 
 cure in those early stages of the disease. But he would 
 not go. As long as he could stand upon his feet he in- 
 sisted on working. There was so much to do that he did 
 not feel that he could leave. Like the good soldier he 
 remained at his post of duty as long as his physical 
 strength permitted. 
 
 Occasions like this to-day are sufficiently sad when we 
 meet to mourn the loss of those called after the shadows 
 of evening have gathered, when the sun is sinking beneath 
 the horizon, and when the storms and struggles of life are 
 over and the peace and quiet of advancing age have stolen 
 into the heart But in this instance we feel more keenly 
 the loss, perhaps, because we have assembled to pay lov- 
 ing tribute to one called in the noontime of his useful- 
 ness, when the sun was shining high in the heavens and 
 when hope was in the heart, strength in the arm, and 
 courage in the soul. The calling of one in the full vigor 
 of his manhood causes the uncertainty of life to loom up 
 before us. 
 
 Sylvester Smith possessed a happy disposition. He 
 was an optimist. He had no patience with the pessimist. 
 He was happy and contented because he sought to cheer 
 and brighten the lives of those with whom he came in 
 
 [29] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 contact. He leaves the heritage of a pure and upright 
 life. He possessed character, and nothing is more im- 
 portant or essential. In his death California has lost a 
 valuable citizen and an experienced legislator. Well 
 could he approach the mysterious change calmly, bravely, 
 cheerfully, and with a consciousness of duty faithfully 
 performed, for he had lived an upright and honest life. 
 The California delegation will greatly miss him. 
 
 Mr. Needham at this point assumed the chair as Speaker 
 pro tempore. 
 
 [30] 
 
 ! 
 
Address of Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Mr. Smith, the subject of to-day's me- 
 morial, represented the southwest corner district in the 
 United States. He lived in the country of the orange and 
 lemon, near the coast on the west of California, in a local- 
 ity where frost is seldom found and ice is almost un- 
 known excepting on the mountains, whose lofty peaks 
 are continuously snow-capped and in full sight from the 
 plains of green, which are covered with tropical growth. 
 
 Mr. Smith pursued the course so common to the pro- 
 fessional and official classes. Reared on a farm, he after- 
 wards taught school and became a lawyer, following the 
 avocations engaged in by many of the men who now oc- 
 cupy place amongst us. Mr. Smith, however, later en- 
 gaged in journalism, and his first venture was in the 
 locality in which he lived. He was chosen editor of a 
 small weekly paper for the purpose of forwarding a 
 certain movement, but his paper so prospered that later 
 it developed into a splendid country weekly, and finally 
 into a daily publication which exerted quite an influence 
 in molding sentiment in his district. 
 
 I knew Mr. Smith quite well here, and found him to be 
 an honest and courageous man. He had decided convic- 
 tions which sometimes made him appear to be biased 
 in his judgments, but I do not believe that his sincerity 
 of purpose could be questioned. I knew him not as a 
 partisan in politics, but as a business Representative. My 
 work with him was in postal matters, where there is 
 little room for partisanship to assert itself. He proved 
 himself there to be a useful investigator after truth and 
 a man with a purpose — that of endeavoring to ascertain 
 
 11357°— 14 3 [31] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 what was most beneficial to the people in the matter of 
 maintenance, continuance, and enlargement of our splen- 
 did postal service. 
 
 How strangely different men reach the end of life's 
 work! Our colleagues frequently die suddenly or after 
 short illnesses, but Mr. Smith knew for many months 
 that the disease preying upon him would never lose its 
 grasp. The angel of death in his case gave every warn- 
 ing of its approach and every step of its unwelcome com- 
 ing was duly considered. Occasionally men are found 
 who shudder at the thought of dissolution. Others ap- 
 proach the end with calmness and serenity and make 
 their exit with as little disturbance as if they were called 
 to step across a tiny brook, while a few appear to even 
 rejoice at the prospect of a change. To them life seems 
 irksome and death the goal desired. 
 
 Over 3,000 miles away, under the same sun which 
 shines upon us here, lie the mortal remains of Sylvester 
 Clark Smith, but the spirit which left its earthly habita- 
 tion lives and is meeting the reward of his life service in 
 this beautiful world. The earthly ties which bound him 
 to those about him are severed, but love for him and 
 friendly feeling were not buried with his body, but live 
 to bless and revere his memory. His friends will miss 
 him, because they knew and appreciated his worth. 
 
 Mr. Smith was not reckoned amongst the great leaders 
 of the House, but belonged to that working class which is 
 expected to delve into and work out the plans of others. 
 While not the pliant tool of anyone, he was subject 
 always to the direction of his party. He was truly a par- 
 tisan, but a patriot as well. He believed that the good 
 of the country could best be conserved through the party 
 with which he was affiliated. There is a disposition at 
 present to drift away from party organization and con- 
 sider lightly party ties, but many of the best thinkers hold 
 
 [3S 
 
Address of Mr. Lloyd, of Missouri 
 
 to the belief that party organization and party success 
 are essential for the country's good. And this was the 
 view of Mr. Smith. 
 
 This life is a mystery. Man is here for a day and 
 passes away, He has in him the spirit of immortality. 
 How that can be and this body abandoned to the elements 
 of nature we can not tell. This is a life of hardship and 
 sorrow. With every source of comfort there seems to 
 come a corresponding sorrow. Earthly ties are formed, 
 love's fires kindled, friendship's charms are enjoyed while 
 men live, but only last for a time, for separations come, 
 bonds of affection are severed, family circles, the most 
 sacred, are cut asunder, and the most fearful afflictions 
 come whose intensity is measured by the strength of 
 the bonds of affection and interest. 
 
 Mr. Smith has gone, but his going has brought greatest 
 sorrow to those to whom he was most closely bound. 
 
 There is consolation in the thought that his life here 
 was a benediction and there is another life where re- 
 unions are perpetual, separations never come, and happi- 
 ness is fully enjoyed. 
 
 [33] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: It is altogether fitting that we should 
 upon an occasion of this kind call to mind and put into 
 permanent form in the Record of this House our pleasant 
 memories of our departed colleagues. Although they 
 have passed from the earth where this service can do them 
 no good, it can but stimulate in us who participate in it 
 the tenderest and noblest emotions. When a man has 
 faithfully served the people and added luster to member- 
 ship in this House, it should be a pleasing duty to bear 
 testimony to his honesty, fidelity, and ability. 
 
 I first met Sylvester Clark Smith at Sacramento about 
 the year 1899 when he was a member of the Senate of 
 California. He impressed me then as a man of great 
 energy and force of character, who had the deepest con- 
 victions upon most subjects and the courage to back them 
 up in debate on the floor of the senate. In 1905 I entered 
 the Fifty-ninth Congress with Mr. Smith, and a continu- 
 ous service with him as a Member of this House up to the 
 time of his death confirmed me in this first estimate of his 
 character. His service to his constituents was marked by 
 great zeal and industry in their interest, while at the same 
 time he took an active part in legislation not local in 
 character but which affected the whole people of the 
 Nation. Until disease began some two years ago to sap 
 his vitality and undermine his strength Mr. Smith's dis- 
 cussions of public questions upon this floor were most 
 able and illuminating. He never undertook to discuss a 
 question to which he had not given earnest and exhaus- 
 tive study. His speeches here were not frequent, but 
 
 [34] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 when he did speak he always had something to say that 
 was both interesting and instructive to his colleagues. 
 He never permitted himself to fill up the Record with 
 platitudes, vaporous nothings, errors, or technical objec- 
 tions, in order to impress his constituents with his great 
 activity as a leading Member of the House. Whenever he 
 spoke he had a high purpose to serve and never de- 
 scended to the tricks of the demagogue. While I fre- 
 quently did not agree with him on public questions, I here 
 and now cheerfully accord to him perfect honesty and 
 loyalty to what he believed to be the highest interests of 
 his country in the discharge of his duties as a Member of 
 this House. 
 
 Whatever faults Mr. Smith had, cowardice was not one 
 of them. That the things he believed and advocated 
 were unpopular seemed to make no difference to him. 
 He represented a constituency almost wholly rural. His 
 people, by a large majority, favored a large extension of 
 the parcel post, but this did not deter him from making 
 a strong speech against it and circulating it in his district. 
 He believed that the extensive enlargement and lowering 
 of rates proposed by those who advocated a parcel post 
 would sound the death knell of the retail merchant, and 
 especially of the small country merchant. He did not 
 believe that this result would be for the ultimate benefit 
 of the country people themselves. Therefore, regardless 
 of the political consequences to himself, he grimly en- 
 tered the war to prevent the result that he feared. Many 
 of us might well emulate this virtue of courage which he 
 exemplified to a marked degree. 
 
 But he has gone from us and from those he loved to 
 other scenes and associations. I think I am disclosing 
 no secret when I say that one of his bitterest thoughts 
 when he faced death was that he must give up his seat 
 
 [35] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 on this floor, with its pleasant association of friendships, 
 and must cease his activities in the intellectual and legis- 
 lative struggles of this great body, all of which was most 
 attractive to him and in all of which he found the keenest 
 enjoyment. Let us hope that his regrets at leaving the 
 earthly activities of his life may have disappeared in the 
 enjoyment of the realities of the heavenly kingdom. 
 
 When our friends leave us I like to try to forget the 
 pain of parting by projecting myself into the great be- 
 yond, as it were, and participating in the joy of the meet- 
 ing over there. I like to strive to realize that it is com- 
 paratively but a day in the future when each of us must 
 answer the call of the boatman and row over the waters 
 of the dark river to the beautiful shores upon the other 
 side. I love to think of the reuniting of those blessed 
 ties of love and friendship which are not fully severed by 
 death, but only interrupted for a little, waiting the time 
 when we, too, shall be called to take our places with the 
 great company in the beyond. Let thoughts like these 
 fill the hearts of those whom he loved and who loved him 
 and soften their grief and enable them to say, with the 
 poet: 
 
 When for me the silent oar 
 Parts the silent river, 
 
 And I stand upon the shore 
 Of the strange forever, 
 
 Shall I miss the loved and known? 
 
 Shall I vainly seek mine own? 
 
 Shall I vainly seek mine own? 
 
 Can the bonds that make us here 
 
 Know ourselves immortal 
 Drop away like foliage sere 
 
 At life's inner portal? 
 What is holiest below 
 Must forever live and grow, 
 Must forever live and grow. 
 
 [36] 
 
Address of Mr. Hayes, of California 
 
 He who plants within our hearts 
 
 All this deep affection, 
 Giving, when the form departs, 
 
 Fadeless recollection, 
 Will but clasp the unbroken chain 
 Closer when we meet again, 
 Closer when we meet again. 
 
 Therefore dread I not to go 
 
 O'er the silent river; 
 Death, thy hastening oar I know; 
 
 Bear me, thou life-giver, 
 Through the water to the shore 
 Where mine own have gone before, 
 Where mine own have gone before. 
 
 At this point the Speaker resumed the chair. 
 
 [37] 
 
Address of Mr. Kahn, of California 
 
 Mr. Speaker: I first met Sylvester Clark Smith when 
 he was a member of the Senate of the State of California, 
 in the early part of the year 1895, and from the day of 
 our first meeting to the day of his death I had learned 
 to honor, esteem, and respect him. He was a man who 
 held decided views, and resolutely stood by them once 
 he was convinced that he was right. He did not fear 
 political oblivion, even though constancy to a cherished 
 doctrine, the correctness of which he had decided for 
 himself, meant for him political oblivion. He took a 
 prominent part in the discussions that took place in the 
 State senate upon questions that were uppermost before 
 the people of his adopted State of California, and even 
 those who were opposed to him politically admired his 
 clearness of thought and his terseness of expression 
 whenever he debated any of these great public questions. 
 He witnessed a wonderful expansion of the various in- 
 dustries in his own section of California — the great San 
 Joaquin Valley — and was ever alert in safeguarding the 
 rights and protecting the interests of his immediate con- 
 stituency. He continued in the State Senate of California 
 for eight years, and in 1904 was elected to the Fifty-ninth 
 Congress. He soon acquired a commanding position in 
 this House. As a member of the Committee on the Public 
 Lands he was able to be of signal service to the West 
 and the Nation, He was familiar with the great prob- 
 lems affecting water and water rights; timber, mining, 
 and homestead entries; and subjects of cognate character, 
 problems in which the West is vitally interested. The 
 
 [38] 
 
Address of Mr. Kahn, of California 
 
 discovery of oil in Kern County, the county in which he 
 had made his home since 1883, gave a marvelous impetus 
 to the development of that section of California. This 
 discovery gave rise to problems that required Federal 
 legislation in their solution. He took an active part in 
 perfecting that legislation. 
 
 It was while he was a Member of Congress that the 
 question of the conservation of the great natural resources 
 of the Republic became prominent. While he believed 
 in conservation, he stuck tenaciously to the view that the 
 State in which the natural resources to be conserved were 
 located ought to be the beneficiary of the conservation 
 rather than the Federal Government. In uttering these 
 views he simply expressed the sentiment of the great ma- 
 jority of the residents of the Western States. His fellow 
 citizens believed that he was destined to a career of great 
 usefulness, not only for his own district, not only for the 
 State of California, but for the entire Nation. He was a 
 student and eagerly burned the midnight oil in order to 
 inform himself fully upon any subject that happened to 
 challenge the attention of the Nation for the time being. 
 He was a thinker and always drew his own deductions 
 and his own conclusions after he had fully studied any 
 particular question. Once having decided upon his 
 course, he followed it with determination to the very end. 
 
 It was a great shock to those who knew him when an- 
 nouncement was made that he was stricken with a fatal 
 malady and that his days on earth were numbered. He 
 lingered for nearly two years before the end came. To 
 the very last he had hoped that he might regain his 
 strength sufficiently to enable him again to take his seat 
 in this House and work for the welfare of those whom 
 he represented here. But it was ordained otherwise, and 
 on Sunday morning, January 26, 1913, he died in the very 
 
 [39] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 heart of the orange groves of southern California. His 
 honesty, his integrity, his ability, made him a host of 
 friends and admirers, and though the end was not unex- 
 pected they were all shocked to hear the sad news of his 
 passing. 
 
 In his death this House has lost an able, earnest, effec- 
 tive Member and the people of the State of California an 
 industrious, energetic, and capable Representative. 
 
 T40] 
 
Address of Mr. Pray, of Montana 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Almost every Sunday during the present 
 session memorial services have been held in the Hall of 
 Representatives for departed friends and colleagues. 
 
 It has often been said during the past few weeks that 
 death's harvest in the Sixty-second Congress has been 
 greater than in any previous Congress since the Civil War. 
 I do not know whether this statement is literally true or 
 not, but no one could fail to observe that during the 
 present session of Congress, in the midst of our official 
 activities and ambitious endeavors, the visitations of that 
 mysterious and unwelcome messenger have been more 
 frequent than at any other time in recent years. The 
 crape-covered desk, the wreath of flowers, the vacant 
 chair, and the absence of a familiar face all bear mute 
 testimony of his presence among us and likewise of the 
 pain and grief he has inflicted. 
 
 The ceremonial of sorrow this afternoon is in memory 
 of seven Senators and Representatives of the United 
 States, and many eloquent and impressive eulogies have 
 been delivered touching the life, character, and public 
 services of each one of these distinguished men. I can 
 not hope to add anything of worth to what has already 
 been said on this occasion, but I should feel that I am 
 wholly unappreciative of the deep friendship of one who 
 but a few weeks ago was an honored Member of this 
 House if I were to allow this opportunity to pass without 
 paying a last tribute of respect to the memory of the Hon. 
 Sylvester Clark Smith, who during four successive Con- 
 gresses held a high place in the confidence and esteem of 
 the Members of this important branch of the Federal 
 Government. 
 
 [41] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 He had been upon the floor of the House but seldom 
 during the present Congress owing to the illness which 
 finally resulted in his death, and which in all probability 
 was largely due to his irresistible passion for work. I 
 never knew a man who was more diligent in the perform- 
 ance of a duty or more faithful in the discharge of every 
 trust reposed in him. In his untimely demise the people 
 of California and of the country at large have been de- 
 prived of the services of an able, industrious, and con- 
 scientious public servant. But the saddest thoughts of 
 all come to us when we speak of the bereaved widow and 
 children upon whom the loss falls with greatest severity. 
 May the knowledge of his distinguished services to his 
 State and country, his spotless life and nobility of charac- 
 ter, and the sweet memory of his devotion as a husband 
 and father mitigate their grief and bring comfort to their 
 hearts in this hour of sorrow. The great State of Cali- 
 fornia will ever honor, cherish, and revere the memory 
 of her distinguished son. 
 
 Sylvester Clark Smith began life on a farm in the 
 State of Iowa and worked his way through school and 
 college. He removed to California and, while engaged as 
 a teacher in the public schools, studied law, was admitted 
 to the bar, and later achieved success in his chosen pro- 
 fession. During this period, however, his activities were 
 not confined solely to the practice of law. 
 
 For several years we find him engaged in writing edi- 
 torials for an influential daily newspaper which had been 
 established by his friends and neighbors in the city of 
 Bakersfield. As a lawyer and editor he soon attained 
 prominence in his State and was later chosen as a Repre- 
 sentative from the eighth congressional district to the 
 Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, Sixty-first, and Sixty-second Con- 
 gresses. Few men have been better equipped for service 
 
 [42] 
 
Address of Mr. Pray, of Montana 
 
 in the National House. He was intensely earnest in debate 
 and always possessed a thorough understanding of his 
 subject. He was a profound student and gave to every 
 question that claimed his attention the most intense appli- 
 cation. His mind was logical and his deductions accu- 
 rate. During an intimate acquaintance, extending over 
 a period of several years, I never knew him to compromise 
 with expediency. He possessed in the highest sense the 
 courage of his convictions and was ever ready to defend 
 them, no matter what the effect might be upon his political 
 fortunes. Neither the sharp criticisms of a partisan press 
 nor the denunciations of political opponents could swerve 
 him in the slightest degree from what he conscientiously 
 believed to be the line of duty. He was an able advocate 
 of any cause he espoused, but his deep sense of justice 
 and fair play rendered him incapable of taking undue 
 advantage of his adversary. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, Sylvester Clark Smith was a self-made 
 man, but he was extremely modest and unassuming and 
 never made boastful mention of his early struggles and 
 later achievements. His success in life was due to his 
 sagacity, perseverance, and innate honesty. He was can- 
 did, outspoken, and sincere, but when he differed from 
 others in respect to a question under consideration he 
 was always courteous and respectful and never had it in 
 his heart to wound the feelings of another. 
 
 His name is written high upon the scroll of honor. His 
 life is an inspiration to the young men of the country. I 
 can not believe that our beloved friend and colleague 
 has passed forever from our sight. 
 
 There is no death; what seems so is transition. 
 
 This life of mortal breath 
 Is but a suburb of the life elysian 
 
 Whose portal we call death. 
 
 [43] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 Mr. Needham. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
 that Members may have five legislative days in which to 
 extend their remarks in the Record. 
 
 The Speaker. The gentleman from California [Mr. 
 Needham] asks unanimous consent that Members may 
 have five legislative days in which to extend their remarks 
 in the Record. Is there objection? 
 
 There was no objection. 
 
 Mr. Finley resumed the chair as Speaker pro tempore. 
 
 adjournment 
 
 The Speaker pro tempore. In accordance with the reso- 
 lution previously adopted, the Chair declares the House 
 adjourned until 10.30 o'clock to-morrow morning. 
 
 Accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 28 minutes p. m.) the 
 House adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 24, 
 1913, at 10.30 o'clock a. m. 
 
 [44] 
 
Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 Monday, January 27, 1913. 
 
 A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
 South, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the 
 intelligence of the death of Hon. Sylvester C. Smith, 
 late a Representative from the State of California, and 
 transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 
 
 Mr. Perkins. I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate 
 the resolutions just received from the House of Repre- 
 sentatives. 
 
 The President pro tempore. The Chair lays before the 
 Senate resolutions of the House of Representatives, which 
 will be read. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 
 
 In the House of Representatives, 
 
 January 27, 1913. 
 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
 the death of Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, a Representative from 
 the State of California. 
 
 Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the 
 Senate and transmit a copy to the family of the deceased. 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect this House do now 
 adjourn. 
 
 Mr. Perkins. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions I 
 send to the desk, for which I ask present consideration. 
 
 The President pro tempore. The resolutions submitted 
 by the Senator from California will be read. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions (S. Res. 443), as 
 follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the 
 announcement of the death of Hon. Sylvester C. Smith, late a 
 Representative from the State of California. 
 
 [45] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to 
 the House of Representatives and transmit a copy thereof to the 
 family of the deceased. 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of 
 the late Representative Sylvester C. Smith the Senate do now 
 adjourn. 
 
 The President pro tempore. The question is on agree- 
 ing to the resolutions. 
 
 The resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and (at 
 4 o'clock and 51 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until 
 to-morrow, Tuesday, January 28, 1913, at 12 o'clock 
 meridian. 
 
 Monday, February 10, 1913. 
 Mr. Perkins. I desire to give notice that on Saturday, 
 March 1, 1913, I shall ask the Senate to consider resolu- 
 tions commemorative of the life and character of Hon. 
 Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Member of the House 
 from California. 
 
 Monday, February 24, 1913. 
 A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. 
 South, its Chief Clerk, transmitted to the Senate resolu- 
 tions of the House of Representatives on the life and 
 public services of Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, late a 
 Representative from the State of California. 
 
 Saturday, March 1, 1913. 
 The Senate met at 10 o'clock a. m. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Ulysses G. R. Pierce, D. D., offered 
 the following prayer: 
 
 Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we thank Thee 
 for the gracious Providence which brings us to this day 
 
 [46] 
 
Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 of solemn and reverent memory. As we recall the life 
 and public service of him whom we this day commemo- 
 rate, we pray Thee to inspire our minds and to give utter- 
 ance to our lips that we may fitly honor the life which 
 Thou hast called to Thy nearer presence and to Thy 
 higher service. 
 
 We pray Thee, our Father, to comfort those that 
 mourn. Uphold them by Thy heavenly grace and grant 
 that neither the height of remembered joys nor the depth 
 of sorrows that can not be forgotten, nor the present 
 with its burdens nor the future with its loneliness may be 
 able to separate them from the love of God which is in 
 Christ Jesus our Lord. 
 
 In the name of Him who abolished death and brought 
 life and immortality to light, hear Thou our prayer. 
 Amen. 
 
 Mr. Perkins. Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay 
 before the Senate resolutions from the House of Repre- 
 sentatives on the death of the late Representative Syl- 
 vester C. Smith. 
 
 The Presiding Officer (Mr. Page in the chair). The 
 Chair lays before the Senate resolutions from the House 
 of Representatives, which will be read. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 
 
 In the House of Representatives, 
 
 February 23, 1913. 
 
 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended 
 that opportunity may be given for tribute to the memory of 
 Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Member of this House from 
 the State of California. 
 
 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 memorial exercises 
 of the day shall stand adjourned. 
 
 11357"— 14 4 [47] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 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. 
 
 Mr. Perkins. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions 
 which I send to the desk, and ask for their adoption. 
 
 The Presiding Officer. The Senator from California 
 offers resolutions, which will be read. 
 
 The resolutions (S. Res. 493) were read, considered by 
 unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sorrow of the 
 death of Hon. Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Member of the 
 House of Representatives from the State of California. 
 
 Resolved, That as a mark of respect to the memory of the 
 deceased the business of the Senate be suspended in order that 
 proper tribute may be paid his high character and distinguished 
 public services. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these 
 resolutions to the House of Representatives and to the family 
 of the deceased. 
 
 [48] 
 
MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 Address of Mr. Perkins, of California 
 
 Mr. President: In the death of Sylvester C. Smith 
 California has lost one of the ahlest and most conscien- 
 tious men who ever represented that State in Congress. 
 
 When just of age he went from Iowa to the Pacific 
 coast, at about the time when the first signs of that rapid 
 growth which has since characterized the Golden State 
 began to manifest themselves. 
 
 He began life there by teaching in the interior valleys, 
 and soon selected as his permanent abode Rakersfield, 
 at the upper end of the San Joaquin Valley, which region 
 was then sparsely settled and the inhabitants engaged 
 in agriculture of a comparatively primitive character. 
 
 His energy and ambition were marked and were dem- 
 onstrated in his study of law while pursuing the arduous 
 calling of teaching. On admittance to the bar he at once 
 identified himself with the efforts of the people to de- 
 velop the vast resources of that part of the State. 
 
 Ordinarily the region was apparently barren, owing to 
 lack of rainfall. The great need was water, and when 
 the farmers began to agitate the subject of irrigation he 
 threw himself into the movement with his whole heart, 
 and to his intelligent and constant work is due in a very 
 great measure the present surprising prosperity of the 
 San Joaquin Valley. 
 
 In the prosecution of his public-spirited designs he 
 became editor and later proprietor of the leading news- 
 paper in that part of the State, and he retained his con- 
 nection with it up to the time of his death. 
 
 [49] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 In law, in journalism, and in politics he worked con- 
 stantly for the public good, and he had the satisfaction 
 of seeing that his efforts were appreciated and his influ- 
 ence sought in every movement for the advancement of 
 the community in which he lived and of the entire State. 
 
 He was the active friend of irrigation everywhere, and 
 early perceived the necessity for conserving the forests 
 for the benefit of the dwellers in the valleys. 
 
 He came into contact with the hardy and adventurous 
 cultivators of the soil in many ways, and studied their 
 needs and resources. 
 
 In connection with irrigation he came into personal 
 contact with the great movement to develop the water 
 resources of the mountains for power purposes. 
 
 In speaking in Congress on this subject he said: 
 
 In the district which I have the honor to represent here many 
 thousands of dry and sterile acres have been made fruitful— are 
 now golden and purple with the orange and the grape — and thou- 
 sands have found happy homes because power from a mountain 
 stream makes pumping for irrigation possible. 
 
 Development in this direction has just begun. Hundreds of 
 thousands of acres yet await the advent of the home builder and 
 the pump. 
 
 Villages and towns may have productive industries because of 
 the presence of suitable power facilities, and modern lines of 
 transportation are made possible in the same way. 
 
 This prediction has been fulfilled, and the development 
 in manufacturing and in transportation facilities in Cali- 
 fornia through the use of streams to develop electric 
 power has been marvelous, and this source of power has 
 as yet been only touched. 
 
 His knowledge of land laws and his intimate acquain- 
 tance with the public lands and questions growing out of 
 them caused him to be selected as a member of the Public 
 Lands Committee, on which he served throughout his 
 
 [50] 
 
Address of Mr. Perkins, of California 
 
 congressional career, and of which he became one of the 
 most useful and influential members. 
 
 He took a deep interest in educational subjects, and 
 served also on the Committee on Education, where his early 
 experience as a teacher made his service of great value. 
 
 Congressman Smith was very zealous in his advocacy 
 of the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco, real- 
 izing that the celebration of the opening of the canal 
 would mark the beginning of a new era for his State. 
 
 He had seen the wonderful growth in population and 
 in production during the time of his residence in Cali- 
 fornia, and realized that the growth in the immediate 
 future would far surpass that of the past. 
 
 He had seen the population increase threefold, and the 
 rural population increase even in the past 10 years from 
 7.8 per square mile to 15.2. 
 
 And the increase was in the direction in which he had 
 always labored — to build up interior counties, to settle 
 the vast spaces left uncultivated, to diversify crops, and 
 to add to the true wealth of the State by bringing every 
 acre of land under cultivation. 
 
 He saw this object in a fair way of accomplishment, 
 and to this his own efforts in no small degree contributed. 
 
 He was ambitious to show to the world through the 
 exposition what California is and of what it is capable, 
 and he was firm in the belief that the Panama Canal 
 would eventually make the Pacific coast the most popu- 
 lous and the most prosperous portion of our great country. 
 
 He also did good work as member of the Committee on 
 Pacific Railroads and the Committee on Labor, in which 
 subjects he was unusually informed. 
 
 In the discussion of all questions before the House, in 
 which he took an interest, Congressman Smith displayed 
 a clear and logical mind and a grasp of subject which 
 
 [51] 
 
Memorial Addresses: Representative Smith 
 
 made him one of the strong men of that body and com- 
 manded confidence in his judgment. 
 
 This was specially observable in all that related to land 
 matters, to post-office affairs, to public utilities, and the 
 development of the resources of the country. 
 
 Financial questions were debated by him with such 
 clearness and manifest command of the subjects and wide 
 knowledge of business methods that his advice was sought 
 by the Monetary Commission, of which he was made 
 a member and on which he served with conspicuous 
 ability. 
 
 In everything that could forward the welfare of the 
 common people of the United States, as well as that of the 
 mass of the people of California in particular, Congress- 
 man Smith took a prominent part. Having to do, from 
 the commencement of his career, with the hard-working, 
 industrious, and ambitious tillers of the soil, he knew 
 them intimately, sympathized with them, and entered 
 heart and soul into their efforts to better conditions, with 
 which he was perfectly familiar. To work of this kind 
 he devoted his best talents, and in all the discussions in 
 Congress in which he took part there is observable that 
 kindly and helpful spirit in respect to persons of this 
 class which endeared him to them and aroused in them 
 implicit confidence in him as a public man. 
 
 In treating of questions involving the betterment of the 
 conditions of the people in California, as elsewhere, it is 
 a notable characteristic that he dealt in simple fundamen- 
 tal facts, to which he applied his wide knowledge of law, 
 and his arguments and advice were received with a re- 
 spect which was full acknowledgment of his unselfishness, 
 honesty, and ability. 
 
 During the last few years of his life his devotion to 
 what he deemed his duty was as steadfast as when he 
 was in the fullness of his strength. 
 
 [52 
 
Address of Mr. Perkins, of California 
 
 He was ever engaged in work for the common good, 
 even when his failing health was such as to alarm his 
 friends. 
 
 His death itself is believed to have been very materially 
 hastened by the work he did in behalf of temperance in 
 his home city. 
 
 Up to the very end he was engaged with all the strength 
 he could command in an effort to better conditions in 
 relation to the liquor traffic. 
 
 He died, as he lived, fighting for what he believed to 
 be right, and for the advancement of the interests of the 
 public which he served with all the strength and ability 
 that in him lay. 
 
 May we so live that when the last summons comes, as 
 it must to us all sooner or later, our friends and relatives 
 can say of us, as we do of him, that we fearlessly did our 
 duty and left a legacy of character and honor which is 
 beyond price. 
 
 Sunset and evening star, 
 
 And one clear call for me! 
 And may there be no moaning of the bar 
 
 When I put out to sea. 
 
 Twilight and evening bell, 
 
 And after that the dark! 
 And may there be no sadness of farewell 
 
 When I embark. 
 
 For though from out our bourne of time and place 
 
 The flood may bear me far, 
 I hope to see my Pilot face to face 
 
 When I have crossed the bar. 
 
 [53] 
 
Address of Mr. Hitchcock, of Nebraska 
 
 Mr. President: I deem it a melancholy privilege, in 
 supporting the resolutions presented by the Senator from 
 California [Mr. Perkins] in memory of former Repre- 
 sentative Smith, from that State, to testify to his public 
 service as a Member of the House of Representatives. It 
 was my pleasure while serving in that House to know 
 Mr. Smith. I saw him come there from his far-distant 
 constituency; I witnessed his advent as a new and inex- 
 perienced legislator; and I saw the earnestness and sin- 
 cerity, as well as the ability and loyalty, with which he 
 took hold of his public duties. 
 
 Almost from the very first Representative Smith at- 
 tracted attention even in that very large body of which 
 he was a Member. His fidelity and his industry in his 
 work upon the questions that particularly interested the 
 people of California and the West generally, coupled 
 with his natural eloquence as a public speaker, made him 
 at once a leader among the western Members in the House 
 of Representatives. 
 
 In debate his style was incisive, direct, and forceful; 
 but there was in his voice something of the clarion call, 
 which at once attracted attention and brought support. 
 Had he lived to enjoy longer service, I have no doubt he 
 would have attained a reputation far beyond the ordi- 
 nary. As it was, among the Members of the House he 
 had attained such a position when his service closed that 
 he was properly regarded as a leader and as a faithful 
 servant of the people, loyal to their interests and eloquent 
 in defending them. 
 
 The West has perhaps been at a disadvantage. Mr. 
 President, in sending its Representatives to the Capitol. 
 
 [54] 
 
Address of Mr. Hitchcock, of Nebraska 
 
 It has not, as a rule, kept them here long enough to give 
 them that experience which has marked the service of 
 Representatives from other portions of the country, hut 
 Representative Smith was a Member who in a short term 
 of service, by the brilliant qualities of his mind and by 
 his faithfulness and fidelity to duty, marked himself as 
 a natural leader of men and an admirable public servant. 
 
 [55] 
 
Address of Mr. Gronxa, of North Dakota 
 
 Mr. President: I shall not attempt to add anything of 
 worth to what has been said concerning the life history 
 of Mr. Sylvester Clark Smith, late a Representative 
 from the State of California. That has been so beauti- 
 fully pictured by Senators who have preceded me. But 
 I can not allow this opportunity to pass without paying 
 a last tribute of respect to his life and memory as a man 
 and his worth as a legislator during the time we served 
 together as Members of the House of Representatives. 
 
 I first became acquainted with Mr. Smith at the begin- 
 ning of the Fifty-ninth Congress. We both came to Con- 
 gress at the same time and both were appointed on the 
 Committee on Public Lands and served for a period of 
 nearly six years, during which time this committee had 
 before it many complicated questions which were diffi- 
 cult to solve. 
 
 Mr. Smith was a strong factor in shaping the legisla- 
 tion that came before this committee. By his profound 
 and logical reasoning he early demonstrated his ability 
 as a legislator. His frank and consistent position won 
 for him the admiration of not only those who agreed 
 with him but also those who opposed him in the views 
 which he held. 
 
 Mr. Smith was a strong partisan, an ardent Republican 
 of the old school. He believed in party organization and 
 party responsibility. I did not always agree with him on 
 the policies to be pursued in maintaining a party, nor 
 did I always agree with him on legislation, but whether 
 we agreed or disagreed on policies and certain principles 
 I always admired him for his frankness and the cour- 
 
 [56] 
 
Address of Mr. Gronna, of North Dakota 
 
 ageous stand he took upon public questions which 
 vitally concerned the people. Mr. Smith had an apti- 
 tude for legislative work, he was a profound student, a 
 forceful speaker, and a ready debater. I was among 
 those who early became his friends; he won the admira- 
 tion of the entire membership of the House for the cour- 
 age and the ability he possessed. 
 
 We often wonder why a person is taken away just at 
 a time when his work has begun to show results and his 
 usefulness to society is most sadly missed, but it is beyond 
 human power to fully comprehend the mysteries of life 
 and death. We only know that life is uncertain; our days 
 of earthly existence may be many or they may be few; and 
 it is all under the control and guidance of the Omnipotent 
 Ruler of the universe. 
 
 [57] 
 
Address of Mr. Sheppard, of Texas 
 
 Mr. President: Through several Congresses I was a 
 Member of the House of Representatives with Sylvester 
 Clark Smith. My acquaintance with him was not inti- 
 mate, but I knew him sufficiently well to grasp his distinc- 
 tive qualities. He was affiliated with the Republican 
 Party, to which he gave a vigorous and unswerving devo- 
 tion. Associated as I was with the Democratic side of 
 the House, coming from a different section of the country, 
 with different traditions and a different environment, con- 
 nected with different committees and adopting a different 
 line of congressional work, I did not have the opportunity 
 to develop with Mr. Smith more than the usual relations 
 between Representatives thus situated. 
 
 Our nearest and dearest friends are rarely in position 
 to judge our lives with true discrimination and impar- 
 tiality. Affection frequently blinds them to our faults 
 and leads them to magnify our virtues. It often happens 
 that our antagonists in the various struggles of life are 
 most capable of weighing the real significance of what 
 we do and say. Our opponents, by compelling us to keep 
 our weapons sharp and ready, bring out what is best and 
 strongest in us while we live, and sometimes become our 
 sincerest eulogists when we die. 
 
 From my place among the Democrats of the House of 
 Representatives I came to recognize in Sylvester Smith 
 one of the most effective and interesting figures among the 
 Republicans of that historic Chamber. His manner was 
 always emphatic, his ideas original and unique, his lan- 
 guage clear and forceful. His voice would penetrate the 
 tumult of congressional debate as the note of a trumpet 
 
 [58] 
 
Address of Mr. Sheppard, ok Texas 
 
 pierces the crash of battle. Firm in conviction, quick in 
 action, convincing in argument, lucid in expression, he 
 was on the threshold of a great national career when 
 disease laid its pitiless hand upon him. 
 
 He was energy itself in the service of his constituents. 
 In visiting the departments, in appearing before commit- 
 tees, in advocating measures on the floor of the House for 
 the benefit of his district and his State, he was absolutely 
 untiring and uniformly successful. Loyal as he was to 
 local interests, true as he was to party principle, he was 
 equally devoted to the welfare of the country as a whole, 
 and a genuine patriotism illumined both his public and 
 private life. 
 
 Mr. President, the impression Sylvester Smith has 
 left in my memory is that of a strong intellect, an hon- 
 est heart, a virile personality, a statesman of unusual 
 force, an advocate of unusual power, a great and pure 
 American. 
 
 May all the peace immortals know be his; may more 
 such men be ours. 
 
 [59] 
 

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