Book .S^ ^ lis 
 
60th Congress) „QUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES '^""J^lc' 
 2d Session | I INo. Ii45 
 
 George W. Smith 
 
 (Late a Representative from Illinois) 
 
 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 
 ^ 
 
 Sixtieth Congress 
 First and Second Sessions 
 
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 April 19, 1908 
 
 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
 December 15, 1908 
 
 Compiled under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing 
 
 WASHINGTON : : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : : L'=>0° 
 
C V 
 
 
TABLE OF CONTEXTS. 
 
 Page. 
 
 Proceedings in the House 5 
 
 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 7 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Thistlewood, of Illinois lo 
 
 Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois 15 
 
 Mr. Russell, of Missouri 20 
 
 Mr. Chapman, of Illinois 24 
 
 Mr. Lowden, of Illinois 29 
 
 Mr. Graff, of lUinois 31 
 
 Mr. Fuller, of Illinois 36 
 
 Mr. Chaney, of Indiana 38 
 
 Mr. De Armond, of Missouri 41 
 
 Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota 43 
 
 Mr. Madden, of Illinois ~ 46 
 
 Proceedings in the Senate 5° 
 
 Memorial addresses by — 
 
 Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 53 
 
 Mr. Curtis, of Kansas 57 
 
 Mr. Hopkins, of Illinois 58 
 
 3 
 
HON. GEOR-: 
 
Death of Hon. George W. Smith 
 
 Proceedings in the House 
 
 Monday, December 2, iQoy. 
 
 Mr. RoDENnERG. Mr. Speaker, it is with a feeling of sincere 
 sorrow and regret I announce to the House the death of my 
 colleague, the Hon. George \V. Smith, which occurred at his 
 home at Murphysboro late on Saturday, November 30. Mr. 
 Smith had been a Member of this body eighteen years, and 
 was just entering upon his tenth successive term when the 
 final summons came. At some future time I shall ask that a 
 dav may be fixed when tribute may be paid to the life, char- 
 acter, and public sen.ices of this distinguished son of Illinois. 
 
 I now offer the following resolutions, which I ask to have 
 read: 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death 
 of Hon. George W. Smith, a Representative from the State of Illinois. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Members of the 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 for carrying out the 
 provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in con- 
 nection 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. 
 
 5 
 
6 Proceedings in the House 
 
 The question was taken, and the resolutions were unani- 
 niously adopted. 
 
 The SpEakek pro tempore. If there he no objection, the 
 temporary occujiaut of the chair will announce the committee 
 provided for in the resolution. The Chair hears no objection, 
 and the Clerk will announce the committee. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Commiltce to attend juucral oj Hon. George 11'. Smith, of Illinois. — Mr. 
 Lorimer. Mr I'rincc, Mr. Chapman, Mr. McGavin, Mr. Foster, Mr. 
 McDermolt, Mr. Rocicnber<:;, of Illinois; Mr. Dawes, of Ohio; Mr. Chancy, 
 of Indiana; Mr. Ruckcr, of Missouri; Mr. Russell, of Missouri; Mr. May 
 nard, of Virginia; Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota; Mr. Brouss;ird, of Loui- 
 siana; and Mr. Legare, of South Carolina. 
 
 Mr. Rddexberg. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of respect 
 to the memory of the late Representative Smith, I move that 
 the House do now adjourn. 
 
 The motion was agreed to. 
 
 Accordingly (at 4 o'clock and 12 minutes ]). m.. the House 
 adjourned. 
 
 Tuesday, Diccmhcr j, igoj. 
 
 A message from the vSenate, by Mr. Parkinson, its reading 
 clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the following 
 resolutions: 
 
 Resolved, Tliat the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the an- 
 nouncement of the deatli of Hon. George \V. S>nTU, late a Representa- 
 tive from the State of Illinois. 
 
 ResolveJ. That a committee of three Senators be appointed by the 
 Vice-President tci join a ccjmmittee ai)[Jointed on the part of the House 
 of Rei)resentatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the 
 deceased. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate these resolutions to the 
 House of Representatives. 
 
 Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
 deceased the Senate do now adiourii. 
 
Proceedings in the House 7 
 
 And that, in compliance with the foregoing, the Vice-Presi- 
 dent had appointed as said committee Mr. Hopkins, Mr. 
 Hemenway, and ^Ir. McCreary. 
 
 Wednesday, March 4, igo8. 
 
 Mr. Thistlewood. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
 for the present consideration of the resolution which I send to 
 the Clerk's desk and ask to have read. 
 
 The Spe.aker. The Clerk will report the resolution. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives shall meet at u m. on 
 Sunday, April ig, 1908, for the purpose of having eulogies upon the life, 
 character, and public services of the Hon. George W. Smith, late a 
 Representative in Congress from the Twenty-fifth District in Illinois. 
 
 The vSpe.\ker. Is there objection? [After a pause.] The 
 Chair hears none. 
 
 The resolution was agreed to. 
 
 SrxD.XY, Aj^rii 10. iqoS. 
 
 The House met at 12 o'clock noon. 
 
 The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. CornEN, D. D , offered the 
 following prayer: 
 
 O Lord, our God and our Father, who hath made us a little 
 less than divine, and hast crowned us with glorv and honor, we 
 thank Thee for all the disclosures Thou hast made of Thvself in 
 the great Book of Nature, the sun which shines by dav, the 
 moon and the stars which shine by night, the change of seasons, 
 seedtime and harvest, and the wonderful adaptation of means 
 to ends. 
 
 Surely Thou openest Thy hand and satisfieth the desire of 
 every li\-ing thing. Especially do we thank Thee for Thy Son, 
 Jesus Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, through whom 
 Thou hast revealed Thine own heart to the world, which palpi- 
 tates with eternal love and affection for all Thy children, and 
 that we can never go where Thou art not. " If I ascend up into 
 
8 Proceedings in the House 
 
 Heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in the g^ave, behold 
 Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell 
 in the uttermost ]iarts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand 
 lead me and Thy right hand shall hold me." 
 
 W'c ri-joice, O Lord our God, with all the world this day in 
 the resurrection of Thy vSon, Jesus Christ, which proves the 
 strength and power of life over death. 
 
 We are met here to pay a tribute of love and respect to one 
 who served with distinction uikju the floor of this House. We 
 thank Thee for his patriotism, for his citizenship, for his public 
 service, and we most fervently pray for all who are bound to 
 him bv the ties of kinship, love, and affection. Let the Ever- 
 lasting Arms be about them, and especially do we prav for his 
 companion who walked by his side, sharing his joys and sor- 
 rows, his victories and defeats. Help her to look forward to 
 the resurrection morn,- which shall be for all of us, and pfrans 
 of praise we shall ever give to Thee in Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
 Amen. 
 
 Mr. ALadden assumed the chair as Speaker pro tempore. 
 
 The vSpEaker pro tempore. The Clerk will read the order 
 under which the Ho'.ise is in session. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 On iiKitidii cif Mr. ThistlEwood, by unanimous consent, 
 "Resolved, That the House of Representatives shall meet at u m. 
 on Sunday, .^pril ig, 1908, for the purpose of having eulogies upon the 
 life, ch.iractcr, and public services of the Hon. George \V. Smith, laic a 
 Representative in Congress from the Twenly-fiftli District in Illinois." 
 
 Mr. Thisti.EWood. Mr. Speaker, I have a resolution which 
 I wish to sul)mit. 
 
 The Clerk read as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That in pursuance of tlie special order heretofore adopted 
 the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. Georce W. 
 Smith, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois. 
 
Proceedings in the House g 
 
 Resolved, That as a special mark uf respect to the memory of the de- 
 ceased, and in recognition of his distinguished pubUc career, the House at 
 the conclusion of the exercises to-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 resolutions were unaniinotisly agreed to. 
 
 Mr. ThisTLEWood. Mr. .Speaker, there are a number of 
 Members who expected to speak this afternoon, but who will be 
 deprived by other engagements. I ask unanimous consent 
 that those gentlemen, and any others who desire, may print 
 remarks in the Record on the life, character, and jjublic services 
 of Mr Smith. 
 
 The Speaker pro tempore. If there be no objection to the 
 request of the gentleman from Illinois, it will be so ordered. 
 
 There was no objection. 
 
lo Memorial Addresses: George II'. Smilli 
 
 Memorial Addresses 
 
 Address of Mr. TmsiLEWooD, of Illinois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: On the 4th day of March last I introduced in 
 this House a resolution by unanimous consent fixing the hour 
 of 12 o'clock, Sunday, April 19, for the hearing of eulogies on 
 the life, character, and public services of Congressman George 
 W. Smith, late a Member of this House and long an honored 
 Representative of the Twenty-fifth District of Illinois. 
 
 It is not my purpose to make any extended remarks as to 
 his Congressional ser\'ices here, but rather, in what I shall 
 have to say, confine myself to his youthful days, to his early 
 struggles, and to his determination to educate himself so as to 
 be fitted to meet the resj)onsibilities of life. 
 
 I propose to leave for you who have served with him here 
 so long and who know how faithful he was to his district, 
 to his State, and to his country, the opportunity of speaking 
 of his splendid services as a legislator. 
 
 The life and jniblic ser\-ice of Congressman S.mith were in 
 many respects remarkable. He was of humble parentage. His 
 father, James Smith, came from Scotland and settled in Ohio 
 at an early date. His mother's maiden name was Agnes Morton, 
 and she was a native of Ohio. Congressman SiMITH was one of 
 a family of ten children — six boys and four girls. He was bom 
 in Ohio August 18, 1846. His father early emigrated to In- 
 diana, and later settled in Illinois in 1S51. The parents of 
 
Address of Mr. Thisllcn'ood, of Illinois i r 
 
 Congressman Smith were of that hardy class of pioneers who 
 were the earlv settlers of Illinois, and who pushed forward 
 before the davs of the railroads and helped to make Illinois one 
 of the great States of the American Union. 
 
 His father took up land in Wayne County, and proceeded to 
 make for himself and family a home in what was then a com- 
 parative wilderness. His neighbors were few and far between ; 
 houses were to be built; the land was to be cleared, broken, 
 and inclosed. In this work all would join; while the father 
 would fell the trees the mother and children would gather and 
 burn the brush; or, while the father would hold the plow the 
 remainder of the family would plant the crop. Thus all con- 
 tributed to the wealth and maintenance of the household. 
 
 The schools in those days in Illinois were very primitive. 
 The children of the Smith household attended school only for 
 a short time during the winter months, being compelled to help 
 the mother in the house and the father in the field during the 
 spring and summer. 
 
 Congressman Smith when a small boy was a hard worker 
 and a hard student. He gave early evidence of a desire to 
 educate himself. He studied and worked, and worked and 
 studied. He was untiring in his efforts; all the time adding to 
 his store of knowledge. 
 
 He early learned the trade of blacksmithing, and by working 
 on the farm and at his trade he was enabled to save up enough 
 money to take a course in the literary department of McKendree 
 College, at Lebanon, 111. Later he began reading law, and 
 graduated from the law school of Bloomington, Ind., in 1870, 
 and was admitted in the same year to practice in Illinois by the 
 supreme court. He located at INIurphysboro, and soon took a 
 leading place as an attorney in Jackson County and in the then 
 Eighteenth Congressional District. 
 
12 Memorial Addresses: George W . Smith 
 
 His ambition as a boy and as a man was to go to Congress, 
 and when he had attained that ambition he seemed satisfied. 
 In 1880 he was elected on the Republican ticket as the elector 
 for the Eighteenth District and cast his vote for President 
 Garfield. 
 
 In 1888 he received the Reiniblican nomination for Congress 
 and was elected by a handsome majority, thus reaching the goal 
 of his ambition, and he continuously sen.ed in Congress from 
 that time until his death, being always elected by very large 
 majorities. 
 
 On December 29, 1884, Congressman Smith was married to 
 Miss M. Alice Dailey, of Murphysboro, 111. Mrs. Smith had two 
 brothers and one sister, all of whom, together with her parents, 
 ha\e passed away, she being the onl\- suri-iving member of her 
 immediate family; and it is particularly sad to relate that the 
 next dav after her husband's death her father also died, and 
 both were buried on the same day, the father in Missouri, the 
 husband in Illinois. 
 
 Those of vou who have serv'ed with Congressman Smith here, 
 and who know how faithful he w^as to every obligation imposed 
 on him, are better fitted than I am to speak of his otTicial life; 
 but mv long acquaintance with him in relation to the people 
 whom he so elTiciently sen.-ed gives me an insight into his char- 
 acter and enables me to speak of that close bond of friendship 
 which existed at all times between him and the people of his 
 district. 
 
 I think I mav say that no complaint was too trivial for him to 
 investigate, and no letter was ever received by him that did not 
 receive an answer couched in the most gracious language. Con- 
 gressman Smith was not only strong in his party, but he had 
 hosts of friends in the ojjposite party that voted for him as regu- 
 larly as (lid his p:irl>- friends. 
 
Address of Mr. Thistlnvood, oj Illinois 13 
 
 I think I may say that he had no ambition for any pohtical 
 honors outside of his Congressional district, being content to 
 serve his constituents, and for their interest to devote all his 
 time. 
 
 A very strong bond of friendship existed between him and the 
 veterans of the great war. He was their friend and they were 
 his friends. A great jiart of his time was devoted to aiding the 
 veteran soldiers and seeing that they secured the pensions due 
 them from the Government. 
 
 Congressman Smith died November 30, 1907, at his home in 
 Murphysboro, where he had resided for nearly forty years, at- 
 tended bv his devoted wife and surrounded by his intimate 
 friends of Murphysboro and Jackson County. Besides his wife, 
 he left an elder sister, Mrs. Margaret Pucket, who now lives 
 near the old homestead in Wayne County. 
 
 The people of Jackson County and of the entire district will 
 miss Congressman Smith. He was charitable and benevolent, 
 gentle and kind, always cheerful, always doing something to 
 contribute to the happiness of others. He was a devoted hus- 
 band. His honestv of purpose and his integrity were well 
 known; his life and work, public and private, were above re- 
 proach. He was successful as an attorney and gave satisfaction 
 as a public servant, as attested by his being elected ten succes- 
 sive terms from his district. His constituents appreciated his 
 services and delighted to honor him. His disposition and eager- 
 ness to serve them, regardless of politics, were well known, and 
 therein was much of his strength. One of his chief characteris- 
 tics was his attention to the little things in life, small things 
 and kindnesses, thoughtfulness of deeds in which few men in 
 their busy spheres of life ever take time to think of. He was 
 thoughtful, kind, loving, and gentle as a woman. Those who 
 knew him well best appreciated his sterling worth. 
 
14 Memorial Addresses: George W . Smith 
 
 When a good man dies, 
 Upon whose honored name 
 There rest no flaw, no blame. 
 No heartless, cruel shame. 
 No tarnish to his fame; 
 We can not count the cost. 
 Nor reckon what we've lost, 
 When a good man dies. 
 
 When a good man dies. 
 Whose nobleness succeeds 
 To bless the many needs 
 And cheer the heart that bleeds 
 With high, unselfish deeds; 
 We can not count the cost, 
 Nor reckon what we've lost, 
 When a good man dies. 
 
 When a good man dies. 
 Whose name can proudly stand 
 Whose memory can command 
 The tribute, sweet and grand, 
 An honor to the land ; 
 We can not count the cost. 
 Nor reckon what we've lost. 
 When a good man dies. 
 
Address of Mr. Rodcnbcnj, of Illinois 
 
 Address of Mr. Rodenberg, of Llinois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: As a rule obituaries, eulogies, and epitaphs are 
 discounted. We are too apt to employ extravagance when we 
 speak or write of our friends whose passing we mourn. In what 
 I have to say on this occasion of my late colleague, George W. 
 Smith, I shall speak with knowledge of his private character and 
 public services, based upon a close acquaintance with his career, 
 and I believe that my estimate of the man will not be mixed 
 with fulsome flattery or inordinate eulogy. The looms that 
 construct the warp and woof of time are never idle. Their' 
 tireless, incessant weaving is seen in the threads and colors that 
 make up our several lives, and when the light of criticism is 
 turned upon them the whole world may make the final analysis, 
 thus discovering the defects and the beauties of the workman- 
 ship. And so in a few brief sentences I shall endeavor to 
 epitomize the story of some of the characteristics of our friend's 
 life as they come to me. 
 
 George W. Smith was a native of Putnam County, Ohio, 
 where he was born on the i8th day of August, 1846. When he 
 was 4 years old his parents moved to Illinois. There he learned 
 the trade of blacksmithing, but. like Hlihu Burritt, the great 
 thinker and patriot, he soon broke away from the restrictions 
 of the anvil and forge to make his way to the professional pur- 
 suits of life. -Alter attending the common schools he graduated 
 from McKendree College in 1868. At this time he became 
 ambitious to study and master the law, and following that 
 inclination he was graduated at the University of Bloomington, 
 Ind., 1870, being admitted to practice by the supreme court of 
 Illinois the same year, after which he practiced his profession 
 85410 — H. Doc. 1545, 60-j 2 
 
i6 Memorial Addresses: George IT. S}nilh 
 
 in his home town of .^[urphysboro. He was a master in the 
 details of organization, and one of the keenest judges of men that 
 I have ever met; therefore his way to political paths was easy 
 and natural. 
 
 In 1880, as an elector for his Congressional district, the old 
 Twentieth, he cast his vote for Garfield and Arthur, and in 1S88 
 he was elected to a seat in this body. From the Fiftv-first 
 Congress until his death, which occurred at his home November 
 30, 1907, he was returned at each election, thus rounding out a 
 splendid service of over eighteen years. This long and con- 
 tiimous service is in itself a magnificent tribute to the estimate 
 placed upon his worth by the constituency which he ser\-ed so 
 faithfully and so well. To aspire to nieinbershi]:) in the Congress 
 of the United States is an honor worthy of the ambition of any 
 man, but to have occupied a seat in the nation's councils for 
 almost a generation is an honor never achieved by any but the 
 truest, the bravest, and the best. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, the crowning virtue and capstone of GEfiRGE W. 
 S.mith's character was his transparent honesty and singleness. 
 He was the very soul of honor, the personification of loyalty. 
 The mask of an actor never fitted him. He knew naught of 
 expediency, and he was never known to temporize. The 
 dominant trait of his public and private life was a sincere devo- 
 tion to the highest and best ideals of patriotic citizenship. In 
 all the vicissitudes of his eventful career he followed ever the 
 jxith of duty, outlined clearly and unmistakablv bv a conscience 
 that was responsive always to the noblest impulses of true 
 manhood. Men who really knew him recognized his robust 
 virtues and admired them. They likewise discerned his faults 
 and merged them into his manly qualities, because he wore 
 them both upon his breast. And thus he had grown upon his 
 friends, his constituents, and his colleagues as one who might 
 
Address of Mr. Rodoiherq, of Illi)iois 17 
 
 fitly use as his own the words whieh Homer ]Hits in llie nioulh of 
 the hero of his Iliad : 
 
 For I hate with perfect hatred, 
 
 Hate him hke the gates of hell, 
 Who within him one thought harbors 
 
 While his li|)s another tell. 
 
 Above all, beyond it all, our friend [lossesscd the attributes 
 of a man that "stood four square to all the winds that blew." 
 Mr. Speaker, we glory in our material greatness, our unequaled 
 empire with its 90,000,000 freemen, our growth in wealth and 
 culture, the dazzling sweep of mechanical ingenuity and inven- 
 tion, our beautiful cities, and our railroads and electrical 
 appliances. But let us not forget to keep uppermost in our 
 thoughts that, after all, the man is greater, higher than them all, 
 the man is more than the great city, more than all of the com- 
 bination of modern methods and conveniences of our wonderful 
 twentieth century, more than the ingenuitv of human thought 
 and genius will ever attain. 
 
 Our friend was a firm believer in the fatherhood of God and 
 the brotherhood of man. In the daily walks of life he prac- 
 ticed faith, hope, and charity, which are the divine character- 
 istics of every manly heart. He was an ardent adherent to 
 the beautiful teachings of Masonry, having been honored by 
 that order many times. He had made the pleasant journey 
 that led him through the York Rite, which is the corner stone 
 and essence of all Masonry. He presided over his lodge several 
 times, a record to which he pointed with much pleasure. Here 
 he was taught and believed with his whole soul that the man 
 who so conducts the order of his life that when the summons 
 comes that beckons him over into the eternal morning, leaving 
 a marked imprint for good or traits of character worthy of 
 record, that man has not lived for himself alone, but that his 
 
1 8 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 life was worth all the tears and trouble of the living. And 
 such a life may fitly be said to be like "a tree planted by the 
 rivers of water that bringeth forth fruit in season, whose 
 leaves shall not wither," and whom no evil can befall, whether 
 it be alive or dead. 
 
 Our departed colleague's veneration of and unmixed gratitude 
 to the men who marched away during the war of the rebellion 
 in defense of the flag and who kept that flag from dishonor were 
 a part of his faith. He made several attempts to enter the 
 army, but failed because of his immature age and by reason of 
 physical infirmities. This was ever a matter of /egret to him, 
 but his interest in those who made it possible for this Govern- 
 ment to exist was a continuing earnest one. His warm heart 
 answered in generous sympathy the admiration that came from 
 all over his district from soldiers, their widows and orphans. 
 Patiently and consistently he contended for their rights, pressing 
 with passionate interest the claims of the broken soldier and the 
 debt owing to him Iiy that nation which he ser\-ed so well. To 
 him the vanishing Army of Blue was full of pathetic interest. 
 He saw them marching away until the purple hills that divide 
 us from the \'alley of the Shadow are crowded with those who 
 became weary of the long march, at the termination of which 
 Ihev will again repeat the dear old war refrain, "A\'e are com- 
 ing, Father Abraham," as they enter the ever-swinging curtains 
 of the waiting skies and meet him, the apotheosis of freedom's 
 holy light, whose incomparable career has not been approached 
 since the angels sang at Bethlehem and wept at Calvary's 
 crime — their Lincoln, the world's Lincoln. 
 
 In the historic little city of Murphysboro we laid our friend 
 away on that gray autumn day, the season that typifies the end 
 of nature's beautiful products, amid the tears of those he loved. 
 The solemn scenes of that sad. sad day have left an impress on 
 
Address of Mr. Rodenberg, oj Illinois 19 
 
 my memory which time can not efface. With bowed heads and 
 sobbing hearts his friends and neighbors by the thousands fol- 
 lowed the funeral cortege as it slowly wound its way through 
 the streets of the mourning city to the little cemetery on the 
 hill. There we left him to hurry out into the busy, throbbing, 
 forgetful world, wondering who of us will closely follow and 
 meet him — 
 
 Where no storms ever beat on the glittering strands. 
 
 And the years of eternity roll. 
 
 ^Ir. Speaker, we can not force our vision through the mists 
 and shadows that separate us from our dead. We stand in the 
 mysterious, solemn silence, and there is no sound save the quick- 
 ened heart beat; but the cable of hope, of faith intertwined with 
 roses, reaches "beyond the smiling and the weeping." Over it 
 we mav send our messages of love, and with the listening ear of 
 trust that comes from the Master we can hear the response from 
 across the shoreless sea, saying: 
 
 All is well. 
 
20 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Russell, of Missouri 
 
 Mr. Speaker: I am informed that it is quite unusual for a 
 new Member of this House to take part in memorial meetings of 
 this kind, and especially where the new Member comes from a 
 different State than that formerly represented by the deceased 
 ]\Icmber; but when the light is shed upon our past relations, 
 I hope that my remarks at this lime will not be considered 
 inappropriate, nor my appearance an unbecoming intrusion 
 on my part. 
 
 I have known Mr. George W". Smith for many vears, and 
 although we lived in different States, we were in fact neighbors 
 and friends, and in many respects our paths in life were similar 
 and parallel. He was reared upon an Illinois farm, I upon a 
 Missouri farm. We both entered the legal profession early in 
 life, and for more than a quarter of a century we practiced law 
 in adjoining circuits, but in different States. 
 
 In 1880 Mr. S.MiTii was a Presidential elector, and voted for 
 Mr. Garfield, a Republican President, and in 18S4, I was an 
 elector and voted for Mr. Cleveland, a Democratic President. 
 At the time of his death we represented in Congress adjoining 
 districts, separated only by the Mississijipi River, and while 
 that great river separated us physically and geographically, a 
 common interest in its improvement and welfare served to 
 draw us nearer together ofl'icially and as friends. 
 
 Mr. Smith and I were members of the same party of mutual 
 friends from his district and mine, who, on hoard the steamboat 
 Dick Fowler, accompanied President Roosevelt and his party on 
 his recent trip down the Mississippi River. This great flotilla, 
 consisting of seventeen boats, parading in orderly procession 
 
Address of Mr. Russell, of Missouri 21 
 
 from St. Louis to Memphis, was, without question, the greatest 
 and most imposing spectacle ever witnessed in the historv of 
 Mississippi River navigation, and emphasized to all the world 
 the growing commercial importance of that mighty stream. 
 
 The several days that Mr. Smith and I were thus thrown 
 together on this extended trip, with frequent opportunities 
 to personally converse, enable me to know better and to appre- 
 ciate more fully his true worth and the noble characteristics 
 of his life. 
 
 He was as gentle and sympathetic as a child, and stili as 
 determined and steadfast in his purposes as a military chieftain. 
 He was always grateful and loyal to his friends, without regard 
 to their influence or station in life, and above all, his life was 
 consecrated to the faithful discharge of his duties as a public 
 servant. 
 
 The welfare of his constituents was to him the supreme law 
 of his official action, and it at no time suffered any infraction 
 b\' any willful act of his. 
 
 These, with many other good qualities, made him strong with 
 the people of his district. He was, in fact, invincible to all 
 opponents in his own party, and stronger than his party in the 
 general elections. 
 
 I remember quite well our last separation at Cairo, when 
 he said to me that he would be very glad to meet me in Wash- 
 ington City at the opening of this Congress, and would take 
 great pleasure in assisting me in any way that he could in the 
 discharge of my new duties as a Member of this House. I 
 thanked him then for his generous offer, and now that he is 
 gone I shall gratefully remember this kindly expression of his 
 friendship and esteem. 
 
 How uncertain is life' How often it is that death intervenes 
 and interferes with the calculations of men. Instead of meet- 
 
22 Memorial Addresses: George II'. Smith 
 
 ing him here at tlie opening of this session of Congress, and 
 seeing his famihar face and enjoying again the friendly grasp 
 of his hand, I was on the opening day shocked bv the informa- 
 tion of his death, and was at that time appointed by the Speaker 
 of this House a member of the committee to attend his funeral 
 in his home State. 
 
 We witnessed there, at his home in Murphysboro, manv and 
 unmistakable evidences of the secure and warm place he held 
 in the hearts of his people. The city was in mourning, all busi- 
 ness was practically suspended, special trains brought hundreds 
 of his friends from all parts of his district; his Masonic breth- 
 ren came from all parts of the State; the streets about the 
 Logan House were crowded by a sorrowing multitude, unable to 
 gain admission or to hear the beautiful and touching tribute to 
 his memory expressed by the Reverend Doctor Flint, an old 
 boyhood friend, and Mr. Rodenberg, his close personal friend 
 and former colleague in this body. 
 
 The people of his home city seemed. to perfectly realize the 
 fact that they had in his death not only lost their most distin- 
 guished citizen, but their benefactor and friend; and their pres- 
 ence, their tears, and the many floral offerings all testified to 
 the sinceritv of their professions and the depth of their grief. 
 
 Our friend was laid to rest in the presence of thousands of 
 his former constituents, neighbors, fraternal associates, and 
 friends, by the Masonic fraternit)', with their beautiful funeral 
 service at the grave, which again impressed us all with the 
 uncertainty of this life and of the frailties of all things mortal. 
 
 Our Masonic brethren sometimes compare human life to the 
 hourglass, and the comparison is striking and appropriate: 
 
 Behold how the grains of sand contained in this machine pass away 
 almost imperceptibly, and yet in one short hoijr they are all exhausted. 
 So wastes man. To-day he ])uts forth the tender buds of hope; to-morrow 
 
Address of Mr. RksscU, of Missoiiyi 23 
 
 he blooms and bears his honors thick upon him; the next day the chilling 
 frosts of death destroy all, and while he thinks his greatness is still aspiring 
 he falls like autumn leaves, to enrich our mother earth. 
 
 But we were reminded by the evergreen, deposited by hun- 
 dreds of the fraternity in the grave with the mortal remains of 
 our departed brother, that — 
 
 There is in man an immortal spark which bears a close affinity to the 
 Supreme Architect of the universe that shall never die. This enables 
 all good Masons to look forward with hope and confidence to a blessed 
 immortality beyond the grave, and we doubt not that on the resurrection 
 morn our bodies shall rise up and become as incorruptible as the soul. 
 
24 Memorial Addresses: George \V. Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Chapman, of Ilunois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Among the men who have represented the 
 State of Illinois in the National Congress since its admission into 
 the Union, George W. Smith was one of the few who had been 
 honored by his district with a long, continued, and uninterrupted 
 serv'ice. Had he lived to the expiration of the Sixtieth Con- 
 gress, he would have been in continuous ser\'ice for twenty years. 
 During this time the nation has made more progress in the 
 family of nations than in any other corresponding period of its 
 history. He was born in the State of Ohio August i8, 1846. 
 When 4 years of age his father removed to Wayne County, 111. 
 He was reared on a farm, attended the common schools, learned 
 the blacksmith's trade, worked his way through McKendree Col- 
 lege, at Lebanon, 111., graduating in 1868, read law in a countrv 
 lawyer's office at Fairfield, 111., in his home county, and from 
 there he went to the university at Bloomington, 111., receiving 
 his law degree in 1 870, was admitted to practice in the same year, 
 moved to ^^lurphysboro, Jackson County, 111., and began his life 
 work as a lawyer. In the active practice of his profession he 
 attained considerable distinction, and was regarded by his asso- 
 ciates at the bar with that respect and confidence to which his 
 legal abilities entitled him, and had he remained in the practice 
 of law no doubt he would have attained a high position in the 
 profession, for he was painstaking, careful, studious, and always 
 watchful of every interest of his clients, and above all, was 
 regarded as thoroughly honest in everything pertaining to his 
 profession. The profession of law, especially in a country town, 
 naturally leads to politics, and in the case of Mr. Smith it was 
 to be expected that he, sooner or later, would become a candi- 
 
Address of Mr. Chapman, of Illinois 25 
 
 date for political honors, for he had every incentive, both by 
 nature and surroundings, to cause him to seek the political 
 arena as a field for his future operations. 
 
 He was a fluent talker, a splendid organizer, a clear thinker, 
 a good judge of men, and had that very necessary and important 
 facultv which every successful public man must possess, of sur- 
 rounding himself with loyal friends. And in addition to liiis, 
 the countv he had chosen for his residence had been the home 
 of John A. Logan, who became famous during the period of the 
 civil war, both as a Congressman and volunteer soldier, and 
 who afterwards, as a Senator from Illinois, served his country 
 with ecjuallv as great ability in civil life as he had ser\-ed it 
 in military life. Living in these surroundings, it was natural 
 that a man with the abihty and standing which ]Mr. Smith 
 had acquired in his profession should have a desire to emulate 
 the example of his distinguished neighbor and fellow-citizen. 
 He was a candidate for the nomination three times on the Re- 
 publican ticket for Congress before he succeeded. He was suc- 
 cessful as a candidate for the nomination to the Fifty-first Con- 
 gress, was elected, and was a Member continuously until his 
 death. The indomitable will and persistent effort to accomplish 
 his purpose when once he had made up his mind is clearly 
 shown in his overcoming the handicap of three successive de- 
 feats before he attained his goal. There are but few aspirants 
 in the political world who have sho\vn sufficient courage and 
 confidence in ultimate success to put forth another effort after 
 meeting with so many reverses as he did before securing the 
 position he sought. This phase of his character was one of the 
 predominant features of his private and public life. When 
 once he made up his mind that a thing was right and ought 
 to be done, nothing swer\-ed him from his purpose, and his 
 life's historv shows that he usually accomplished all of his 
 undertakings. 
 
26 Memorial Addresses: George 11". Smith 
 
 I knew Mr. S.mitii personally before he came to Congress, 
 and was identified with him in some of his early political strug- 
 gles. I was his constituent during fourteen years of his service 
 in Congress, and 1 have the privilege and the honor now of 
 representing four of the counties that formerly belonged to the 
 district which he represented. He was my personal friend, and 
 when I was elected to the Fifty-ninth Congress, and came here 
 inexperienced in the methods of procedure and unacquainted 
 with the duties which I was expected to perform, it was from 
 Mr. Smith, my former Congressman and friend, that I sought 
 advice and information, and I owe a debt of gratitude to him 
 for the manv favors shown me. For he was kind and consid- 
 erate and took time from his own duties to explain and show 
 me how to accomplish those things which every Representative 
 must learn, either by experience or by the advice of others, and 
 which he was eminentl\' qualified to do from his long experi- 
 ence and large store of information on all the subjects affect- 
 ing our national life. In equipping himself for the discharge 
 of his duties as Representative, Mr. S.mith did not confine him- 
 self alone to studying the institutions of his own country. He 
 perhaps had tra\eled as extensively as any other Member of 
 Congress. As a member of the Insular Committee he felt the 
 necessity of visiting our island possessions, that he might 
 acquaint himself at first hand, so that he could be better pre- 
 pared to understand and legislate upon the jiropositions which 
 are continuallv being presented in regard to them. In pur- 
 suance of this plan he had visited the Philippines, Porto Rico, 
 Hawaii, Alaska, and the Canal Zone, and no one of my acquaint- 
 ance could talk more intelligently and furnish more information 
 upon the practical c|uestions arising out of our island posses- 
 sions than Mr. Smith. 
 
 His extensive travels had given him a breadth of mind and a 
 vast amount of information which enabled him to grapple with 
 
Address of Mr. Chapman, of Illinois 27 
 
 and solve with ease the many problems which are contimiallv 
 arising in our national affairs. He had no personal jiride in 
 his own opinions, and was willing to receive advice and in- 
 formation from others, but after once making up his mind he 
 was firm in his convictions and steadfast in his purposes. As 
 his constituent for many years and colleague during a portion 
 of his Congressional career, I never knew or heard of anv 
 adverse criticisms from members of his own party of anv of 
 the many votes he cast upon public questions, so careful was 
 he to thoroughly inform himself before casting his vote. 
 
 As was evidenced by his long-continued service in Congress, 
 he was held in high esteem by his constituents. But few men 
 in public life were more trusted and loved by the people thev 
 represent than he, and in return he was a believer in the people, 
 and early in his Congressional career there was adopted in 
 his district, at his suggestion, a system of primary elections for 
 the nomination which gave each member of his party an op- 
 portunity to express his choice for candidates. This voluntary 
 primarv adopted many years ago in his district has been, with 
 very little amendment, lately enacted into a law which now 
 governs the nomination for all candidates in the State of 
 Illinois. A great many of his constituents were soldiers of 
 the civil war, and during his entire sen.'ice in Congress he was 
 their constant, loyal, and true friend, at all times readv and 
 willing to render them any service possible. As the "soldiers' 
 friend," he was known and honored throughout southern 
 Illinois, and he richly desen.-ed the title, for few have been the 
 men who ha\e been able to accomplish more for the soldiers 
 of his district than Mr. Smith. In return for this service he 
 was loved, honored, and trusted by the soldiers, regardless of 
 politics, in his district, and this fact was strongly exemplified 
 at his funeral by the long line of members of the Grand Armv 
 of the Republic which marched at the head of the funeral pro- 
 
28 Memorial Addresses: George W . Smith 
 
 cession, following to his last resting place one who, though not 
 their comrade, had earned the right to honorary burial as such 
 by his unselfish efforts and untiring energy in their behalf. 
 
 In his private life he was genial, hospitable, and generous. 
 He was always ready to lend a helping hand to the unfortunate, 
 and no one ever appealed to him in time of trouble who did not 
 receive his advice and assistance. His heart was kind and sym- 
 pathetic, and it seemed impossible for him to say "Xo"' to any 
 worthy one appealing to him in adversitv. He died poor in the 
 possession of the goods of this world, but rich in the esteem of 
 his fellow-men, to which his high standard of living and consci- 
 entious devotion to truth and justice entitled him. His word 
 was his bond and was so taken and accepted both in his polit- 
 ical life and in his dealings with his fellow-man. I was a mem- 
 ber of the committee of the House that attended his burial at 
 his home in ^lurphysboro, 111. .\ profound sorrow was over the 
 little citv. The business houses were closed out of respect for 
 the occasion, and a large number of his constituents, friends, 
 and neighbors gathered to pay a last sad tribute to his mortal 
 remains. From every county in his district came large delega- 
 tions, all of them his personal friends and knew him well, to 
 show the high esteem in which he was held by all of his constit- 
 uents. He was Iiuried under the auspices of the Masonic fra- 
 ternitv, of which he had been a devoted and honored member 
 for manv vears, and the large number of his brethren of this 
 order which gathered to pay the last sad rites to his memory at- 
 tested the high standing in which he was held by the fraternity. 
 Mav his memory ever be fresh in the affections of his friends 
 and of the people who honored and loved him as their Repre- 
 sentative and whom he served and loved so well. 
 
Address 0} Mr. Lowdcn, oj Illinois 29 
 
 Address of Mr. Lo\vt)en, of Illinois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: Again we are met to pay our tribute of affec- 
 tion and respect to a departed friend. 
 
 When we separated last spring, George \V. Smith had as good 
 a right to expect many years of useful life as any of us who are 
 here to-day. But suddenly Death met him face to face, and 
 he went out from our midst, leaving many heavy hearts. I 
 knew him well and loved him much. 
 
 The district he represented was the old Logan district. It 
 was from this district that John A. Logan enlisted in the war 
 with Mexico. It was from this district that Colonel Logan, re- 
 signing his seat in Congress, set out in the early days of the 
 civil war on that career which was to lead him to immortal 
 fame as the most illustrious citizen-soldier of the century. 
 Under the tutelage of that great man George W. Smith re- 
 ceived his first lessons in politics. It was to be expected, then, 
 that fidelity in all relations should be, as it was, a distinguish- 
 ing quality of his life. 
 
 Southern Illinois is remarkable in this, that more than any- 
 where else, so far as I know, the Puritan of New England and 
 the cavalier of the South met face to face, and in the rivalry 
 between them only the best qualities of each survived. 
 
 The virtues of the Xorth and the virtues of the South, min- 
 gling, produced a well-nigh perfect type of man. This people 
 is patriotic in the extreme, but always sane. They are brave, 
 but modest. They are hearty, but unaffected. They are hos- 
 pitable, but simple. They are shrewd, but fair. If you would 
 win their affections, you must first gain their respect. A more 
 
30 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 interesting people can nowhere be found. And when yon have 
 once visited southern Ilhnois you will not be content until you 
 return. And when you have gone back you will feel at home. 
 
 Modest beyond most, it was given only to the family and 
 closest friends of GEORGE W. Smith to know his manly worth. 
 Rut he who once was fortunate enough to gain his friendship 
 could count on him in all times, whether of good report or bad 
 report. Warm-hearted and loyal, like the great constituency 
 he represented here so faithfully and well for a generation, he 
 will be greatly missed in this House and in Illinois. 
 
 And what words of sympathy ma}- we speak to the devoted 
 wife, who mourns him most of all? I know that I utter the 
 sentiment of all his friends here and his friends at home when 
 I sav that she has been much in our thoughts since the separa- 
 tion came. We know that any spoken words of ours can not 
 assuage her grief, and that only from on high can comfort 
 come to her wounded heart. May the Father of us all be very 
 tender to the sorrowing companion of his earthly days. May 
 she find peace in the glorious hope of a reunion beyond the 
 grave. 
 
 Not affecting brilliancy of speech, but relying upon industry 
 and good common sense. Representative Smith ser\'ed his 
 people and his country well. 
 
 I have been many times in his district. He had an affection- 
 ate hold upon his constituents which nothing could shake loose. 
 He trusted them and they believed in him. When the hour 
 struck and he passed from mortal sight, the people of southern 
 Illinois mourned the loss not only of their distinguished Rep- 
 resentative, but of their friend as well. 
 
Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 31 
 
 Address of Mr. Graff, of Llinois 
 
 Mr. vSpeaker: My late colleague, Hon. George W. Smith, 
 who passed away at his home in Murphysboro, 111., in the first 
 days of the present session of this Congress, preceded me as a 
 Member of this body by three Congresses, being first elected 
 in 1 888 to the Fifty-first Congress, making ten successive 
 Congresses to which he had been elected from southern Illinois. 
 
 I knew him well and met him almost daily during the last 
 twelve vcars when this House was in session. Among the ;,yi 
 Representatives here there remain but 6 who equal or exceed 
 in terms of ser\-ice that of my lamented colleague. They are 
 Speaker Cannon, from my own State, with seventeen terms; 
 Representative Bingham, of Pennsylvania, fifteen terms; Rep- 
 resentative Payne, of New York, twelve terms; Representative 
 Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, eleven terms; Representative Hep- 
 burn, of Iowa, eleven terms; and Representative Sherman, of 
 New York, ten terms. For a period of twenty years he survived 
 the mutations of politics, the rivalries of political associates, 
 factional strife, the unavoidable disappointment of followers, 
 as well as the attack of the opposing party. All this is neces- 
 sarily involved in such a long and uninterrupted legislative 
 career. The Representative in Congress is the only national 
 official chosen directly by the ])eople. His constituency is not 
 too large to come in personal contact with him and to form an 
 independent individual estimate of his character and ability. 
 
 His brief term of two years brings him back quickly to learn 
 the people's latest mandate, their opinions, the objects of their 
 present thought, their problems, and their difficulties. Custom 
 85410 — H. Due. 1545, 60-2 ji 
 
32 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 has added to his legislative duties that of being the people's 
 agent with reference to their individual matters with the Gov- 
 ernment, thus bringing him into daily contact with them in 
 even their private affairs. Mr. Smith had passed the stage of 
 accidental preferment. He had withstood the eliminating and 
 inexorable test of time, with all the trials common to such an 
 experience. That he surmounted these difficulties through the 
 years is of deep significance when we remember that this affirm- 
 ative answer comes from an intelligent constituency of almost 
 200,000 people. 
 
 For eighteen years prior to his first election to Congress the 
 people of his section knew ^Ir. Smith as a lawyer at Murphys- 
 boro, and had nominated and elected him in 1880 as a Repub- 
 lican Presidential elector. They knew him intimately and well 
 and had the very best opportunity to measure the elements 
 of his character and ability. Therefore their persistent sup- 
 port of and loyalty to him through a fifth of a century is a 
 higher tribute to his character and noble qualities of mind and 
 heart than the most eloquent panegyric that could be uttered 
 here by his friends and colleagues. 
 
 Mr. Smith served at various times during his ser\-ice here 
 upon the following committees: Claims, War Claims, Militia, 
 the Post-Ofllce and Post-Roads, and Insular .\ffairs, and was for 
 many years the chairman of the Committee on Private Land 
 Claims. He devoted himself very industriously to the work 
 upon his committees, where, as we all know, most of the real 
 work of this House is done. Being for many years on the sub- 
 committee of the Committee on the Post-OfTice and Post- 
 Roads, which framed the post-office appropriation bills, he had 
 to do with the appropriation made for the (rial of rural free 
 delivery, and he took a just jjride in being one of the earliest 
 supporters of this service wiiile it was yet in its experimental 
 
Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 33 
 
 stage. He was also an earnest advocate of penny postage, and 
 first introduced a bill for that purpose in 1902 and continued 
 to introduce the same measure each Congress until his death, 
 presenting from time to time numerous petitions from over 
 the countrv in behalf of that movement. While on this com- 
 mittee he visited Australia and contributed on his return to the 
 bringing about of the parcels-post convention between the 
 United vStates and Australia. 
 
 While upon the Connnittee on Insular Affairs, his last impor- 
 tant committee, he felt it his duty to make a trip to the Philip- 
 pines and Porto Rico that he might be better equipped for his 
 duties in that behalf. 
 
 Mr. Smith also visited Cuba, the Isthmus of Panama since 
 our operations in the construction of the canal, Alaska, and 
 almost everv part of the mainland of the United States. He also 
 broadened his obsen.-ations of the world by a trip to Europe, 
 and endeavored to prepare himself as best he could for the work 
 which devolved upon him as a Representative of the people. 
 Upon his election to Congress he gave up the practice of his pro- 
 fession of the law and devoted himself entirely to his official 
 duties. He secured three appropriations at different times for 
 the national cemetery at Mound City, in his district, and through 
 his efforts had allotted from time to time, out of the general 
 appropriation for the Mississippi River, an aggregate of at least 
 a half million dollars for the carrying out of projects along that 
 portion of the river within the boundaries of his district, where 
 they were properly needed. 
 
 He was an earnest advocate of the popular primary system, 
 and was three times nominated by a primary called by the Con- 
 gressional committee of his district before any primary law had 
 been passed by the State of Illinois. Mr. Smith was only 15 
 years old when the civil war began; nevertheless he offered him- 
 
34 Memorial Addresses: George IV. Smith 
 
 self as a \olnntecr soldier before that contest closed, but was 
 rejected because of his then physical condition. He took great 
 interest in the Federal soldiers and their widows when their 
 claims were pending in the Pension Bureau or before Congress 
 in the shape of legislation, and in his district I am sure that 
 they will remember his helpfulness for many a year vet to come. 
 
 He loved his country and was proud of its history and con- 
 fident of its glorious and successful future. Our colleague was 
 a warm-hearted, loyal, manly man, and had no associate on 
 the Illinois delegation who was not his friend and wellwisher. 
 Rancor, jealousy, meanness seemed to have no place in his 
 soul. He speedily forgot a slight or injury, but ever remem- 
 bered a friendly obligation. His honesty and sincerity were 
 both unquestioned. His home life was congenial and delight- 
 ful; but whether at home or elsewhere, his kindlv spirit was 
 always manifest, leaving in companionship never an impression 
 that rankled, never a cut that hurt. At home this broad and 
 generous bearing must have disarmed and conquered manv an 
 enmity and won many a fast friend and adherent. The people 
 adhered to him and were drawn by him. Were thev mistaken;" 
 I am sure they were not, for they knew him and correctly 
 interpreted his character and life. 
 
 This modest colleague has passed away. He was not given 
 to heralding his own accomplishments, either here or at home; 
 much less was he accustomed to enlarging upon them. But 
 now that he has gone, it has seemed to me that he would 
 prefer a truthful narration of his faithful work and efforts 
 for his home comnuinity and his nation to stilted phrase and 
 fulsome laudation. 
 
 In the midst of the activity of his career he immediatelv 
 stepped from this life into the beyond. While we regret his 
 departure, yet, for the consolation of his faithful wife and 
 
Address of Mr. Graff, of Illinois 35 
 
 friends, was he not fortunate in not being compelled to linger 
 just outside the portals, through protracted and weary months 
 of pain and helplessness, a prisoner to disease, craving death 
 to free him? God only knows, but since Providence had deter- 
 mined that his earthly work had ceased and the time of his 
 departure was at hand. I prefer to believe that an infinite 
 and divine love summoned his spirit thence without a proba- 
 tionary period of pain. 
 
36 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Fuller, of Llinois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: I wish to pay my tribute of respect and esteem 
 to and of affection for my late colleague, George W. Smith. 
 If these ser\'ices were to be held in his home district in Illinois, 
 there would be no building large enough to accommodate his 
 friends who would desire to be present. A man is best known 
 at home. I am not one of those who believe that the prophet 
 is not without honor save in his own land. At his own home 
 and among his own neighbors he is best known. There, if he 
 is worthy, he is appreciated at his full worth, and there George 
 W. Smith was best known and most appreciated. For the 
 people of his district he labored in season and out of season. 
 He loved his home and appreciated his home people, and his 
 strength and his political prestige were based on the fact that 
 he was always for his home people and for their interests. No 
 Congressman who ever held a seat on this floor was more faith- 
 ful to or more diligent in looking after the wants and the 
 interests of the people of his district than George \\'. Smith. 
 
 Green be the turf above thee, 
 
 Friend of my better days; 
 None know thee but to love thee. 
 
 None named thee but to praise. 
 
 The people of his district will miss him, and as the years go 
 by will know that in him they have lost a trite and devoted 
 friend. Of him they will say: 
 
 While memory bids me weep thee, 
 Nor tlioughts nor words are free, 
 The grief is fixed too deeply 
 That mourns a man like thee. 
 
Address of Mr. Fuller, of Illinois 37 
 
 I have been profoundly impressed with the great number of 
 our colleagues here who have been called from life during 
 our term of ser\-ice. We are reminded, oh, so often, that 
 neither great nor small can avoid the call of the grim monster, 
 Death. Our fathers met him and were vanquished. We 
 shall each in our turn meet him and pass on; to a better or 
 worse condition we know not. We must all cross the deep, 
 dark river; how soon, we know not. What is on the other side 
 we do not know. We can only hope that life is eternal and 
 that over there somewhere we shall meet the friends gone 
 before us. 
 
 The thoughts we are thinking our fathers did think; 
 From the death we are shrinking our fathers did shrink; 
 To the life we are clinging our fathers did cling. 
 But it speeds from us all like the bird on the wing. 
 
 We bid our friend farewell. We shall see him no more. 
 
 We pass; the path that each man trod 
 Is dim, or will be dim, with weeds: 
 What fame is left for human deeds 
 In endless age? It rests with God. 
 
38 Memorial Addresses: Georgi \V . Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Chaney, of Indiana 
 Mr. Speaker — 
 
 I have seen man in ihe pride of his strength. He walked, he leaped, 
 he ran. he rejoiced in that he was more excellent than the rose. Again 
 I have seen him, and behold, life hath departed from him and the breath 
 from out of his nostrils. 
 
 We all realize the fact that death is in the world, but what 
 a gracious thing it is to know that men are remembered for 
 what they have done. In the last week or two in this House 
 we have supposed that there is not room enough on the earth 
 for all of us. if we were to accept the appearances, but when 
 there comes a time to us all. which must come to evervone, 
 whatever may be our political belief and whatever mav ha\e 
 been our political contest, whatever may be the religious belief 
 which we hold, we, after all, come together, American citizens, 
 bone of one bone and flesh of one flesh, recognizing the eternal 
 mandate that, after all, we are brethren and that we appreciate 
 each other. 
 
 Times have changed very greatly in the years in which we 
 have had our experiences. We live in a day of enlightened 
 religion. Hell is not as large as it used to be. vSeventy-five 
 years or so ago it was decidedly the largest section of the uni- 
 verse. Everybody went there except our own set. Now verv 
 few are going. The soldiers of truth have come home from the 
 wars covered o'er with the smoke and dust of battle, but they 
 are marching beneath arches of flowers erected by loving and 
 sympathetic hands. I have an abiding faith in the immortalitx' 
 of the soul. I believe that this earth is only the nursery from 
 which there is to be transplanted the trees which are to blossom 
 
Address of Mr. Chaney, of Indiana 39 
 
 and bear their fruit in another world. I believe, therefore, 
 that the work that we may do here is worthy of appreciation 
 by everyone, and that each one as he passes hence is entitled to 
 that respectful consideration and that grateful word of remem- 
 brance to which all men, honored for the work they have 
 done here, are entitled. Indiana and Illinois are very closely 
 related in a business way as well as by geographical boundaries. 
 
 The citizens of Illinois are very closely related to those of 
 Indiana. Indiana is able to appreciate the greatness of that 
 great State. Indiana had a hand in the education of George 
 W. Smith. He graduated in the law department of the Indiana 
 University. Above all, however, he was an American citizen 
 who believed in his country, believed in his fellow-men. He 
 ser^-ed his people well at home and he ser\'ed his people well 
 here. It is a splendid thing, indeed, to know that those who 
 are most intimately acquainted with him, who associated with 
 him almost daily through his life, can speak the words of praise 
 that they do, and speak them with a heartfelt appreciation of 
 what he w-as. I was one of the committee which went out to 
 his funeral, and my heart was filled with gratitude indeed to see 
 that large assemblage of people in his home city, to see them 
 tenderly cover his coffin with flowers and as tenderly go out 
 to the city of the dead. 
 
 He was our fellow-citizen, he was an Illinoisian, but he was an 
 American. State lines do not encompass.the privileges of men 
 in the United States. I glory in the fact that in this land of 
 liberty one man is only better than another if he behaves him- 
 self better. I am glad to know that that was the guiding star 
 of George W. Smith. He appreciated his opportunities, he 
 embraced his responsibilities, he acted up to the dignity of 
 American civilization, and went out of Hfe to meet his God, 
 having served his country well. It is not for us to judge faults 
 of men, for if the faults of human kind were all unpardonable 
 
40 Memorial Addresses: George \V. Smith 
 
 sins there would be no hereafter, but on this resurrection day, 
 under this beautiful sky with this bright sun, we can appre- 
 ciate that it is not only an appropriate day to pronounce a 
 eulogy on a well-spent life, but it is also an appropriate day to 
 look forward to that immortality which is given to all those who 
 remember the Creator of the Universe. 
 
Address of Mr. De Armond, of Missouri 41 
 
 Address of Mr. De Armond, of Missouri 
 
 Mr. Speaker: George W. Smith served long and creditably 
 in this House. His people commissioned him for still longer 
 service. Death and not his constituents terminated his career. 
 He retained the confidence of his people to the end. They 
 knew him well, and he could not so long and so firmly hold 
 their respect and esteem except upon merit. Their steadfast 
 support is strongest evidence of his worth. 
 
 Life has its own unobtrusive reciprocity. The people sus- 
 tained Representative Smith, and Representative Smith strove 
 manfully to serve them, not only otficially, but also personally. 
 He never tired of the labor of love — and such it surely was jn 
 his case — performed throughout his entire career, in doing for 
 his constituents collectively and for thousands of them indi- 
 viduallv whatever their wants suggested and his ability with 
 his opportunities could accomplish. 
 
 His admiration for and pride in the people who honored him 
 and whom he served was very great. His people were ever 
 uppermost in his mind. He was a diligent and faithful repre- 
 sentative of a great constituency, and those whom he served 
 stood manfully between him and political danger. 
 
 Faithfulness to the people who put us in high places surely is 
 admirable, and thus faithful was our friend. The Congressman 
 who serves well his immediate constituency almost always 
 serves his country well. On the other hand, the Member who 
 serves special interests is a bad representative of any American 
 constituencv, as well as a bad lawmaker for the Republic. A 
 
42 Memorial Addresses: George 11'. Smith 
 
 special interest 'is none the less a special interest because located 
 in one's own district, and its servant in the Congress of our 
 country is none the less an enemy of good government because 
 his home and the home of his master are in the same cit\- or 
 county. To the honor of George W. ,Smith it can be truth- 
 full\- said that the people — the many and not the few — 
 appealed to his sense of justice and of gratitude, and to them 
 his services were gladl\' given. 
 
 It is no secret among the friends of Mr. Smith that he was 
 not entirely satisfied with his treatment in late years in the 
 make-up of committees. But if he was proud and felt keenly 
 the sting of what he esteemed a wrong suffered in the house- 
 hold of political friends, he was also sensitive, and pride and 
 sensitiveness combined to make him silent. 
 
 He was a good friend and a manlv antagonist. He was 
 every man's friend, and the enemy of no one. He was too 
 kindh- in disposition and too broad to harbor hatred or ill will. 
 He was a true man. So let his faults rest in the grave with his 
 body, while we cherish the memory of his many good traits 
 and good deeds. 
 
Address of Mr. Steenerson, of Miuucsota 43 
 
 Address of Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota 
 
 Mr. Speakkr: \\'e have met to-day to pay fitting tribute to 
 the character and jnibHc services of a distinguished Member of 
 this House and a faithful servant to the people; I first met 
 Mr. S.MITH at the beginning of the Fifty-eighth Congress, where 
 we happened to be both assigned to the same committee, the 
 Committee on the Militia. Soon after a vacancy occurred in 
 the chairmanship, and Mr. S.MiTir, who ranked me, very promptly 
 sent word that, having another chairmanship, he did not desire 
 the place, but advised me to assert my claim as the next one 
 in order. Being a new ilember I did not get the ]ilace at that 
 time, but I always felt grateful to ^Ir. Smith for his kindness 
 and consideration in the matter. When Congress adjourned 
 for the holidays in December, 1906, we both joined a party of 
 Congressmen for a trip to Panama, and on this delightful trip 
 of three weeks we were together a great deal, both on shipboard 
 and ashore, and I found him a most delightful companion. 
 He had been reared on the frontier and seen his own immediate 
 neighborhood advance from a wilderness to one of the richest 
 anfl most prosjierous agricultural sections of the whole country. 
 He knew the hardships and sacrifices of pioneer life, and his 
 sympathy with the people was natural and genuine. He was 
 not only a well-read man generally, but had traveled extensively 
 in his own country as well as nearly every country on the globe. 
 He was a close observer and an independent and original thinker. 
 He had studied social and political questions abroad, and no 
 doubt to this fact was largely due his constant interest in the 
 extension and betterment of the mail service in our own country. 
 
44 Memorial Addresses: George IV. Smith 
 
 To luar him lell of his travels and obsenations was not only 
 
 a continuous source of information, but a delight. 
 
 Of him it might be truly said: 
 
 He forei<;n countries knew; but ihey were known 
 Not for themselves, but to advance his own. 
 
 Mr. Smith was first elected to Congress in i8S8, and was suc- 
 cessively reelected nine times. He ser\ed in the Fifty-first and 
 Fiftv-second Congresses on the Committees on Territories and 
 Claims, and in the Fifty-eighth and Fift\-ninth Congresses he 
 was chairman of the Committee on Private Land Claims. His 
 most important service, however, was on the Committee on the 
 Post-Office and Post-Roads, of which he was an active and in- 
 fluential member for ten years, from 1893 to 1903. He was 
 one of the originators of the rural free-delivery service, in which 
 fact he always took a just pride. His last speech on the floor 
 of the House, February 19, 1907, was devoted to this subject, 
 and lie reviewed the origin and growth of the rural free-deliverv 
 service from the beginning and its beneficent influence upon the 
 people. 
 
 The State of Illinois has in the past furnished more than its 
 
 share of great names to illuminate the pages of our country's 
 
 history. Illinois is still furnishing at least her share of the 
 
 illustrious statesmen who are now in the present guiding oitr 
 
 vShip of State, and in such a galaxy it is difficult to shine; but 
 
 though the ser\-ices of these may be more conspicuous they 
 
 could not excel in high conception of honor and fidelity to duty 
 
 the more humble career of our departed and honored friend. 
 
 Honor and shame from no condition rise; 
 -\ct well your part, there all the honor lies. 
 
 That the people whom he had so long and faithfully served 
 
 appreciated him and loved him was most patheticallv shown bv 
 
 the large outpouring of the people and universal evidences of 
 
 grief on the occasion of his funeral at liis old home. 
 
Address of Mr. Steenerson, of Minnesota 45 
 
 He died in the fullness of his prime, and in his death the people 
 lost a faithful friend and wise legislator He has gone to — 
 
 The undiscovered country, from whose bourn 
 Xo traveler returns — 
 
 And whose secrets we may not know, except by faith in love 
 divine; but this we know, that earth has received into its final 
 embrace few men more beloved than was George W. Smith. 
 
46 Memorial Addresses: George H'. Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Madden, of Illinois 
 
 Mr. Speaker: of the pulilic characteristics of our lamented 
 colleague and of his legislative achievements other ^lembers 
 have spoken in high praise. It was not my privilege to serve 
 long with him in this honored body, and I had therefore no per- 
 sonal opportunity to study from close range his public under- 
 takings. I did enjoy, though, a very close personal acquaint- 
 ance with him, and it is a sincere satisfaction to me to be able to 
 say, in paying tribute to his memory, that he was one of the 
 most lovable gentlemen that I have ever known. I can bear 
 testimony to his high personal character and to his warm- 
 hearted manliness. He never failed when opportunity offered 
 to do for a friend some needed kindness, and he was always 
 ready to fight with all his might for any cause in which he 
 enlisted. 
 
 Of his many virtues honesty and truthfulness were the most 
 pronounced, and it was these sterling qualities which won for 
 him the respect and the esteem of his friends and acquaintances. 
 
 It was not necessary for him to set up proof in substantia- 
 tion of his positi\x' assertions. His word was as good as his 
 bond, and when he declared to one who knew him as I did tiiat 
 he would do thus or so, it was all but done. 
 
 Like most other men, he had some minor faults, but they 
 were not grievous ones. 
 
 Best men are born of faults and are better it is said for having been a 
 little bad. 
 
 So spoke the great -Shakespeare, and in those words I believe 
 he told a great truth. 1 have never known a so-called "fault- 
 
Address of Mr. Madden, of Illi)wis 47 
 
 less man" to do for hinis<.-lf, his friciicls, or his country any 
 real good, Init the faults of our lamented friend were, when 
 compared with his many virtues and graces, rendered nugatory 
 if not entirely undisceniible. 
 
 George W. Smith, like most men who come to Congress, and 
 who amount to anything after they come here, learned early in 
 life that the pathway to success is not strewn with roses. His 
 struggle for an education was severe. He made many sacri- 
 fices that he might attain success, but he did succeed. I am 
 told that his clear understanding of the principles of jurispru- 
 dence, his ready wit, and his forceful, though generous and 
 magnanimous, character, made him a formidable competitor of 
 the most distinguished members of the bar in his section of the 
 State from which so many illustrious men have come. 
 
 For eighteen years Mr. Smith was an honored and useful 
 Member of this body. He was not a great orator, nor did he 
 grapple with the weightier matters of state. He was, however, 
 an indefatigable worker, and by hard study and close applica- 
 tion he acquired a fund of information which enabled him 
 intelligently to examine into and understand the many com- 
 plicated questions which a Member of Congress is required to 
 pass upon in order that by his action and his aid the interests 
 of his constituents and his country may best be consen.'ed. 
 
 By the death of our beloved colleague the old soldiers of 
 his district sustain a loss that can only be expressed in tears. 
 To their cause he was more devoted than he was to his own 
 interests. 
 
 There never was a time in his [jublic career wdien he would 
 not have sacrificed his last dollar or exerted his greatest efforts 
 to do for some needy soldier an act of kindness, but while he 
 was partial to the old soldier, and while it always seemed easier 
 for him to come to their assistance than to do aught else, his 
 85410— H. Doc. 1545, 60-2 4 
 
iS JJi-miTi-zJ Addresses: GeTprar T? . Smiii 
 
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50 Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE 
 
 Tuesday, December j. igoy. 
 
 A message from the House of Representatives communicated 
 to the Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. George W. 
 Smiih, late a Rejircscntative from the State of Illinois, and 
 transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. 
 
 The message also announced that the Speaker had appointed 
 Mr. I.orimer, Mr. Prince, Mr. Chapman, Mr. McGavin, Mr. 
 Foster, INIr. McDerniott, and Mr. Rodenberg, of Illinois; Mr. 
 Dawes, of Ohio; Mr. Chaney, of Indiana; Mr. Rucker and Mr. 
 Russell, of Missouri; ]Mr. Maynard, of Virginia; Mr. Steener- 
 son, of Minnesota; Mr. Broussard, of Louisiana; and Mr. I.egare, 
 of South Carolina, members of the committee on the part of 
 the House to attend the funeral of the deceased. 
 
 Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions from 
 the House of Representatives in reference to the death of my 
 late colleague in the House, Hon. George W. Smith, may be laid 
 before the Senate. 
 
 The \'ice-PrESIdrn'T. The Chair la>s before the Senate reso- 
 lutions from the House of Representatives, which will be read. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 
 
 In the Hoi'SE of Represent.atives, 
 
 December 2, iQoy. 
 
 Resolved, That tlie House 1ms heard uitli pnit'ound sorrow of the death 
 of Hon. George W. Smith, a Representative from the State of lUinois. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of fifteen Members of the House, with such 
 meml)ers 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 provi- 
 
Proceedings in the Senate 51 
 
 sions 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. 
 
 Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions which I 
 send to the desk and ask unanimous consent for their immedi- 
 ate consideration. 
 
 The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Sen- 
 ator from IlHnois will be read by the Secretary. 
 
 The resolutions were read, considered by unanimous consent, 
 and imanimoiisly agreed to, as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announce- 
 ment of the death of the Hon. George W. Smith, late a Representative 
 from the State of Illinois. 
 
 Resolved, That a committee of three Senators be appointed by the Vice- 
 President to join the committee appointed on the part of the House of 
 Representatives to take order for superintending the funeral oi the 
 deceased. 
 
 Resolved, That the iSecretary communicate these resolutions to the 
 House of Representatives. 
 
 The Vice-President. The Chair appoints as members of the 
 committee on the part of the Senate, under the second resolu- 
 tion just adopted, the Senator from Illinois [Mr. Hopkins], the 
 Senator from Indiana [Mr. HemEnway], and the Senator from 
 Kentucky [Mr. McCreary]. 
 
 Mr. CuLLOM. As a further mark of respect to the memory of 
 my late colleague, I move that the vSenate adjourn. 
 
 The motion was agreed to; and fat 2 o'clock and 33 minutes 
 p. m.'i the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Wednesday, De- 
 cember 4, 1907, at 12 o'clock meridian. 
 
 Thursday, May 28, igoS. 
 
 Mr. CuLLOM. Mr. President, I desire to give notice that on 
 December 15, 1908, my colleague and I will present for consid- 
 eration resolutions commemorative of the life and character of 
 
52 Proceedings in the Senate 
 
 the Hon. Georce ^\'. Smith, late a Member of the House of 
 Representatives from the State of Illinois. 
 
 Tuesday, December /5, igoS. 
 
 Mr. CuLi.o.M. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions of the 
 House of Representatives on the death of the Hon. GEoRr.E W. 
 Smith be laid before the Senate. 
 
 The Vice-President. The Chair lays before the Senate the 
 resolutions of the House of Representatives, which will he read. 
 
 The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows: 
 
 In the Hocse of Representatives, 
 
 April ig, igo8. 
 
 Resolved, That in jjursuance of the special order heretofore adopted, 
 the House now proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. CfEorge \V. 
 Smith, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois. 
 
 Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of the deceased 
 and in recuijnition of his distinguished public career, the House at the 
 conclusion of the exercises to-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. 
 
 Mr. Ci'i.LOM. Mr. President, I offer the following resolutions. 
 The Vice-President. The resolutions submitted by the Sen 
 ator from Illinois will be read. 
 
 The vSecretary read the resolutions, as follows: 
 
 Resolved, That the Senate expresses its sorrow on account of the death 
 of Hon. George \V. S.mith, late a Member of the House of Representatives 
 from the State of Illinois. 
 
 Resolved, That the business of the Senate be susjjended in order that 
 fitting tribute be paid to his memory. 
 
 Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these resolutions 
 to the House of Representatives and to the widow and family of the deceased 
 
Address of Mr. Cullom, oj Illinois 53 
 
 MEMORIAL ADDRESSES 
 Address of Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 
 
 Mr. Presidemt: I ask the attention of the Senate while I 
 submit some remarks appropriate to the occasion, suggested by 
 the resolutions just read. 
 
 We are called upon, according to the usual custom in the Sen- 
 ate, to pav our tribute of respect to the memory of a deceased 
 colleague of the other House, George W. Smith, late a Repre- 
 sentative in Congress from the State of Illinois. 
 
 The death roll in Congress during the past few years has been 
 unusually large, and we are again reminded that — 
 In the midst of life we are in death. 
 
 George W. Smith was born in Putnam County, Ohio, on 
 August 18, 1846. When but a child he came with his parents to 
 Illinois and settled on a farm in Wayne County, in the south- 
 ern portion of the State. His early life was the ordinary hard 
 life of a farm boy whose parents were in the most moderate 
 circumstances. 
 
 In his early years he learned the trade of a blacksmith, and 
 at the same time attended the common country school. Being 
 ambitious to advance to the higher walks of life, and realizing 
 early the value of education, on his own initiative he commenced 
 his studies in the literary department of McKendrie College at 
 Lebanon, 111., from which he graduated in 1S6S. Determining 
 to have a profession, to rise above his humble trade as a black- 
 smith, he took to the law, and entered the law department of 
 the university at Bloomington, one of the earliest and best law 
 institutions in the State, from which he was graduated with 
 
54 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 honors in 1870 and was admitted to the bar during that vear. 
 Like the majority of the young lawyers in that portion of the 
 State, he early took an interest in politics, and was a presiden- 
 tial elector and voted for Garfield in 1880. He was alwavs an 
 uncompromising Republican, and was ready at all times to 
 defend and fight for his party, its principles, and policies. For 
 years he devoted close attention to the practice of the law, and 
 as a lawyer possessed far more than ordinary ability, and when 
 elected to Congress his firm enjoyed one of the largest law prac- 
 tices in that portion of Illinois. 
 
 George W. Smith ser\'ed in Congress continually from March 
 4, 1889, until his death, having been elected to the Fifty-first 
 Congress, and reelected to the Fifty-second, Fifty-third, Fifty- 
 fourth, Fifty-fifth, Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty- 
 ninth, and Sixtieth, and had he lived he could have continued 
 to represent his district as long as he wished to ser\-e. His 
 district was an interesting one. It was the district so long 
 the home of that foremost volunteer soldier and officer of the 
 civil war — Gen. John A. Logan, than whom there was no braver 
 and better soldier, and himself a politician of no mean order. 
 The Logan district, the district represented by Mr. Smith for 
 so manv years, I suppose contains more ambitious politicians 
 than any district in the .State. That he was able to retain his 
 place in Congress for so many years proves that he was a shrewd, 
 astute politician. I regarded him as one of the shrewdest 
 politicians in that portion of Illinois. He was a great judge 
 of men and was rarely mistaken in his friends. He had a 
 splendid organization, composed of the best men and politi- 
 cians in the district, and although he had a sharp contest 
 every time he came up for reelection no one was ever successful 
 in defeating him. He had been unusually successful in his 
 district in securing the nomination from term to term, and 
 ambitious men desirous to represent the district in Congress 
 
Address of Mr. Cullom, of Illinois 55 
 
 had become disinclined to become candidates of late years, 
 feeling that Mr. Smith could and would defeat any man who 
 should become a candidate. As the years went by he seemed 
 to grow stronger among the people of his district, and he was 
 devoted to their interests, never tiring, always ready to respond 
 to the call of a constituent, and the calls were many and fre- 
 quent, that portion of the State being filled with the gallant 
 survivors of the civil war. 
 
 The old soldiers who fought for the country and the flag 
 know and appreciate the men who most sympathize with them, 
 and veterans in his district never failed to manifest their appre- 
 ciation of Mr. Smith's friendship for them. 
 
 Under our constitutional form of government, the Senators 
 and Representatives bring from their several States and dis- 
 tricts the sentiments and desires of the people they represent 
 touching national affairs and legislation, and by so doing a con- 
 sensus of public opinion of every section is voiced in our legis- 
 lative action as nearly as may be, and this is more true in the 
 House, whose Members come closer to and represent the people 
 directly, than it is in the Senate, representing, as we do, the 
 sovereign States. In his legislative action Mr. Smith always 
 sought to represent as nearly as he could the views of his people, 
 and this made him strong at home. In a popular form of 
 government such as ours, it is the duty of Representatives and 
 Senators to represent and carry out the wishes of the people, so 
 far as the Constitution will permit. Mr. vSmith's serv'ice in 
 Congress was at a time when the country had just passed 
 through a great civil war, when only earnest and determined 
 men were most active in political affairs. 
 
 George W. Smith was my warm, personal friend for many 
 years, and I am indebted to iiim for years of loyal and active 
 support. He was a man of much power when aroused, and 
 demonstrated his power when goaded and pressed hard by his 
 
56 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 enemies. He was true to his friends, honest and generous in 
 his sentiments, sincere in his convictions, and strong in his 
 adherence to what he beheved to be right. 
 
 On the 30th of November, 1907, after a brief illness, attended 
 by a beloved wife and surrounded by devoted friends, he passed 
 away at his old home in Murphysboro. His labors, struggles, 
 and conflicts ended; his work was done; he had finished his 
 course. 
 
Address of Mr. Curtis, oj Kansas 57 
 
 Address of Mr. Curtis, of Kansas 
 
 Mr. Presidext: I desire to add a word or two as a tribute 
 to the memory of George W. Smith. I knew him well, not 
 only having sen,'ed with him from the Fifty-third to Fifty- 
 ninth Congress, inclusive, but a few years ago made a trip to 
 the Philippines with a party of which he and his good wife 
 were also members, and on this trip I became intimately ac- 
 quainted with him and learned of his many good qualities. 
 
 He was a successful man on the farm, in the blacksmith shop, 
 in the legal profession, and he was a faithful, hardworking, 
 and successful ^Member of the House of Representatives. That 
 his people had faith in him is evidenced by the fact that they 
 kept him in Congress for nearly twenty years, and had he lived, 
 he no doubt would have continued to represent them for many 
 more years. He was well equipped for the service in the House ; 
 he knew his district well; he loved the people who had honored 
 him, and was ever ready to aid and assist them. He ser\ed 
 in the House long enough to be understood by those who were 
 in the public service; he earned high regard by his earnest 
 study of great questions and by the independence and wdsdom he 
 displayed. 
 
 No taint of corruption or dishonor ever stained his name, 
 and it is therefore befitting that we should record here our 
 affection for him and our appreciation for his honorable and 
 useful life. 
 
58 Memorial Addresses: George W. Smith 
 
 Address of Mr. Hopkins, of Llinois 
 
 Mr. President: Among the public men from Illinois whom 
 death has claimed in recent years no one has held a better 
 place in the affections of his constituents than George W. 
 Smith, late a Member of the House of Representatives from 
 the twenty-fifth district of Illinois. 
 
 My acquaintance with Mr. Smith began when he came to 
 the House of Representatives as a ^Member of the Fifty-first 
 Congress. I had preceded him as a Member of the House by 
 several years, and I shall never forget the favorable impression 
 that he made upon me as he took his place among the Members 
 of that great legislative body. He was a picture of manly 
 beauty and was well endowed mentally. He was representing 
 a constituency that once had been honored by the sen,'ice of 
 Gen. John A. Logan, a constituency that demanded much from 
 their Representative. He continued to represent his district in 
 the House of Representatives for twenty years, and during that 
 entire period steadily grew in the affections and esteem of the 
 good people of southern Illinois. 
 
 Mr. Smith was a lawyer by profession, and for many years 
 prior to his entering political life had made his home at Mur- 
 physboro, 111., and had attained by his ability and industry a 
 leading position among the lawj^ers of his section of the State. 
 He was a ready and eloquent speaker, a logical reasoner, and a 
 careful student of the law. Had he not been diverted from his 
 profession into political life he would have undoubtedly been 
 ranked as one of the leading lawyers of the State. He had a 
 natural aptitude, however, for politics. Murphysboro was once 
 
Address of My. Hopkins, pJ Illinois 59 
 
 the home of Gen. John A. Logan and the center of political 
 life. Mr. Smith thus early was brought in contact with the 
 leading men politically in his section of the State. The favor- 
 able impression that he made upon them made it very easy for 
 him to become their Representative in Congress. 
 
 He had a few fierce battles to maintain his position during 
 his twenty years of ser\'ice in Congress, but on each of those 
 occasions he displayed the ability, the ncrA-e, and the dash that 
 not only overcame all opposition but strengthened him in the 
 love and esteem of his constituents. I think at the time of 
 his death he was never held in higher regard by those who had 
 followed his fortunes for twenty years. His work in Congress 
 was marked by a steady growth. He served on many of the 
 important committees of the House of Representatives and on 
 each of them displayed the industry and ability that had nxarked 
 his early career as a lawyer. 
 
 Mr. Smith was a lover of good literature and a man who had 
 traveled extensively in his own and foreign countries. His 
 reading and his travels had made him a broad-minded, cultured 
 gentleman. In private life he was a genial and companionable 
 man. His loss is deplored not only by his personal friends, but 
 by a constituency that will long remember his ser\'ices and 
 honor his name. 
 
 Mr. President, I ask for the adoption of the resolutions sub- 
 mitted bv my colleague. 
 
 The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. 
 
 Mr. Hopkins. As a further mark of respect to the memory 
 of Mr. Smith, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. 
 
 The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at ;, o'clock 
 and 30 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, 
 Wednesdav, December 16, 1908, at 12 o'clock meridian. 
 
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