William F. Mahoney (late a representative from Illinois) Memorial addresses delivered in the House of Representatives, third session of the Fifty-eighth Congress

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William F. Mahoney

( Late a Representative from Illinois)

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

»

Third Session of the
Fifty-eighth Congress

Compiled under the Direction of the Joint Committee on Printing

WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1905

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Page.

Proceedings in the House 5

Prayer by Rev., Henry N. Couden 5

Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden 8

Address of Mr. Mann, of Illinois 10

Address of Mr. Sulzer, of New York 14

Address of Mr. Boutell, of Illinois 16

Address of Mr. Williams, of Illinois 18

Address of Mr. Robinson, of Indiana 21

Address of Mr. Emerich, of Illinois 24

Address of Mr. Ryan, of New York 27

Address of Mr. Hunt, of Missouri 29

Address of Mr. Foster, of Illinois 31

Proceedings in the Senate 35

3

442315

Death of Representative Wbl F. Mahoney

PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE

Wednesday, January /, 1903.

The House met at 12 o'clock noon.

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the
following prayer:

Almighty Father, from whom cometh all that is purest,
noblest, and best in life, we bless Thee for the hallowed
associations, the social pleasures, and uplifting influence of the
season just passed into history; and we most fervently pray
that for all it has brought to us of joy or sorrow, pleasure or
pain, we may be the better prepared to fulfill our destiny as
individuals and as a nation. Inspire, we beseech Thee, each
Member of this House with wisdom to guide, strength to
sustain, patience to endure; and may the Spirit that cometh
from above sustain and guide the Speaker in his arduous
duties, that the work of the session may be for the good of
the nation and redound to Thy glory. Once more, almighty
God, our heavenly Father, are we called upon to mourn the
loss of one of the Congressional family, who graciously and
efficiently filled a place upon this floor and whose genial
presence inspired friendship in the hearts of all who came in
contact with him. Comfort them in his loss and be especially
near to the sorrowing wife and children, that they may look up
to Thee in this hour of bereavement and find solace in the

5

6 Proceedings in the House

blessed hope of that land which is fairer than day, where pain
and sorrow never enter, and where peace and joy will reign
forever, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

DEATH OF REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAM F. MAHONEY.

Mr. Mann. Mr. Speaker, it becomes my sad duty to an-
nounce to the House the death of my late colleague, Wil-
liam F. Mahoney, who passed away at his home in Chicago
on the 27th of last month.

Following the precedents of the House, I shall not at this
time give any extended expression to my personal sense of
loss or pay tribute to his worth; but I shall hereafter ask
the House to set aside some Sunday afternoon for the con-
sideration of his personal character and his public services,
at which time Members of the House may fittingly express
their grief and their deep respect.

I now offer the resolutions which I send to the Clerk's
desk.

The Clerk read as follows:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with profound
sorrow and deep regret of the death of Hon. William F. Mahoney,
late a Representative from the State of Illinois.

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate,
and also a copy thereof to the family of the deceased Representative.

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the de-
ceased Representative the House do now adjourn.

The resolutions were unanimously agreed to; and accordingly
(at 12 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until
to-morrow at 12 o'clock noon.

Proceedings in the House 7

January 5, 1905.

message from the senate.

A message from the Senate, by Mr. Parkinson, its reading
clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the following
resolutions:

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announce-
ment of the death of Hon. Wiujam F. Mahoney, late a Representative
from the State of Illinois.

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect to the memory of the
deceased the Senate do. now adjourn.

February 9, 1905.
memorial exercises.

Mr. Mann. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
Sunday, February 26, beginning at 12 o'clock, be devoted to
memorial exercises on the life and character of the late Rep-
resentative William F. Mahoney, from the State of Illinois.

The Speaker. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Illinois?

There was no objection.

MEMORIAL ADDRESSES

Sunday, February 26, 1905.

The House was called to order at 12 o'clock noon by
William J. Browning, Chief Clerk, who announced that the
Speaker had designated the Hon. William P. Hepburn as
Speaker pro tempore for this day.

Mr. Hepburn took the chair as Speaker pro tempore.

The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the
following prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, we thank Thee for that
deep and ever-abiding faith which looks up to Thee as the
creator, upholder, and sustainer of all, and for that eternal
hope which binds us to Thee by ties which neither time nor
space can sever. "For I am persuaded that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus, our I,ord." For without these
angels from Thy heart, O God, life would be indeed a desert
without a single oasis to cheer the weary traveler on his way.
With these even the mystery of death is solved, so when it
comes and takes away our dear ones we can throw ourselves
into the everlasting arms and feel the warm pulsations of a
heavenly Father's heart and say:

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

8

Memorial Addresses 9

So send, we beseech Thee, our heavenly Father, these angels
to comfort the hearts of the colleagues, friends, and families
of those for whom we have gathered here to-day in loving
remembrance, and Thine be the praise forever, through Jesus
Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Journal of yesterday's proceedings was read and ap-
proved.

THE LATE HON. WILLIAM F. MAHONEY.

Mr. Mann. Mr. Speaker, I offer the resolutions which I
send to -the Clerk's desk.

The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois
offers the resolutions which the Clerk will report.

The Clerk read as follows:

Resolved, That in pursuance of the special order heretofore adopted
the House proceed to pay tribute to the memory of Hon. William F.
Mahoney, late a Member of this House from the State of Illinois.

Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the
deceased, and in recognition of his eminent abilities as a faithful and
distinguished public servant, the House, at the conclusion of the memo-
rial proceedings of this day, shall stand adjourned.

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate.

Resolved, That the Clerk be, and is hereby, instructed to send a copy
of these resolutions to the family of the deceased.

io Life and Character of JVm. F. Mahoney

Address of Mr. Mann, of Illinois

Mr. Speaker: William Frank Mahoney was born Feb-
ruary 22, 1856. He died at his home in Chicago on Decem-
ber 27, 1904. He was born in Chicago, he lived in Chicago
all of his life, and he died in Chicago. He was born in the
district which he represented in Congress — a condition which
has seldom, if ever, been paralleled in Chicago. He was edu-
cated in the public schools, and at the age of 20 entered
upon a successful business career which made him one of the
prominent merchants of his city.

The parliamentary contest in Ireland excited his active
attention in his early life, and he became a considerable con-
tributor to the Irish parliamentary funds, as well as promi-
nently identified with various Irish- American societies.

I first met Mr. Mahoney when I was elected a member of
the Chicago city council, in April, 1892. He was then a
member of that body. He was elected to the city council six
times, each term being for two years, and each reelection
increased his majority.

I came to know him well in the city council and to have
respect for his manly figure, his courteous ways, and his mild
but determined manner. He was a Democrat. I was a
Republican. We were of opposite political faiths, and our
views as to the terms upon which public franchises ought to be
granted by the council did not agree.

We were usually on opposite sides of important questions,
but I learned to respect and admire him. The city council of
Chicago then had sixty-eight members. It was the sole local

Address of Mr. Mann, of Illinois u

legislative body for a population of between one and two mil-
lions. The amount of business transacted by it was enormous
and covered all the range of subjects possible to arise in a
growing city or locality. It required the same devotion to
duty, the same attention to constituents, the same constant
looking out for the welfare of his ward, in order to make a
good city alderman, that it does to make a good Member of
Congress. To be six times elected to the city council of
Chicago is proof of the affectionate esteem in which Mr.
Mahoney was held by the people of his ward whom he rep-
resented. He was raised in their midst; he was with them
as a boy, as a young man, and as a public servant. His
sweetness of disposition, his kindliness of manner, his readi-
ness to attend to their needs and their wants, his willingness
to at all times be of service to the humblest of them, even
at the sacrifice of his personal comfort, gained for him not
only their esteem and their admiration, but as well their love.

Having served a long career in the legislative body of his
city, he was transferred by his constituents as their Repre-
sentative in the National Legislature, and was first elected
in 1900 as a member of the Fifty-seventh Congress, and
reelected to the Fifty-eighth Congress in 1902.

He was not naturally a boisterous man in any way. He
was quiet. He was mild mannered. Among the new asso-
ciates in this body, he was yet diffident and somewhat bash-
ful. These traits would naturally have made him less well
known among the membership here than would otherwise
have been the case. But he never enjoyed good health after
he came to Congress. The fatal malady had already com-
menced its work. He did not realize this so soon as some
of his friends who observed him. He stuck to his post here
and did the best he could, but his poor health kept him

12 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

more or less in retirement. He remained at his desk in the
House until the last, and attended the last meeting of the
House before the holiday adjournment. Just a few days
before that I had requested the Chicago Members of Congress
to gather in my committee room for the purpose of consulting
about an appropriation for postal appliances in the new
Chicago post-office building. Mr. Mahoney was the first
one to arrive. He was then almost too weak to be around.
But he was anxious to do anything he could for his city.
His two boys were here with him in December, and I remem-
ber meeting him with them one day and how proud he was
of them, and as I looked into their manly faces I did not
wonder at the pride he showed. And I thought to myself
that when he has gone over the river, as he soon will go,
they will be as proud that they are the children of such a
father as he is now proud of them.

His wife and his four children — two girls and two boys —
were his comfort and his delight. He leaves a heritage of
name and fame in public office and private life of priceless
value to these children. He was a devoted husband, a kind,
considerate, loving parent, a faithful member of the Catholic
Church, an esteemed citizen, an affectionate friend, a faithful
legislator. He has left us when he was riding the wave,
when in point of years he was at his best. He did his
share and more than his share of work. He worked not
for himself, but for others. There was no selfishness in him.
There was nothing mean or sordid about him. He was always
cheery and good-hearted.

L,et us hope that the kind Providence which has now
transferred his duties to another sphere of existence will
deal gently and kindly with those left behind who were
dependent upon him.

Address of Mr. Mann, of Illinois 13

Mr. Speaker, in the midst of the last few weeks of the
busiest session of Congress for years, when time is pressing
us on every side, we pause from our legislative duties to pay
our tributes of respect to the memory of this man who had
done so much for others and who had made such a successful
career for himself.

We offer to his bereaved widow and to his children our
sorrowful grief over this desolation which has come into their
lives, and venture to express the hope that they will find
consolation in the contemplation of the noble qualities of
him who was husband and father.

14 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

Address of Mr. Sulzer, of New York

Mr. Speaker: As a friend of William F. Mahoney, I
come to-day to place on record my humble tribute to his
memory. His unexpected death was a grievous blow to all
his colleagues in this House, and a terrible shock to his family,
his relatives, and his innumerable friends. It darkened a
happy home, prostrated a loving family, and cast a pall of
sadness over his native city. He died in the prime of life, at
the summit of his career, in the zenith of his fame, in the
service of his country, loved and mourned by all who knew
him. But —

There is a reaper whose name is Death,

And with his sickle keen
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,

And the flowers that grow between.

And our friend was a kindly, stately, knightly flower in
the great garden of mankind.

William F. Mahoney was born in Chicago in 1856. He
was a true son of the great metropolis of the West — that
go-ahead, up-to-date, progressive, enterprising, and wonderful
city on Lake Michigan. He was a product of Chicago, and
he loved his native city with all the ardor of his nature, and
always grew eloquent when discussing her greatness and her
glories. He was educated in her schools, grew to manhood
in her smiles and sunshine, became one of her leading mer-
chants, served twelve years in her local legislature, and became
one of her most prominent, popular, and distinguished citizens.
He was proud of Chicago, and Chicago was proud of him.
She sent him to the Fifty-seventh and Fifty-eighth Congresses,
and I doubt not he could have had any honor in her gift.

Address of Mr. Sulzer, of New York 15

I knew Congressman Mahoney well. We served together
for several years on the same committee in this House. He
was a good man and a true man. He had a genial, sunshiny
nature, a kindly, sympathetic disposition, and an attractive,
magnetic, popular personality. He quickly made friends, and
the friendships lasted for life. He was a friend of the poor,
of the oppressed, and of the unfortunate. He was a lover of
justice, a believer in the supremacy of law, and an advocate of
every righteous cause. He stood for great principles, for fair
play, for even-handed opportunity, and for equal rights to all,
special privileges to none. He hated cant, spurned pretense,
and despised hypocrisy. He was no skeptic — no cynic. He
was an optimist, and not a pessimist. He loved mankind, and
believed the world is growing better. He was a loving hus-
band, an indulgent father, and a faithful friend. He will
live in the hearts and the memories of those who knew him,
and to do this is not to die. Death after all is but the crown
of life — the opening of the door into the better, brighter
sunshine of the undiscovered country in the great beyond.

William F. Mahoney was a successful man. His life
work is done. He has run his course. He has kept the
faith. His career on earth is finished, and he will reap his
everlasting reward in the celestial land. We mourn with
those who mourn his loss, and sympathize with his bereaved
family. We grieve with those who grieve, and we comfort
them as best we can, in our poor human way, with the con-
solation that his noble life, his generous character, his
sympathies, his charities, his deeds of kindness, and his
humanities will live forever and a day, and be his greatest
monument — grander than marble or brass, and more enduring
than the granite rocks of all the ages, for —

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures cold on the dial plate of time.

1 6 Life and Character of Wm. F. Ma honey

Address of Mr. Boutell, of Illinois

Mr. Speaker: My acquaintance with our late colleague,
whose life and services we have met to commemorate to-day,
began when he entered the Fifty-seventh Congress. During
the last three years this acquaintance ripened into a friend-
ship founded upon a high regard for his character. Three
qualities in Mr. Mahoney especially attracted my attention,
and, I think, the attention of all who knew him. He was
always keenly alive to the claims and interests of his home
city. Whenever any matter that affected the welfare of
Chicago demanded the attention of our delegation, no one
was more intelligently active or more zealous in its support
than was our late colleague. His long residence in Chicago
and his extended service in the city council made him
familiar with the needs of our city, and we always found
his advice and suggestions on practical matters relating to
Chicago of great value.

Another admirable quality of our friend that drew favorable
comment from all who were familiar with his Congressional
career was his faithful attention to the routine duties of his
office. Unless kept away by ill health, he was always in his
seat when the House convened, and he was constant in his
attendance during the sessions and quietly attentive to all
the business in the House. He never failed in diligent
attention to the business and requests of his constituents. It
was my privilege to consult with Mr. Mahoney on several
occasions in regard to measures in which we were mutually
interested, and I found him invariably well informed respecting
the measures of which he had charge.

Address of Mr. Bontell, of Illinois 1 7

In our large body various talents contribute to the successful
transaction of the public business, and men here attain fame in
divers spheres of activity; but I know of no talent that receives
from thoughtful men more speedy recognition and more gen-
eral commendation than does the talent for patient, intelligent
devotion to the routine business of the House, a talent for
which our friend was so conspicuous.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, I wish to bear grateful testimony
to one rare and beautiful quality that ennobled and dignified
the life of our good friend. He suffered frequently during the
latter months of his life from the weakness and depression
attendant upon serious illness, but no word of murmuring or
complaint was ever heard by his associates. He bore himself in
all his periods of suffering with unfailing cheerfulness, dignity,
and courtesy. With his genial and affable disposition, his
cordial sympathy, and strong affection he was deeply beloved
as a husband and father and was held in affectionate esteem by
all who knew him well.

Mr. Mahoney's service in the House of Representatives was
short, but it was long enough to afford him the opportunity of
establishing an enviable reputation for faithful attention to the
duties of his office, patriotic devotion to the service of his con-
stituents, and dignified, cheerful resignation under acute bodily
suffering.

Such a reputation, Mr. Speaker, is the best and most endur-
ing gift that any man can bequeath to his family and friends.

We shall do well if we shall carry away from this ceremony a
renewed determination to emulate the virtues that make the
life of our departed friend a pleasant and a fruitful memory.
H. Doc. 468, 58-3 2

1 8 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

Address of Mr. Williams, of Illinois

Mr. Speaker: While I am not generally inclined to partici-
pate in ceremonies of this character, I can not permit this
opportunity to pass without submitting a few remarks as my
humble tribute of respect to the memory of our departed
colleague. And yet, how incomplete seems all our helpless
words when we undertake to express our sorrow upon the
death of a close and loving friend. It is certainly a very com-
mendable usage of Congress to commit to its public records
some evidence of its mourning upon the death of one of its
distinguished Members, as well as its estimate of the life and
character of the deceased. Such solemn services help to remind
us of that eternal future which awaits us all. My acquaintance
with Mr. Mahoney began at the commencement of the Fifty-
seventh Congress and soon grew and ripened into a warm,
personal friendship.

He was so kind, gentle, and affectionate in his companion-
ship that he soon won the love and admiration of those who
had the pleasure of his association. I had the honor of being
selected by the Speaker of this House as a member of the
committee chosen to attend the funeral of our deceased brother,
and the performance of that sad duty gave me the opportunity
to witness the large concourse of admiring friends who assem-
bled at the residence of the deceased in the splendid city of his
birth and life, where they came to bid a sad and affectionate
farewell to one who had endeared himself to them all by his
many kindly deeds and his faithful public service.

Address of Mr. Williams, of Illinois 19

For twelve long years had he wisely and honestly represented
their public interests in the common council of Chicago, a por-.i-
tion in which the honor and integrity of the public citizen are
thoroughly tested. And never in all those eventful years was
there the slightest suspicion against the official acts of Mr.
Mahoney. He was a Member of the Fifty-seventh and Fifty-
eighth Congresses, and by his honest and faithful service as
such established for himself as clean and pure a record as any
Member of this body. He was modest almost to timidity,
and never engaged in public discussions upon the floor of the
House, but always attentive to matters of legislation, careful
and considerate in the discharge of his duties, and usually safe
in his conclusions. While loyal to his own convictions and
positive in his own views upon public questions, he was always
so modest and courteous in his contentious as never to offend
those who differed from his opinions. Mr. Mahoney was a
Democrat in politics, but not offensive in his partisanship, and
numbered among the Republicans many of his most admiring
friends.

He was ever watchful over the interests of his constituents,
attentive to all their various calls, and seemed to find his
greatest pleasure in trying to oblige others. He was well
informed on all passing subjects, pleasant in conversation, and
so retiring and winning in all his bearing as to make a friend
of everyone who enjoyed his personal acquaintance. Mr.
Mahoney died at the early age of 46 years, comparatively a
young man, and yet, when measured by public service, he had
lived a long, eventful life — long enough to establish for himself
the character of a good Christian citizen, a straightforward,
successful business man, a true and obliging friend, a loving
and devoted husband, a kind and affectionate father, and

20 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

an honest and capable public servant, and to secure for
his memory an honorable distinction in the history of his
country.

Upon the loss of such a friend, such a husband, and such
a father, how precious the thought —

There is no death! The stars go down

To rise upon soriie fairer shore,
And bright in heaven's jeweled crown

They shine forevermore.

There is no death! But angel forms
Walk o'er the earth with silent tread;

They bear our best loved things away,
And then we call them dead.

Address of Mr. Robinson, of Indiana 2 1

Address of Mr, Robinson, of Indiana

Mr. Speaker: Legislators may come to the active duties and
responsibilities of Congressional life and men may go, but the
Government goes on. Within a week the bonds that bind this
Congress together will be dissundered, and Members who have
stood together for interests of State and country will part —
too many to meet no more.

The future, however, will bring no sweeter recollection than
the personal friendships engendered in this official life. Dif-
fering widely in politics and individual opinion on the great
questions of public concern, the me'mbership of this House
never fail to unite, with heads and hearts together, in the
great impulses that lead along the pathway of humanity.

In consonance with a beautiful custom, and agreeable to our
traditions, we meet this solemn Sabbath day to memorialize a
deceased Member, who has gone to that country of infallibility
where Congresses and courts are not needed to enact and pass
upon the virtue of rules for human action.

Only in a Congress of a country like this — the strongest, the
richest, and the best — can be found such a diversity of ability
and talent, such a fund of information and knowledge of our
manifold and important interests.

As this is the greatest age of the world in scientific, moral,
and material progress, so does this country, at this moment,
stand at the head of all the countries.

To be selected as a Member of Congress in this era is a
distinction to be made brighter by a conscientious perform-
ance of duty within one's opportunities. Indeed, reward and
approval of constituency come from this course.

22 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

We eulogize Hon. William F. Mahoney to-day as a true
representative of his people, as a conscientious legislator for
his country. Some may excel in forensic ability, others in
power to sway by their eloquence, and some in analysis of
statistics. Some are informed in matters concerning the
marts of commerce and the avenues of trade, others have
intimate knowledge of mines and prairies, of the mountain
sections and the deserts. Each knows human nature, each
knows the needs of his constituency. All are needed to
rule a country like this, and none are less needed than the
others.

A Congress of orators would be less useful than a Con-
gress of business men, and within this class all are compre-
hended who have business, and in a republic all should have.

In a country so wide in area, with interests so vast, so
varied, each employment and vocation must have its repre-
sentatives here to leaven this body, to balance and adjust it,
to make it representative, and thus we meet the ideals of a
republic. The grave is a common leveler. As with a sponge
it wipes out all distinction. The only questions there — "The
purity of life;" "The rectitude of conduct."

Glancing about us daily in this Chamber we see every-
where written that constituency asks only, "Is he faithful?"
"Has he performed his duty?"

Modest and unassuming, vigilant in preserving the rights
and interests of his people, careful in promoting legislation
which he conceived to be for the best interests of the country,
by every standard worthy of the name Hon. William F.
Mahoney measured up to the true type of a Representative
in Congress.

Votes in Congress mold for weal or for woe the policies of
the country, and count far more in legislation than the oratory

Address of Mr. Robinson, of Indiana 23

of the comparatively few among the large membership that can
be heard on either side of the proposition. The latter lend a
charm and eloquence to the proceedings, but the careful, silent,
plodding membership counts in committees and on the votes
that decide the questions. To this large, useful, and influ-
ential class of careful, painstaking Members the deceased be-
longed, and for this he had the confidence of his constituency;
for this he lives in the hearts of his people.

24 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

Address of Mr. Emerich, of Illinois

Mr. Speaker: Most of the Members of this House, and all
of the representatives of the great city of Chicago will long
recall with feelings of acute regret one somber winter day near
the close of the year 1904. On that day, when we were all
under the spell of holiday pleasures just enjoyed, there came
unto us with paralyzing force a terrible shock. We all knew
that he was ailing, but in our love and regard for the man we
were absolutely unable to believe that so suddenly were we to
be deprived of his genial comradeship, his kindly personality,
his unflagging friendship, his untiring devotion to the public
weal. On that fateful 27th day of December, with appalling
abruptness, was terminated the useful career of one whom that
great Garden City of the West had often and deservedly de-
lighted to honor. On that day died William F. Mahoney.

Here was a man who in himself typified all of the best qual-
ities of citizenship which flourish in that great section of our
country of which the city he so dearly loved and so faithfully
served is eminently representative.

Here was a man who in all his public and private affairs
was impelled by the truest and purest altruism.

Here was a man in whom the golden rule was strikingly
exemplified, who unto others did as he would have them do
unto him and regardless of what was unto him done, invariably
dealt with his neighbors, his constituents, his friends — aye,
with all human kind — in the broadest, most charitable, most
unselfish spirit.

Although of another religious faith, he was in the truest
sense a unitarian — nay, more, a humanitarian — for all mankind

Address of Mr. Emerich, of Illinois 25

were his brethren, and race, creed, and condition were to him
naught but words. In his great, throbbing, manly, generous
brain he really knew no distinction.

His private life, his private honor, were pure and stainless;
his business career honorable and upright; his public service
a credit to himself and to the community he represented.

William F. Mahoney was born and reared in Chicago.
There he spent his boyhood, his adolescence, and all his
useful manhood until his untimely death. Chicago's interests
were his interests; Chicago's glory his glory; Chicago's
honor his honor; Chicago's progress, greatness, and preemi-
nence the objects of his greatest solicitude; and to procure
and to maintain these did he devote a lifetime of earnest
effort and render yeoman service.

One section of our city — known as the "west side" — is
the principal abode of the great army of toilers, to the fruits
of whose toil and grime and sweat are largely due the city's
greatness.

Among these he lived. These he loved. Him these
loved, and with good reason, for morning and night, early
and late, unremittingly he toiled and strove and battled for
their rights.

Other men may have possessed more striking talents, but
none more solid than he. Other men may have stood forth
more prominently in the glare of notoriety; none better nor
more faithfully represented his constituency than did he.
Other men may have been more widely known, but none,
despite his modest and retiring character, more intimately
appreciated nor more sincerely loved by his neighbors than
was he.

In his loss his family loses and mourns a wise, tender,
generous, and devoted husband and father.

26 Life and Character of Wm. K Mahoney

In his loss his constituency loses and mourns a faithful,
earnest, conscientious servant.

In his loss his city loses and mourns a good, upright,
public-spirited, patriotic citizen.

In his loss we, his coworkers and friends, lose and mourn
a big-hearted, big-brained, supreme^ valued and thoroughly
appreciated companion.

In his life is to be found an example to be emulated — an
object lesson of patriotic fidelity and democratic simplicity
such as the founders of the Republic believed to be the
underlying basis of the perpetuity of free institutions.

In his death his immortal spirit ascends to the seat of divine
grace accompanied by a solemn chorus of thanks and blessings
that such as Wiluam F. Mahoney has lived in this world
for this world's good, and this chorus is direct from the sincere
hearts of all who loved him — and they are all who in his life
were so fortunate as to know him.

Address of Mr. Ryan, of New York 27

Address of Mr* Ryan, of New York

Mr. Speaker : We are called to-day to pay the last tribute
of respect to the memory of a colleague who has been called to
the life beyond, and it is fitting that we should pause amid the
trials of legislative duty to bear public testimony to the life and
character of one who but a few weeks ago occupied a seat on
this floor and took part in the deliberations of this body.

I met William F. Mahoney for the first time on the
assembling of the Fifty-seventh Congress, in December, 1901,
and my acquaintance with him grew into a warm friendship.
I greatly admired his gentle bearing, his quiet manner, his
warm friendship — always ready to do his utmost to serve his
district, his party, and his country.

William Frank Mahoney was born in the city of Chicago,
111., on February 22, 1856 ; was educated in the public schools
of his native city ; represented his ward in the Chicago city
council for a period of twelve years, after which he was unani-
mously nominated for Representative in Congress for the
Eighth district of Illinois and was elected to the Fifty-seventh
Congress, taking his seat December, 1901. He was reelected
in 1902 by practically the unanimous vote of the electors of his
district. As a Member of this House he served as a member
of the great Committee on Military Affairs, and when he passed
away was making an enviable record as a Member of this body.

In a conversation, before the holiday adjournment, he
informed me that his health was improving, and I had hoped
he would soon regain his former strength, but an all- wise
Providence ruled differently, and before the holiday season had

28 Life and Character of IVm. F. Mahoney

closed the sad news came that death had claimed him, and
instead of greeting him at the opening of this session, as I
would have been glad to do, I am here to add my tribute to
his memory.

Mr. Mahoney had the respect and confidence of the people
of his district. Those who knew him best loved him best,
and in honoring his memory to-day this House reflects honor
on itself.

In the death of Mr. Mahoney his State loses a good citizen,
his friends a kind, gentle, sincere associate, his party a faithful
worker.

He was a faithful public official. He died in the sendee
of his country. We had hoped for him long years of useful-
ness and honor. He left to his family the record of a useful
life and a spotless name.

Address of Mr. Hunt, of Missouri 29

Address of Mr. Hunt, of Missouri

Mr. Speaker: Upon my entering this Chamber for the first
time, and having feasted my eyes upon this forum of freedom,
a strange and mingled feeling of awe and reverence took
possession of me, and I moved like one lost in a labyrinth of
uncontrollable imaginings, which caused me to look about
with a longing desire to find a friendly face to fraternize with
or a kindly nod to give me welcome. It seemed to me that of
all this assemblage I wras the only one that did not have at
least a speaking acquaintance among the membership of the
Fifty-eighth Congress. Here I gazed in stolid silence, when
suddenly my attention was attracted to a tall, mild-looking,
meditative sort of man, whose pallid face seemed spread with
melancholy, and his eyes sparkled with a splendid sadness as
he talked to me and said, " My name is Mahoney, and I take
it you are a new member. ' ' I answered him. He seemed to
realize my position and remained with me and we talked over
things that presented themselves to our observation. What
he said has been of pleasure and profit to me frequently since
that day. A singular coincidence is here presented. Mr.
Mahoney was the first speaking acquaintance I formed at my
arrival at the Capitol. And now I for the first time beget a
speaking acquaintance with this Congress, in order that I may
give public utterance to our common loss, and in muffled meter
mourn the lapse of life in a kind and faithful friend.

Mr. Speaker, wre are forced to the belief that the souls of
the departed dead linger long and lovingly in the nether world.
Having escaped their environments of clay without being able

30 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

to ascend, remain suspended between this life of labor and the
world beyond, for —

All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses; through the open doors

The harmless phantoms on their errands glide
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.

There are more guests seated at table than

The host invited; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,

As silent as the pictures on the wall.

Mr. Mahoney and myself chummed in the cloakroom and
on the floor of this House. How well I remember the last
time he appeared in this Chamber. The usual pallor of his
face had faded into a yellow saffron shade and fell disease
reveled in the havoc it had made. He was accompanied by
his little bright-eyed boy, who seemed to be eager in his
endeavor to do that which would please his father. That
father's eyes were fastened on his boy with a supernatural
sight, which seemed to speak a something his lips were loath
to tell. Arising to leave this House forever, he said: "John,
my seat is much better located than is yours. I will be
away for some time. You are welcome to use it in my
absence. I am not feeling well to-day. Good by!" When
the news of his death came, it called keenly to my mind
the knowledge that I had lost a friend, this House a useful
Member, his family a faithful father. Death has won its
usual victory, but heaven has gained a soul.

Address of Mr. Foster, of Illinois 31

Address of Mr. Foster, of Illinois

Mr. Speaker: Were I to permit this occasion to pass with-
out paying some tribute of respect to the memory of my late
friend and colleague I would feel that I had been derelict in
the discharge of duty. My acquaintance with our late col-
league, William F. Mahoney, dates back over a period of
about fifteen years, during all of which time I have respected
and admired him for his many manly qualities of heart and
mind. From personal observation and from frequent conversa-
tions with him I knew that he was not in good health during
his service in Congress, and especially during the last session
of the Fifty-eighth Congress, when he felt great anxiety as to
his physical condition. Hence, while I deeply regretted the
sad event, I was not surprised to hear of his death during the
early days of the present session.

Mr. Mahoney had been prominent in the political life of
his home city for many years. As a member of the common
council of the city of Chicago, he represented an important
constituency for several terms, until extensive private interests
compelled him to decline further service, though he continued
an active interest in public affairs. He was elected to the
Fifty-seventh Congress as a Democrat, receiving a large
majority, and was reelected to the Fiftj'-eighth Congress
without opposition.

While others may have been more able and prominent in the
legislation of this body, none were more honest, none were
more industrious, none were more faithful in the discharge of
their duty as public servants, and none were more energetic in

32 Life and Character of IVm. F. Mahoney

attending to the needs of their constituents than William F.
Mahoney. He represented an industrial district, having a
population thoroughly cosmopolitan in character, and there-
fore a district most difficult to represent satisfactorily. Mr.
Mahoney, though seemingly of a quiet, retiring disposition,
was full of a clean, generous mirth and a happy humor that
made him a welcome visitor to any part of that district and
gained for him the respect, admiration, confidence, and esteem
of his large and cosmopolitan constituency, irrespective of
political opinions or affiliations.

I attended his funeral, and the demonstration of love and
affection that was manifested on that occasion by a vast con-
course of people from almost every condition of life, citizens of
his district who had known him all his life, was a high testi-
monial to his worth and standing as a man and citizen.

Mr. Mahoney was most happy in his domestic relations.
He was a fond husband and a kind father. He left surviving
him a widow, possessed of bright intelligence and praiseworthy
ambition, clothed as with a garment with the beautiful womanly
qualities of modesty, energy, and courage. She had been to
him a friend, monitor, and counselor. Faithful to the last,
with a heart almost breaking, she stood at the grave of her
husband, grateful for the sympathy manifested on every side,
and took up the burden of his life where he had laid it down,
to see to it that the four splendid children — two boys and two
girls — that he had left behind him should be, in some measure
at least, a representation of the good qualities of their father.
And those qualities were many, for William F. Mahoney was
truly a lovable man. Possessed of a happy, genial disposition,
he was always a welcome addition to social gatherings. Those
who knew him well will testify that he had the true gift of
conversation, which is to find points of agreement and not

Address of Mr. Foster, of Illinois 33

points of difference. No man ever left a company of which
William F. Mahoney was a part feeling wounded by unkind
or even thoughtless observations by him. He was ever the
genial, warm-hearted, happy friend. There was a touch of
feminine softness in his nature that made it difficult for hini
to do harm to anyone, even a foe, but it must not be supposed
from that that he lacked firmness or the power to defend, to
oppose, or to attack, if need be.

He came of a race that has lived in history as one of the
boldest and bravest and most patriotic of peoples, and there
was never one of that race, however great he may have been
at counsel, however powerful in oratory, or however mighty
he may have been on the field, that had more real firmness
when the need arose than the humble descendant who filled
his place in this House. I have known him time and again,
when some one would presume on that kindly nature of his,
to show that he had an iron hand within the velvet glove.
He was a man of courage and stood for his convictions
manfully. He was a well-informed man. He, however, was
not a public speaker. He made no pretensions to ability in
that regard, and consequently made no great and command-
ing figure here, but his name will not perish because of that.
There are men, and men. There are great men whom the
world does not always recognize, and the greatest of all is
he who does his duty to his family, his fellows, and himself;
and William F. Mahoney was preeminently that man. He
was modest, unassuming, honest. He was also a religious,
God-fearing man. It has been said that men around us
make their mark in the sands of time, but the waves of
oblivion speedily efface them. He did not make a deep
mark on the sands of time, but he carved his name without
effort on the rocks above, where the storm does not reach;
H. Doc. 468, 58-3 3

34 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

and when men of more pretense are forgotten, those who
knew William F. Mahoney and loved him will keep his
memory green in their souls.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
who are necessarily detained from attending may have leave
to print remarks.

The Speaker pro tempore. Without objection, it will be
so ordered.

There was no objection.

The Speaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing
to the resolution offered by the gentleman from Illinois [Mr.
Mann] .

The resolution was agreed to.

PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE

MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE.

A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. W. J.
Browning, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the
intelligence of the death of Hon. William F. Mahoney, late
a Representative from the State of Illinois, and transmitted
resolutions of the House thereon.

DEATH OF HON. WILLIAM F. MAHONEY.

Mr. Cullom. I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate
the resolutions of the House of Representatives relative to
the death of my late colleague in that body.

The Presiding Officer. The Chair lays before the Senate
the resolutions indicated by the Senator from Illinois, which
will be read.

The Secretary read as follows:

In the House of Representatives,

January 4, 1905.

Resolved, That the House of Representatives has heard with profound
sorrow and deep regret of the death of Hon. William F. Mahoney, late
a Representative from the State of Illinois.

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate,
and also a copy thereof to the family of the deceased Representative.

Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the de-
ceased Representative the House do now adjourn.

Mr. Cullom. Mr. President, I will take occasion at some
future time to submit some remarks relative to the life and
public services of my late colleague. For the present, I
offer the resolutions I send to the desk, and I ask for their
adoption.

35

36 Life and Character of Wm. F. Mahoney

The Presiding Officer. The Senator from Illinois offers
resolutions, which will be read.

The resolutions were read, as follows :

Resolved, That the Senate has heard with deep sensibility the announce-
ment of the death of Hon. William F. Mahoney, late a Representative
from the State of Illinois.

Resolved, That as an additional mark of respect to the memory of the
deceased the Senate do now adjourn.

The resolutions were considered by unanimous consent,
and unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 o'clock and 15 min-
utes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Thursday,
January 5, 1905, at 12 o'clock meridian.

message from the house.

February 27, 1905.
The message also transmitted resolutions of the House
commemorative of the life and public services of Hon.
William F. Mahoney, late a Representative from the State
of Illinois.

O