M M M HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HUNTER HOLMES MOSS, jR. (Late a Representative from West Virginia) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES SIXTY-FOURTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION Proceedings in the House January 28, 1917 Proceedings in the Senate Februari" 25, 1917 ^ r -^W3/ WASHINGTON 1917 0« of D. MAY t6 19t8 I \ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Proceedings in the House 5 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5,8 Memorial addresses by — Mr. George M. Bowers, of West Virginia 11 Mr. Harry C. Woodyard, of West Virginia 18 Mr. Edward Cooper, of West Virginia 27 Mr. Howard Sutherland, of West Virginia 31 Mr. M. M. Neely, of West Virginia 42 Mr. John M. Nelson, of Wisconsin 47 Mr. Leonidas C. Dyer, of Missouri 52 Mr. Adam B. Littlepage, of West Virginia 55 Proceedings in the Senate 59 Memorial addresses by — Mr. William E. Chilton, of West Virginia 63 Mr. John W. Weeks, of Massachusetts 70 Proceedings of the Bar Association of Wood County, West Virginia 37 Resolution of the West Virginia Society of the District of Columbia 41 [3] J-" -^ ^ HON-HUNTER H^MOSS.UR DEATH OF HON. HUNTER HOLMES MOSS, JR. Proceedings in the House Monday. July 17, 1916. The Chaplain, Rev. Henrj' N. Couden, D. D., offered the following prayer: Thou great and lioly One, whom we worship as the Father of all souls, purge us in Thine own way from in- ordinate desires, encourage every pure thought and earnest aspiration which makes for the betterment of the home, society. Government, and religious attainments, that we may trust and fear not, hope and despair not, pray and doubt not, that we may indeed be citizens of the kingdom of heaven, ever inspired by the forward look. The angel of death has visited this representative body and taken away from us a Member who made for himself an enviable record in all that pertains to the high calling of its membership. We mourn his untimely going and our hearts go out in sympathy to the bereaved wife and fatherless children. May his memory live to the in- spiration of all, and may we all trust in the blessed prom- ises of Him who said, " I am the resurrection and the life." Amen. Mr. Mann. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad and painful duty to announce to the House the death of one of its dis- tinguished Members, Hunter Holmes Moss, of the fourth congressional district of "West Virginia, who passed to the world beyond on Saturday last. At some subsequent day the House will be asked to set apart a time at which [5] Memoriai- Addresses: Representative Moss Members can pay their tribute to the life, cliaracter, and distinguished services of this faithful representative of the people, and at present I ask for the consideration of the resolutions which I send to the Clerk's desk. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the resolutions. The Clerk read as follows: House resolution 308 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, a Reprssentative from the State of West Virginia. Besolued, That a committee of 10 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 is authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these resoUitions, and tliat the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House, Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to tlie Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to, and the Speaker appointed as the committee on the part of the House Mr. Sutherland, Mr. Littlepage, Mr. Neely, Mr. Cooper of West Virginia, Mr. Bowers, Mr. Webb, Mr. Rucker, Mr. Chiperficid, Mr. Park, and Mr. Mooney. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the other resolu- tion. The Clerk read as follows : Resolved, That as a further mark of respect the House do now adjourn. The question is on the adoption of the resolution. The resolution was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 10 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to- morrow, Tuesday, July 18, 1916, at 12 o'clock noon. [6] Proceedings in the House Tuesday, July 18, 1916. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Waldorf, one of its clerks, announced that the Senate had passed the follow- ing resolution : Senate resolution 234 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., late a Representative from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That a committee of six Members of the Senate be appointed to join the committee appointed by the House of Rep- resentatives to take order for superintending the funeral of the deceased. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate take a recess until 10 o'clock a. m. to-morrow. In accordance with the provisions of the foregoing reso- lution the Vice President had appointed as the committee on the part of the Senate Mr. Chilton, Mr. Goff, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Oliver, Mr. Sterling, and Mr. Husting. Wednesday, December 20, 1916. Mr. WooDYARD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the present consideration of the order which I send to the Clerk's desk and ask to have read. The Speaker. The Clerk will report the order. The Clerk read as follows: Ordered, That Sunday, the 28th day of January, 1917, be set apart for addresses on the life, character, and public services of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., late a Member from the State of West Virginia. The question was taken, and the order was agreed to. [7] Memokial Addresses: Representative Moss Sunday, January 28, 1917. The House met at 12 o'clock noon, and was called to order by Mr. Littlepage as Speaker pro tempore. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Coudcn, D. D., offered the following prayer : Eternal God, Dispenser of all good. Father of all souls, our hearts instinctively turn to Thee as we thus assemble here to-day to record on the pages of history the life, char- acter, and public service of a deceased Member who served his people. State, and Nation upon the floor of this House with fidelity, courage, and fortitude. We mourn his going, but not without hope. We thank Thee for that something within that tells us we shall never die, that something which tells us that truth shall outlive the stars, that some- thing which tells us that love shall be satisfied. We. mingle our tears with those who knew and loved him, his lonely widow and orphan children; and pray that they may look forward with imperishable hope to a reunion in a realm where sorrows nor death shall ever enter. And Thine be the glory through Him who taught us that good is stronger than evil, that life is stronger than death. I know not where His islands lift Tlieir fronded palms in air; I only know I can not drift Beyond His love and care. Amen. Mr. Woodyard. Mr. Speaker, several Members who had signified their intention of speaking here to-day have been unexpectedly called away, and 1 ask unanimous consent that any Members who w ish to do so may extend remarks in the Record. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from West Virginia asks unanimous consent that Members who de- sire to do so may extend in the Record remarks appro- priate to to-day's exercises. Is there objection? [8] Proceedings in the House There was no objection. The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will read the special order of the day. The Clerk read as follows : On motion of Mr. Woodyard, by unanimous consent, Ordered, That Sunday, January 28, 1917, be set apart for ad- dresses upon the life, character, and public service of Hon. Hunter H. Moss, late a Representative from the State of West Virginia. Mr. Woodyard. Mr. Speaker, I offer tlie following reso- lutions. The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolutions. The Clerk read as follows: House resolution No. 474 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, in order that opportunity maj' be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Hunter H. Moss, Jr., late a Member of the House from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That as a special mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of these memorial 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 Speaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions. The resolutions were agi-eed to. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Bowers] is recognized. [9] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Bowers, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: It was not my pleasure to have had a long personal acquaintance with my colleague, the late Representative Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr. 1 became a Member of this House on the 16th day of May, 1916, and he died a few weeks follo\\-ing. It was my pleasure to hear him deliver an able, eloquent address during this brief period, and I was impressed with his abilit>% fore- sightedness, and his progressiveness. In that address he proved himself to be a man of courage, and although ap- parently in great pain, delivered it in a forceful and im- pressive manner. He was then walking within the shad- ows of death. He knew it, his family knew it, and his friends knew it. The sands were then running low in the hourglass which timed his life. Judge Moss became known by reputation throughout the State. West Virginians, like mjself, knew him in that impersonal way, read with interest and profit of his stand on important judicial and public questions, as well as the addresses he was accustomed to make to bar asso- ciations and gatherings of our people in the western part of the State on nonpolitical subjects of considerable im- portance at the time of their delivery. We who lived far distant from where he lived and labored came to know him in this wajs and West Virginians were universally attracted to him. They admired him for his aggressive style of public utterance, the outspoken emphasis of his opinions, and the clarity and common-sense texture of his judicial decisions. This combination of youth and wisdom in the circuit courts of our State was a com- [11] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss parativcly rare thing even as late as then. West Vir- ginia still clung tenaciously up till about that time to the archaic idea that old age, with its patriarchal beard, was fit only to wear the judicial ermine, interpret the laws, and award judgments. Beardless youth, however wise and well poised, however learned in the law and upright of character, however abreast of the vanguard in the procession of progress of the age, was thought to be insufficient for the task. Happily, this is all changed in West Virginia. The late Representative Moss was, perhaps, the pioneer in bi-inging it about. Wisdom and learning, character and industry, worth and merit are now rewarded when found in our sturdy young men. They do not have to wait until age has whitened their heads and infirmed their limbs to receive the Victorian crosses which the men in all walks of our busy American life have shown that they deserve. So it happened — and it happened in a remarkably short space of time — that Judge Moss's name became known Statewide, and his reputation as an able and upright judge likewise. Men like myself, far distant from his field of activity, bethought themselves that in him there was developing a man who was destined to mount to greater heights, to build the structure of his public career upon a foundation the corners of which \\'ould rest upon every boundary line of the Common- wealth. He possessed the qualities of leadership and statesmanship. His was a new and brilliant star in the public and official life of West Virginia. That opinion is still held. Death itself can not erase it. It alone, in our judgment, could and did prevent realization. Judge Moss's career, extraordinary as it was, is far from achiev- ing the grandeur and fame which it would have reached had he been permitted to live out the allotted threescore and ten vears. [12] Address of Mr. Bo^\'ERS, of West Virginia In these circumstances which I have narrated it will be plain to my hearers that when I met Judge Moss here on the floor of this House I did not feel that I was meeting a stranger. Nor did he, I am glad to state. Our relations became immediately friendly and cordial, though we both knew at the time that our friendship would be of short duration. That, of course, was a subject never mentioned between us. In the few times I saw and talked with him I found no need to discount the appraisement. In his district have died recently many of its most prominent men, among them the Camdens, Jacksons, Boremans, Shattucks, and Representative Moss's worthy competitor, Hon. John M. Hamilton. The district which I represent has been stricken, hard stricken as it were, within the past few years. No other one district in the Nation has lost so manj' of its valuable and distinguished men as tliis district. First — only a few years ago came the death of Senator Stephen Benton Elkins — and to whom I know of no better tribute than the \Yashington Post on the morning after his death. He was a man who made friends on every- hand, who drew and held them to him, regardless of political affiliation, religious creed, or racial characteristics. Of him it may be said he was without any enemy. He was the apostle of sunshine, the embodiment of good cheer, the inveterate foe of pessimism, a supreme optimist who saw only the best in everyone and refused to believe ill of anyone. It was impossible for him to harbor a grudge, and if ever this sincere, big-hearted man gave offense in the heat of debate or political discussion he was quick to retract and heal the wound before it began to hurt. In his loss the second district and the State of West Virginia lost the ablest man of his time and generation. He was my friend and I loved him. He represented the highest type of American citizenship and American states- manship. [13] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss But only in the year gone by our losses have been very great, for following this came the death of my distin- guished predecessor, Hon. William G. Brown, known to us all and admired as Junior Brown. Brown's ancestors were Scotch. His father was a dis- tinguished man, and held many positions of honor and trust, was the first Meinber of Congress from this, the second district. Junior Brown followed in his footsteps, was three times elected a Member of Congress, always making himself felt and respected. He was a big-hearted, affable, courteous American who possessed a genial smile and hearty handshake that has never been excelled by any man. His liberality and generosity were surpassed by no man. His remarkable popularity was well deserved, and no one was ever more loved or stood higher in the esti- mation of his friends than did Junior Brown, of those who knew him best and loved him most. He came to the House full of the wisdom of experience of dealing with affairs. He was a lawj'er, a business man, a statesman, and was one of the ripest, strongest men of action in this illustrious body. Following the week after Mr. Brown's death came that of Gov. William M. O. Dawson. Weak, frail, always weak and frail in body, the greatest organizer of his time, and one of the ablest men the State has yet produced. " It was Gov. Dawson's lot to stand at the focus of many conten- tions and to be praised or blamed with that decision which is characteristic of interest or passion rather than of rea- son or intelligence. With these contentions and judg- ments, which time can only read aright from the imperfect records of good and evil, I am not concerned. He was especially interested in promoting the welfare of the com- mon people. Any measure which proposed to increase their happiness at once commanded his attention and support. The laboring man had no wiser or trucF friend. [14] Address of Mr. Bowers, of West Virginia and he gave himself to the advocacy of those lines of social and industrial reform, to Iiis judgment combined con- servatism with advancement, in that wise proportion which is essential with healthy growth and real improve- ment to society." He was the greatest organizer of his time, and history will accord him a place as one of the many remarkable men of liis State. Last but not least of the great men who have lived in the second district who have recently passed away is Senator Henrj^ Gassaway Davis. Heniy G. Davis was one of the most notable figures of the State, and one whose works and deeds ran current with its history. He died in Wash- ington in March of last year and was born during the ad- ministration which gave us the Monroe doctrine, making his span of life cover almost a century of time. Family exigencies required him to begin his life work at the age of 13 and for 80 years his activities in private and public affairs continued uninterrupted. The governing elements in his character were untiring energj% persistency, and loyalty of purpose, clear vision, rigid integrity, and an abiding faith in the righteousness and results of all his undertakings. Others kept pace in the progress of events in the wonderful development of West Virginia, but he was ever in the forefront and his dominating personality made him a leader of men and measures. He served for 12 years in the Upper House of Congress, and his daughter has the unique distinction of having had a father, husband, and son who were Members of the United States Senate. Senator Davis's achievements and fame are indelibly fixed in the annals of West Virginia, and he well deserved the title that was so freely and affectionately bestowed in his later years by his appreciative fellow citizens of " the Grand Old Man of West Virginia." But to go back to the splendid man in whose memorial we are gathered here to- day — Judge Moss died in Atlantic City on the afternoon of [15] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss July 15, 1916. Congress had adjourned over the week-end. Word was not received in Washington of his death until that night, coming then hy the way of his home at Parkers- burg. Senators and Members had scattered away to various resorts. It was with difTiculty that even all the Members of the West Virginia delegation could be notified. A majority of the Senators and Representatives who were designated to attend the funeral services, which were to be held on the afternoon of Monday, July 17, could not be reached in time for them to fulfill the appointment. In consequence, the oilicial party was composed altogether of members of the West Virginia delegation in Congress. Thus it was a party of personal friends of the deceased. It was shorn of its stiff official character, and I think it was all the better. The men of that party were close to Judge Moss, had worked side by side with him; they ad- mired him and they liked him, and felt his death as a loss personal to themselves. It was a beautiful July day when all that was mortal of our dead coworker and friend was laid away in a flower-lined grave in a cemeterj- at the edge of the city of Parkersburg, his home. The citi- zens thronged the Trinity Episcopal Church, where the funeral rites were read and the favorite hymns of the departed Congressman were impressively sung by the white-robed choir. There was a veritable garden of fra- grant flowers surrounding the coflin and the church altar. The local bar association, the officers of the local courts, and county and citj' goveinments were present in a body. Outside the church the streets were lined with people, young and old, who had known the young lawgiver and lawmaker. The very air was laden with tribute and filled with tender memories. It was a scene which made itself " felt " in the hearts of everj'one. I shall never forget the impressiveness of it. It was only in the few hours inter- vening between the closed grave and the departure of our [16] Address of Mr. Bowers, of West Virginia train that that scene became vocal. I have never heard such splendid and heartfelt and tender tributes paid to any man as I heard fall from the lips of man after man in Parkersburg who had known Representative Moss from the day of his birth until " The Moving Finger " had written the final word of his earthly chapter. The loss of Congressman Moss removed from West Virginia one of its most promising young men. Young, ambitious, cultured, with a career so promising that one can not comprehend wliy he should have been cut down in his prime. His passing is all the more pathetic be- cause of his children. He met death as, I am told, he did every problem of his boyhood and youth, with a smile, a stout heart, and with a consciousness that he had faithfuU}' and well performed his dutj'. To his be- loved wife and children, to his devoted mother and sis- ter, no sweeter consolation can come than the thought gathered from his memorial address to the Elks some years ago in his home town : There is no death! the stars go down To rise upon some fairer shore; And bright in heaven's jeweled crown They shine forever more. And ever near us, though unseen, The near immortal spirits tread; For all the boundless universe Is life — there are no dead. Those who have known him best can temper their re- gret at his early taking off with gratitude to the Giver of every perfect gift that he lived among us even for so brief a space, and our farewell to him can be the fervent wish that the soul of this distinguished West Virginian may forever be at peace. It is God's will, so mote it be. [17] AnoKESS OF Mr. Woodyard, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: In the order of Nature — that Nature which moves with unerring certainty in obedience to fixed laws — Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., has gone to that repose we call death. In the midst of Ms labors, while yet a young man by no means at the zenith of his intellectual powers nor brilliant yet substantial public career, crowned with honors and laden with trophies meritoriously won and gladly bestowed, with a future illumined by the white lights of promise, this friend and colleague of ours was suddenly stricken, and soon thereafter his courageous and intrepid soul took wings. This House is met to-day to rejoice at the testimony he has left us and to conmiend his life and efforts as worthy of serious reflection and emulation. It is a service of helpfulness and inspiration to the living, for nothing we can say can add to nor subtract from the lives of our honored dead. No words of ours, however profound in thought nor how eloquently uttered, no chaplet that our hands can weave, no testimony that our personal knowl- edge can bring, will add anything to the fame of our de- ceased colleague, friend, and comrade that the public which knew him best, and which honored him most, will not now freely accord. Judge Moss — this was the title by which he was ad- dressed by his home people and by his constituents — represented the fourth congressional district of West Vir- ginia in the Sixty-third and in the first session of the Sixty-fourth Congress until the day of his death, July 15, 1916. He came to this House at the age of only 38 years, abundantly equipped by natural intellectual endowments, by oratorical accomplishments, by legal learning, and, [18] Address of Mr. Woodyard, of West Virginia above all, by a broad and versatile experience in public life and office which comparatively few men in our coun- try obtain at such an early age, and no man among West Virginia's public men, dead or living, so far as I have been able to discover by searching their biographies, ever had. County prosecutor, circuit court judge. Member of the National House of Representatives — all within the brief span of an even dozen years — these were the successive goals achieved by him, the triology of high honors be- stow;ed upon him by an appreciative public as rewards for a high order of service performed with as high a degree of satisfaction to them. In these three important official positions his brilliant mind, his gifted tongue, his lofty ideals, his acquired learning, enviable manhood, and in- defatigable industry found their opportunity for develop- ment, for expression, and for the performance of service beneficial to humanity in the county, in the State, and in the Nation. In this connection I think it should be mentioned that Judge Moss represented no small nor remote constituency. It was in a populous, modern, industrial city that he started to carve out the remarkably successful and bril- liant career to which we to-day pay reverent tribute. There was competition there between strong and bril- liant men, men older, with larger experience and with accumulated honors and dignities, when he stepped forth from college onto life's crowded, jostling, and unsym- pathetic highway. It was there before, is there now, and ever will be to the end of time. It is this knowledge which makes his rapid succession of distinguished achievements aU the more unusual and extraordinary. There was noth- ing accidental about his success. It came to him because he deserved it, because he worked hard for it, because he had the ability and courage to possess it. He was the elect among many ambitious and strong men, not by any trick [19] Memorial Addresses: Representativi: Moss of fale, but because those qualities which make for great- ness and success in life he possessed in most aliundant measure. Not the least of these was family. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., was the descendant of distinguished forbears on both the paternal and maternal side. The Mosses and the Blairs were leaders in the social and professional life of their day. They were prominent in the communities in which they lived, exercising a benevolent and uplifting influence over their fellows, and favorably impressing themselves upon the history of their times. It is interest- ing to note that Judge Jacob Beeson Blair, grandfather of Judge Moss, was one of the first Representatives elected from West Virginia to this House, serving in the Thirty- eighth Congress, the district he represented then embrac- ing all the counties, and numerous others, which many years later sent the distinguished grandson here to repre- sent them. Judge Blair was one of the founders of the State of West Virginia, and his name is linked with the procession of events which led to the birth of a new star in the galaxj^ of lojal Union States. It may not be inappropriate to mention here as an inter- esting historical coincidence that William Gay Brown, father of the late William Gay Brown, jr., who was a Member of this Congress at the time of his death, March 9, 1916, and represented the second congressional district of West Virginia, was the other one of the first two Mem- bers of this House to be elected from the then new-born State of West Virginia. As their elders had worked side by side in friendly relationship for the welfare of their State and their Nation, so the son and grandson with mu- tual respect and friendship, both answering the final roll call in the house of their Heavenly Father within less than four months of each other. [20] Address of Mr. Woodyard, of West Virginia The late Representative Moss was born in Parkersburg, W. Va., in the year 1874. His father was a banker, the son of a leading phj'sician, who was equally as much of a leader as an officer in the Union Army. His mother, who survives him, was the daughter of Judge Blair, from whom she doubtless inherited her interest in literature and her mastery of the art of brilliant conversation, which have given her a leading and influential place in the club life of her home city, and is an added testimony to the advantageous intellectual heritage which fell to the son. The boyhood of Representative Moss, with the exception of a few years when his parents resided in Salt Lake City, was spent in Parkersburg. He attended the public schools there, then the State University, where he completed his academic and legal studies. The honors which he reaped in his student years were a forecast of the larger and more distinguished honors which were to come to him when he entered upon the activities and struggles of his workaday life. He had scarcely more than two years practice at the law when he entered upon his political career. Yet, in that short time, he had shown such ability as a counselor and such su- perior talent as an advocate that it was easy to be seen by the people of his native city and countryside that a new and brilliant star had taken its place in their firmament. Twenty-six years of age found Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., nominated and elected prosecuting attorney for the great county of Wood over older men, lawj'ers of longer train- ing, and officials of proven trustworthiness. To this office was now brought an occupant who pos- sessed the enthusiasm of youth, tempered with a grasp and comprehension which usually only accompanies the experience which goes with more mature years. Here was a brilliant, active mind, a studious nature, and a storage house of restless energy. It was but natural, then, [21] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss that there should take place in the administration of the affairs of that office a radical departure from the rules which had governed its administration for many years preceding. The change had not been expected by the public, but it came, and succeeding events proved that it was welcome. For it was then and there, while admin- istering the duties of that office, the foundation for as brilliant a career as any West Virginian ever made for himself in so brief a period of time was laid. There was nothing sensational about it, unless it can be said that in that time and in that place an official who enforced the laws without fear or favor, whose sense of justice was so strong as to be almost a religion with him, was a sensation. His devotion to duty was his creed; absolute and exact justice to all and evei-ybody alike was, it may be said, an obsession; honesty and loyalty were the points by which he ever steered his course; true to his conscience, true to his oath, and true to his obliga- tion to the people who called him to their service — these were some of the main groundworks upon which this young Slate's attorney built for himself a monument more to be prized and more enduring than the marble one which marks his final resting place. He was the youngest man, up until that time, who ever held the office of prose- cuting attorney of Wood County, and no one before nor since has made a record superior to his in administering its affairs. It is not to be wondered at, then, that before his four years' term had wholly expired he was made the nominee of his party for the office of judge of the circuit court, embracing at that time the counties of Wood, Wirt, and Pleasants. He lacked a month or more of the required age — 30 — when he received the nomination, but he had attained that before the election. He was elected by a very large vote of the people. He was the youngest man [22] Address of Mr. Woodyard, of West Vibginia to be elected circuit judge in the State's history. He as- sumed the judicial ermine which had been worn by men who had grown gray in the public service. Such men distinguished in the State's annals as James Monroe Jack- son had worn it. The great " war governor " of West Virginia, one of the iirst two United States Senators elected from West Vir- ginia, the beloved and revered Arthur Ingraham Bore- man, had sat upon the bench of that court, had considered it as great an honor to round out his great career there as his fellow citizens had considered it a great honor to over- whelmingly and delightedlj^ acquiesce in his wishes in regard to that. The situation offered a supreme test of the mentality and character of the young prosecutor. How splendidly he stood it, with what exceptional abil- ity he met it, with what dignit}^ and learning, impar- tiality, and justness he administered it, constitute a blessed memory for his relatives and friends and a shin- ing chapter in the history of West Virginia jurisprudence. In the closing year — the eighth — of his judgeship Judge Moss was acclaimed so just and so able by the bar and by the public that he could have succeeded liimself with- out opposition, an offer unheard of before or since in that circuit. All he had to do was to say the word and he would have been unanimously reelected for another term of eight years. But another and, perhaps, a higher honor was opening up to him then — one which if not higher offered duties more to his liking and more suited to his active mind and energetic personality. For the excitements and strenuosities of political life apijealed more strongly than anytliing else to Judge Moss. He liked the smoke and the thick of political battle. His reason- ing powers and oratorical talents fitted him for the tri- umphs of the hustings, and the oppositions and support, the noise and the enthusiasm, were the very breath of life [23] Memori.\l Addresses: Representative Moss to him. His nomination for the Sixty-third Congress came easily to him, and liis election little less so, although he was opposed by one of the most popular candidates the Democratic Partj' had to offer. His reelection to the Sixty-fourth Congress over both a Democratic and a Pro- gressive opponent was an evidence of the undiminished confidence in and admiration for him which the voters had so signally given everv' time they had the oppor- tunity' to do so. Of his labors in this House its membership is well aware and duly appreciative, especially those upon the Repub- lican side. His record as a public official was known to them when he took his place here among them, and his abilities and worth were promptly recognized and suit- ably rewarded. This was evidenced bj-^ his appointment to membership on the Committee on the Judiciary at the opening of the present Congress, a position of influence and importance which relatively few men attain at the outset of their second term. Here upon the floor of this House, before committees of the Congress, Judge Moss stood for the best that there is in life, as he did as public prosecutor and judge, as he did upon the lecture platform and in private life. He has left his impress for good upon this great body. It is entirelj' reasonable, then, had not death cut him down so ruthlessly and so cruelly, to be- lieve that even greater success and higher honors would have come to him. His meteoric, meritorious, and ex- traordinary career amply justifies that belief — an opinion, I may say with confidence, which is held by the people who gave him their suffrage time and again, and to whom his services as a Member of this House and in the other olTicial positions he so ably filled and so brilliantly adorned were so pronouncedly satisfactory. And now may I be pardoned for mentioning personal matters as briefly as possible? Judge Moss and myself [24] Address of Mr. Woodyard, of West Virginia were personal friends. We were associated together a great deal, especially in promoting the success of the party to which we belonged and in whose success we were so actively and devoutly devoted. Judge Moss was my friend and supporter in the five congressional campaigns I made in the fourth district of West Virginia. I appre- ciated that help and he knew it. When it came his turn to be the candidate of the great Republican Party in the fourth district for membership in this House I gave him my support as ungrudgingly. He appreciated it. Our relations were cordial and friendly. We campaigned together, and some adventures of an in- teresting character which befell us upon these trips, upon one especially which was not without danger though fraught with humor after the danger had passed us by, I recall as most pleasant memories of our friendship and association. I had unbounded admiration for the talents and character of Judge Moss, and I am proud of the honor, as I am conscious of the added responsibilities of the office because of his having occupied it, of being chosen to suc- ceed him. His record and memory will be a guide and an inspiration to me in taking up the service of our country where he was forced by death to lay it down. While there is much in the life of Judge Moss to admire, there is more in the manner in which he met death, be- cause it strikes the chords in the hearts of men which re- spond to the touch of heroic deeds. It was in those criti- cal, inexorable, relentless days which preceded his passing from among us, and at almost the very striking of his final hour that the indomitable courage and valor of the brave soldier who was his paternal grandfather asserted its hereditary dominancy. It was this greatest of all crises that come but once to us all which he met with a patience, a trust, and a courage which was sublime. No hero ever met a braver end, nor died more nobly. With so much to [25] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss give up, to surrender, which makes life for men worth living, he met the final summons with a courage than which no mortal man has ever shown greater. Hence, to that small circle around his recent heaven and home, who could know more of his manliness and worth than we do, we say: " Look up, if you can, through your tears; try to be as brave as he was, and try to re- member—in the midst of a grief which his greatest wish for Ufe would have been to help you bear— that he had no fear of death nor of anything beyond." [26] Address of Mr. Cooper, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker : In the death of Representative Hunter H. Moss, Ji-., his wife has lost a devoted husband, his chil- dren a loving father, and the Nation and State of West Virginia a fearless, capable, and able Representative. We loved him in West Virginia because he had the ability and courage to advocate and fight for those prin- ciples he believed to be just and right. While believing in the principles of the Republican Party and ever willing to defend it in debate, he was not a narrow-minded partisan, and was ever willing to con- cede to his opponents honesty of purpose in thought and debate. Although a Republican in principle, thought, and ac- tion. Congressman Moss was a man of independent con- viction, progressive in thought, and with judicial tem- perament. He was always careful to advocate and vote for those principles which, in his opinion and judgment, would best promote the welfare and happiness of the people of his State and the Nation. We differed with him sometimes, and in a conflict of opinion he no more doubted our sincerity of thought or purpose than we doubted his honesty of conviction. Well do I remember the last time Representative Moss stood upon the floor of this House and in a strong, forci- ble, and able speech advocated the passage of the ship- purchase bill, although a majority of his Republican col- leagues registered their votes against that measure. Rep- resentative Moss was firm in his conviction that the prin- ciple was correct, and while it pained him to differ with his Republican colleagues he left the Hall feeling he had acted as his constituents would have had him act. [27] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss We love and honor in West Virginia tlie memory of Hunter H. Moss, Jr., the more because he stood upon the floor of this House when the body was frail and weak, when life was hanging by a thread, and with determina- tion and force expressed himself in favor of the passage of a measure which, in his opinion, would best promote the interests of the people of West Virginia. Because a great majority of his party associates advo- cated certain principles of government only appealed to Judge Moss when, after a careful study of the principles in question, he was convinced of their worth and justice. Perhaps his judicial training caused him to weigh mat- ters more carefully than he otherwise would have done, but justice and right seemed ever to be in his mind when deliberating and deciding a disputed question. His whole heart and soul seemed wrapped up in his congressional duties, his one thought being to give to the Nation and to his State his best work upon public questions. After his speech delivered in the House on the ship- purchase bill, his last appearance in the House of Rep- resentatives, Judge Moss went to Atlantic City, and with his loved ones about him sought rest and health; but it was soon apparent his condition was growing daily more serious. The Sunday before the end came I visited him at his hotel. He was too weak to see visitors, but being advised I was in the city he insisted that I be allowed to see him. I found him on his deathbed, but still with the same determination and the brave light of hope in his eye, although it was evident to me his soul 'would soon take its flight to its Maker. I suggested to him tliat I would be only too glad to look after his personal congressional correspondence for him and do what I could to take from his mind any pressing [28] Address of Mr. Cooper, of West Virginia matter. He immediately informed me that he was giving his personal attention to his congressional correspond- ence, and would continue to do so, as it was his desire to keep in touch with the people of his district so that when he returned to his official duties he would be famil- iar with all matters in his district. This showed the de- termination of the man, his strong character; and had he not been afflicted with an incurable disease, mind would, perhaps, have triumphed over matter, and Hunter H. Moss, Jr., would have been with us to-daj\ Representative Moss was open hearted, courteous, easily appi'oached, and always willing to go out of his way to ac- commodate a friend. During my short acquaintance with him I took advantage of our friendship and associa- tion to learn many lessons from him upon questions of public importance. Being a lawyer of ability and having had congressional experience I relied upon his judgment, which I was convinced was sound and reliable. I shall never forget the wealth of information I acquired from Representative Moss; and when I return to West Virginia and take up mj' business affairs I shall recall to memory the honest, fearless, and determined young slates- man from the mountains of West Virginia; and as time rolls on and my thoughts turn to the many pleasant ac- quaintances and associations formed in the Sixty-fourth Congress 1 shall, I know, wish it were within my power to turn back the calendar of time in order that I might again be given the privilege of being associated with my friend, Hunter H. Moss, Jr., in the Sixty-fourth Congress. West Virginians genuinely regret the untimely death of Representative Moss. They recognized in him one of the best examples of West Virginia's splendid, able, and pa- triotic young manhood. They remember the services he performed as prosecutor and as judge of the circuit court for the State of West Virginia, and later as their Repre- [29] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss sentativc in this great body. They predicted for him still greater service for his State and the Nation, all merited, because of his ability and loyalty to duty. His sudden death, many years before man's allotted time, was a shock to them. When we are meeting to-day to pay the last tribute to the memory of the departed one we feel we are but voicing the sentiments of his constituents in West Vir- ginia, and feel they, too, would consider it an honor and a privilege to meet here for the purpose of paying their respect to the memory of the brilliant student, jurist, and statesman. [30] Address of Mr. Sutherl.'vnd, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: It seems but a few days since this House was assembled upon a similar occasion to pay a tribute of respect and affection to the memory of a member of the West Virginia delegation, our late honored colleague, William Gay Brown, of the second district of West Vir- ginia. Twice within a year, in fact, within a period of a few months, has the last final summons to eternal rest in the arms of the Almighty been given to members of the delegation from our State, each time summoning a man in the flower of vigorous manhood, who was valiantly and faithfully doing his part as a man and as a public official. Our heads are again bowed in deep sorrow as we shall attempt in feeble words to express our estimate of the life and character of our late colleague, Judge Hunter Holmes Moss, and to express to those near and dear to him by family ties words of consolation in the fact that we share with them in part the burden of loss they have been and are yet enduring. Prior to coming to Washington early in April, 1913, as a Representative from West Virginia in the Sixty-third Con- gress I had not been intimately thrown with my late col- league and friend. Representative Hunter Holmes Moss, who entered Congress at the same time, although I had known him by reputation as a brilliant prosecuting attor- ney of one of the large and populous counties of the State, containing the city of Parkersburg, and as an honored judge of the judicial circuit of which that county — the county of Wood — was a part. His close attention to the duties of those two positions covering a period of 12 years from Januarj' 1, 1901, until January 1, 1913, and the repu- tation he had made in them easily gave him, without oppo- [31] Memorial Addresses: Repkesentative Moss sition, in 1912, the nomination for Congress in tlie fourth congressional district of West Virginia. His term in the Sixty-third Congress began March 4, 1913, and his active service in that body began on April 7, a little more than a month later. Our association from that time until he was called in such an untimely way to enter " that bourne from which no traveler returns " was of such a character that it gave me a close view of his qualities, both as a man and as a public servant. He entered upon liis duties as a Representative from West Virginia with zest and became an active force upon the floor of this House and in all the other manifold duties of a Congressman's life, and at the same time took such a part as his duties would allow in the social activities of the National Capital. I was constantly thrown in such close contact with him that I was enabled more and more to appreciate those qualities which, at such an early age, had brought him such uniform distinction. While it is customaiy and somewhat expected that a new Member of tliis body shall serve a novitiate until he has become familiar with the methods and rules of pro- cedure, yet the native force and ability of Judge Moss made him, soon after becoming a Member of Congress, an active factor in its deliberations, and his natural quickness of mind and grasp of public questions, his legal and judicial training, were destined to put him in the very first rank of the active membership of the House had he not been thus stricken about the middle of his sec- ond term while a Member of the present or Sixty-fourth Congress. He was at all times conscientious to a degree in the dis- charge of every public duty devolving upon him. He strove conscientiously to represent in ever>' particular the people of his district, and in a larger way to serve the [32] Address of Mr. Sutherland, of West Virginia people of his State and of the Nation. He was attentive to the work on the floor of the House, without neglecting the .routine duties which consume so much of a Representa- tive's time, but which duties, being of a less showy char- acter, do not bring him so prominently into the public eye. He was always courteous, kind, and helpful to those about him, and in every way showed by his life and ac- tions among us here that he possessed those sterling quali- ties of Christian gentlemanliness which are the flower of good breeding and the outcome of a good heart and a well-ordered intellect. I happened to learn on the very day upon which he underwent an operation in Baltimore that the disease with which he was stricken was of a necessarily fatal character and that he could not possibly expect to live many months. The shock which this intelligence caused me was one of the severest I have ever experienced. While I had known that my friend Judge Moss had not for a short time been in robust health, yet his youth and energy and his correct habits at all times seemed to entitle him to live to a ripe old age. When he finally returned from the hospital in Baltimore, and after a while resumed his place on the floor of this House, the display of Christian fortitude and manliness was to me daily one of the most remarkable exhibitions I have ever seen. If at that time he realized that he was fatally stricken and must soon pass hence, he did not in any way signify to the world that this was the case. Later he stated to me and to other friends that he was going to make the best fight he could — that the doctors might be mistaken and that he might overcome his malady. I watched him discharge, under these circumstances, with persistence and regu- larity, the duties devolving upon him, and in my experi- ence nothing more heroic, more courageous has ever come [33] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss directly within my notice. He even persisted in attend- ing to his duties when to do so must have been a severe drain upon his vitality and physical resources, and when, if he had saved himself, he might possibly have pro- longed his life. No hero upon a battle field, no gladiator in the arena, no knight of old ever fought a truer, nobler fight with an enemy than did Judge Hunter Holmes Moss fight here among us with the relentless foe that was facing and slowly conquering him. He possessed to a marked degree the courage of his convictions, and one of his latest acts as a Member of this body was to leave his bed of pain and come over here to lead the fight in the Judiciary Committee, of which he was a member, to have reported out of that commit- tee a resolution proposing a constitutional amendment to the several States granting equal suffrage to women. This was characteristic of the man. In his private life, in his relations as son and brother, as husband of a devoted and congenial wife, as father of an interesting group of children, as a neighbor and friend to those who knew him best and longest, and as a member of the community in which he had lived during his entire life. Judge Moss always rang true and stood for all that makes for clean living, lofty ideals, good com- panionship, for personal and civic virtue. As testimonials to the estimation in which he was held in his home community of Parkersburg, I will read edi- torials that appeared in two of the papers there — one of them of the same and the other of opposite political faith : [From the Parkersbiug Journal of July 17, 1916.] CONGRESSMAN MOSS The untimely death of Congressman Hunter H. Moss, of this city, who expired after an heroic struggle to recover from a dis- ease with which he was stricken some months ago, removes from [34] Address of Mr. Sutherland, of West Virginia West Virginia one of its most promising young men. Young, ambitious, cultured, full of life to the finger tips, to the ordinary grief at the loss of any lovable character there is added the sorrow that a young man with apparently a career so full of promise should be cut down in his prime. For those who have known him through his boyhood, his col- lege days, on the bench, and in Congress it is hard to understand the removal of a personality like his from the activities of life. There are those who have asserted that the day of opportunity for young men had been engulfed in the maelstrom of combina- tion, monopoly, and practical politics, and that only the favored few can hope to succeed, but the brief and brilliant career of Hunter H. Moss was a refutation of this theory. His passing is all the more pathetic because of his cheeriness to the end. He met death as he did every problem of his boyhood and youth — with a smile, a stout heart, and a spirit unafraid — and when the tired eyes glazed Saturday, and the attendants at his bedside filed out of the presence of the mystery of life, a light had failed. To his beloved wife and children, his devoted mother and sister, no sweeter consolation can come than the thought gathered from the following beautiful lines quoted by their own cherished dead in a memorial address to the Elks some years ago: " There is no death ! the stars go down To rise upon some fairer shore; And bright in heaven's jeweled crown They shine forever more. " And ever near us, though unseen. The near immortal spirits tread; For all the boundless universe Is life — there are no dead." We who have known him best can temper our regret at his early taking off with gratitude to the Giver of every perfect gift that he lived amongst us even for so brief a space, and our farewell to him can be the fervent wish that the soul of this distinguished young West Virginian may forever be at peace. [From the Parkersburg Sentinel of July 17, 1916.] The news of the death of Representative Hunter Holmes Moss caused general sorrow throughout the State. In some respects the [35] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss career of the Congressman from the fourth district was like that of John E. Kenna. Like Mr. Kenna he had high office at the gift of the people when young for such honors, and like Mr. Kenna he was cut down in the very prime of life, in his busiest hour. Few men of Hunter Moss's years could point to so long a record of public service. He was elected prosecuting attorney at the age of 26, one of the youngest men in the State to hold that ofTice, and four years later he was elected circuit judge, again a young man for that office, but fully competent by both training and experience. In 1912 and in 1914 he was elected to Congress after the most hard-fought and closest campaigns the district had ever known. Judge Moss was born and reared in Parkersburg, his family was prominent in the upbuilding of the community, and he loved his home town. In local movements for civic betterment he took an active part and frequently, when partisan interest clashed with what he considered was best for the city or county, he cast parti- san interest aside. As a lawyer he was a leader at the West "Virginia bar, and as an orator his reputation spread over many States. The home life of Judge Moss was ideal. He believed that salva- tion came through the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and he never was too busy with temporal affairs to give time and attention to the needs of the Christian Church. Parkersburg loved and honored him as a distinguished son, and mourns because it has lost a good neighbor and worthy citizen. The public press of the State of West Virginia, without regard to party lines and without exception, pronounced similar encomiums upon the life and public service of our deceased friend and colleague. I ask unanimous consent to extend my remarks by printing an account of the proceedings of the Bar Asso- ciation of Wood County, the home county of Judge Moss, and the proceedings of the West Virginia Society of the District of Columbia. The Speaker pro tempore. Is there objection? There was no objection. The matter referred to is as follows : [36] Address of Mr. Sutherland, of West Virginia [From the Parkersburg Sentinel, July 17, 1916.] Tribl'te of Respect is Paid by Bar — Memorial Meeting for Judge Moss Held by Wood's Lawyers — Fitting Eulogy in Resolu- tions — Associates in Profession Tell of His Sterling Qualities A very largely attended meeting of the Wood County bar was held this morning to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the late Judge Hunter H. Moss. Judge L. N. Tavenner was made chairman of the meeting and Abijah Hays secretary. A committee composed of J. W. Vandervort, W. W. Van Winkle, and Judge F. N. McGregor was appointed to draft resolutions of respect and submitted the following, which were unanimously adopted : Your committee, appointed to formulate resolutions on the death of Hon. Hunter H. Moss, begs leave to report as follows: " We assume the task impressed with the tender touch of friend- ship, whose bonds are broken. We know that words are futile to express the pain we feel, and in the passing of Hon. Hunter H. Moss to young American manhood is given an example of what may be achieved by a courageous soul even at high noon, before his advance has reached the horizon of its glory. Deeds accom- plished here in earth can not be measured by the flight of years; and he, at the age of 42 years, has been called away crowned with earthly honors and reward. " Hunter H. Moss, Jr., died in Atlantic City, N. J., July 15, 1916. He was born in Parkersburg May 26, 1874. His father was Hunter Holmes Moss, his mother Harriett Wilson Blair. His father was the son of the late John W. Moss and was for many years engaged in banking in Parkersburg, for a time cashier of the Parkersburg National Bank, and at the time of his death vice president and cashier of the First National Bank of Parkersburg. His mother, surviving him, was the daughter of Jacob Beeson Blair, one of the first Congressmen from West Virginia, and prominent in the formation of the State of West Virginia. AN ABLE lawyer "Graduating from the West Virginia University in 1896 with the degree of LL. B., he quickly engaged in the practice of law, securing a large practice through his unusual ability and extensive acquaintance throughout the State. Recognized as an [37] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss able practitioner and of analytical mind, he was elected prose- cuting attorney in 1900. At the close of his term in 1904 he was elected circuit judge, in which position he developed an ability remarkable in so young a man, diligently discharging his duties, careful in judgment, and seldom reversed on appeals. "After leaving the bench he was elected to represent the fourth district of West Virginia in the Congress. At the time of his death he was in his fourth year of service. He was strong as an advo- cate in the law, a good debater, and unafraid to meet an issue, whether at the bar or in the political forum. He put his whole soul into every case or subject he had. In his decisions from the bench he seemed to grasp with a masterly mind the real justice of the cause and molded into his judgments and decrees equity in its real essence. "April 30, 1902, at Parkersburg, he married Anna Baker Ambler, daughter of B. Mason Ambler and Nannie B. Ambler. They had three children, all living — Ambler Holmes, Hunter Holmes, and Ann Gary. " He was a distinguished and public-spirited citizen, of exem- plary and industrious habits, charitable and chivalric in his nature, wise with wonderful sagacity, of infinite tenacity of pur- pose, genial and approachable, ever the friend of good govern- ment, cultivating the loftiest ideals and governed by the highest principles, of the warmest heart, a devoted and loving husband, a benign and indulgent father, a loyal and unchangeable friend, guided in all his actions by a firm belief in the wisdom of Divine Providence; full of honors, cut off in the prime of life, he has been gathered to his fatliers, a rare man whose memory will ever be fragrant with duties performed, flowers that strew his pathway of life, and whose death is a public calamity. ABLE PROSECUTOR " Defending the people for four years, he was one of the ablest prosecutors Wood County ever had, holding ever the scales of justice; for eight years he administered the law as judge of the circuit court, tempered with mercy and enriched with wisdom beyond his years. In the field of statesmanship, his second term in the Congress of the United States, he has fought for his country and the people with work and pen and voice, bold and strong for what he believed to be right. [38] Address of Mr. Sutherland, of West Virginia " If with the impetuousness of youth he engaged in varied lines of business and did not meet with anticipated success, yet in no line of life or labor was his character smirched or his honor tarnished by doubtful deeds. " He has been called home, away from mother, wife, children, and from us all, his friends; he fought true life's battle, he touched deep human hearts, he felt warm the flame that burns on the family hearth and fireside, he lived high toward life's ideals, and with it all, as father, friend, citizen, lawyer, judge, and statesman, his leader and teacher always was our Christ, who interceded on Calvary for us all. " We tender to his family our sympathy in their sad bereave- ment, and recommend that a copy of these resolutions be engrossed and sent by our secretary to his wife, and that copies of the same be furnished the press of the city and State, and recommend that a copy of the same be spread upon the minutes of the courts of this county as the memorial of the bar of Wood County to his life and works and our tribute to his virtues by those who knew him best, " We further recommend that the bar attend his funeral in a body. " J. W. Vandervort, " W. W. Van Winkle, " F. N. McGregor, " Committee." remarks of associates Before the adoption of the resolutions remarks were called for, eliciting a number of heartfelt tributes to the dead jurist. These were all characterized by deep feeling, as were the remarks made by Judge Tavenner in taking the chair. He said he felt like ask- ing leave to remain standing, rather than take the vacant chair that so suggested the man who had once occupied it. J. W. Vandervort spoke first, saying he had known Hunter H. Moss almost from infancy, and had seen him grow and advance not only in mind but in worthy ambition, and had seen him elected to positions of honor, but in every one of them his first care was to see the right embodied in all his acts. Mr. Vandervort said, referring to the financial reverses experi- enced by Judge Moss in recent years, the one thought uppermost in Judge Moss's mind was that all of his property should go to his [39] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss creditors, with nothing reserved for himself but an unsmirched honor. No one, said the speaker, could have felt his position more keenly, and he had no doubt that the anxieties of this nature hastened the young statesman's death. He closed with a tribute to Judge Moss as a man of sincere religious convictions whose conscientiousness was one of his most prominent characteristics. W. M. Strauss spoke feelingly of Judge Moss's student days, saying that he never knew a young man of more promise nor one in which that promise was more thoroughly fulfilled. Only one part of Judge Moss's career remained inexplicable to him, and he had no doubt that this would have been explained had he lived and it would have been clear that his life was a consistent whole, and that his later years would have been crowned with even greater honors than his earlier ones. Judge C. M. Showalter gave some interesting reminiscences of Judge Moss as prosecutor when the speaker was associated with him as assistant prosecutor and also as partner in civil practice. He said Judge Moss's most distinguishing attribute was his ex- treme fairness and sense of justice. He took no advantage, and if he felt that a prisoner was innocent he did not hesitate to say so. "W. E. WTiite said he felt very keenly the death of Judge Moss, as they were friends of long standing and had been closely asso- ciated in politics. Attorney White's remarks were also largely reminiscential and were full of interest. Several incidents were related showing Judge Moss's sense of fair dealing. Judge T. A. Brown delivered the next tribute to the dead jurist, saying, among other things: "I knew him well and intimately. In all positions he stood the crucial test of a man. As a repre- sentative of the people of his district he was able and conscien- tious. As judge he was honest, fearless, and clean. As a friend he was ever loyal and true. Words might be multiplied, but a higher tribute than this I can pay to no mortal man." H. P. Camden told of his long friendship with Judge Moss, which nothing had altered, and paid a high tribute to him as a judge. He said his record on the bench was equal to that of any ever made in this county and told how business had been facili- tated by the systematic methods introduced by Judge Moss. Re- ferring to his adverses, the speaker said he fully believed that Judge Moss was led into them by taking the advice of men in prominent positions on whom he had a right to rely, and he told how Judge Moss had declared to him his firm purpose to pay all [40] Address of Mr. Sutherland, of West Virginia that he owed if his life was spared long enough for him to do so. This seemed his greatest ambition during the last years of his life. It was decided that the bar should attend the funeral in a body and announced that all should meet at the courthouse at 4.15 p. m, to-day for that purpose. Arrangements were made for a suitable floral tribute from the bar. I also offer as a part of my remarks the resolutions adopted by the West Virginia Society in the District of Columbia, as follows : West Virginia Society of the District of Columbia, Washington, D. C. At a meeting of the West Virginia Society in the District of Columbia, held September 1, 1916, the following action was taken: " Whereas our friend and fellow member, Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., departed this life J\ily 15, 1916: " Resolved, That we, his fellow West Virginians, who have shared his friendship, hereby manifest the respect due his memory. We recognized in him a shining example of the best manhood of our native State and the manifold opportunities it offers to young men of a high order of talent and character to obtain the suitable rewards they merit. As university student, lawyer, public prosecutor, circuit court judge, and Representative in Congress, Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., stood for justice, righteousness, and open-handed dealing between man and man. He was always an eloquent and forceful advocate of what was best and noblest in American citizenship. His life "was an open book and his public career the brilliance which illumined its pages. We who knew him but to respect and love him commend his life as a worthy example for the youth of our beloved West Virginia to emulate. " Resolved, That we extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family in their great loss, and that a copy of these resolutions be for- warded to them." Henry S. Baker, President. Wm. T. George, Secretary. [41] Address of Mr. Neely, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: Twice within the space or one short year insatiate and all-devouring death has preyed upon the West Virginia delegation in the Congress of the United States. Again " the silver cord has heen loosed, the golden bowl broken, the pitcher broken at the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern." Again we are called upon to mourn the loss of one of West Virginia's illustrious sons. With bowed heads and heavy hearts we have come to this forum to commemorate the memory of the Hon. Hunter Moss, late an active, able, and aggressive Member of this House. To-day we lovingly hold this sad and solemn service as a token of regard for our departed friend. We extol his virtues and eulogize the characteris- tics that made his life an asset to the Nation and his death a loss to the Republic. Hunter Moss was a self-made, a self-respecting, and a self-controlling man — rich in intellect, great in heart, and grand in soul. He was successively elected prosecuting attorney of Wood County, judge of the fourth judicial cir- cuit of West Virginia, and a Member of Congress before he had reached the age of thirty-nine. At forty the fame he had achieved and the honors he had won proclaimed him a man of genius and one of fortune's favorite sons. As a public official he knew no dictator but his con- science, no guide but his judgment, and no purpose but to serve his country. He walked the rugged road of right, and never for a moment wandered from the way to loiter in alluring shade, or drink the bacchanalian draught, or pluck the idle flowers that fringe the banks wherein temp- tation's wooing tide doth ever surge and flow. [42] Address of Mr. Neely, of West Virginia Where duty led he followed, heedless of results, regard- less of misfortunes, and thoughtless of rewards. He was a model citizen, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a faithful friend; a patriot who loved principle more than partj", a statesman who worshiped at the shrine of truth, an official who burned incense on the altar of universal good. For his patriotism we honored him, for his states- manship we admired him, for his faithful services to his country we loved him; and since we loved, admired, and honored him in life, we revere him in death, cherish his memory, and strew the brightest of flowers upon his grave. , We wrap the spotless record of his achievements in the golden foil of afliection, entwine it with the silver threads of appreciation, and store it in the spacious vault of the heart to be treasured there until we, too, return to silent dust. Midway between the daylight and the dark, midway between the dews of May and December's cold and surly blasts, while his sun was at the zenith, Ms life at the fullest, and his hopes at the highest, the marble- hearted messenger of death, that knows no mercy and feels no pity, summoned Hunter Moss to join the count- less myriads of the dead. But in the grand total of eternal things it matters little when or where one dies. The long- est life is but an infinitesimal point in eternity's endless line. By the liberal scale of infinity's measurements it is but a short step from the first of earth's cradles to the last of her graves. For reasons that we do not comprehend, for motives that we do not understand, it may be just as well for the bursting bud to be killed by an early frost as to live to become a perfect flower and scent the air with its sweet perfume. It may be just as well for man to die in the summer time of life as to live until the snows of winter frost the hair and chill the thought and freeze the heart. At least, we hope that this is true. Without a doubt, a [43] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss protest, or a fear Hunter Moss " sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust approached his grave like one who wraps the drapeiy of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams." Dream on, oh sainted dead, through seedtime and har- vest; through sunshine and shadow; through winter's storm and summers calm; dream on until the angelic harbingers of the resurrection shall arouse thee from thy slumber and usher thee through the pearly gates of Para- dise into the imperishable joys of thy Lord. Husband, father, friend: " Farewell. * * ! All our hearts are buried with you, All our thoughts go onward with you. Come not back again to labor, Come not back again to sufTer, Where the famine and the fever Wear the heart and waste the body. Soon our task will be completed. Soon your footsteps we shall follow. To the Islands of the Blessed, To the Land of the Hereafter." From this memorial exercise the living should learn anew a lesson that is as old as sacred history. The lesson is this: " It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to tlie house of feasting, for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." A sanctuary of sorrow is a crucible in which to purify the soul. May our coming to this service not have been in vain. May the premature death of Hunter Moss be a constant i-e- minder to us of the serious meaning of that irrevocable decree: "Man is born to die." While we are industri- ously struggling for fortune and sedulously striving for fame; and while we are eagerly endeavoring to "lay up for ourselves " diversified " treasures upon earth," let us [44] Address of Mr. Neely, of West Virginia remember that death comes nearer to everyone with every fleeting breath; that it comes indifferently, "as a thief in the dead of night or as a royal guest at the blaze of noon." Let us bear this well in mind, not that our days may be consumed with impotent grief or our lives shrouded with dispiriting gloom, but rather that we may be impelled to make timely preparation for the coming of the inevitable hour in which every man must surrender his own soul. And when the Angel of Shadow- Rests his feet on wave and shore, And our eyes grow dim witli watching. And our hearts faint at the oar, Happy is he who heareth The signal of his release, In the bells of the Holy City, The chimes of eternal peace! With an abiding faith that everything in the universe was designed by an unerring architect for some ultimate good, with an abiding faith that all who earnestly and honestly strive shall eventually wear perfection's crown, let us go forth, with hope in our hearts and courage in our breasts, to fight the good fight, to finish our course, and imqualifiedly to keep the faith. And when earth's last picture is painted And the tubes are twisted and dried; And the oldest colors have faded. And the youngest critics have died, We shall rest, and faith we shall need it. Lie down for an aeon or two, 'Til the Master of all good painters Shall set us to work anew. And those who were good shall be happy; They shall sit in a golden chair, They shall splash at a ten-league canvas With brushes of camel's hair; [45] Memokial Addresses: Representative Moss They shall have real saints to draw from, Magdalene, Peter, and Panl, They shall paint for an age at a silting And never get tired at all; And only the Master shall praise us. And only the Master shall blame. And no one shall -work for money, And no one shall work for fame, But each for the joy of the doing. And each in his separate star, Shall paint the thing as he sees it. For the God of things as they are. [46] Address of Mr. Nelson, of Wisconsin Mr. Speaker: With genuine regard for the memory of Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., and sincere sorrow because of the untimely taking away of our associate and friend, I wish to place upon the permanent records of the House a few words of loving personal tribute to his life and char- acter. His legislative career was not long, little more than three years, and yet such was the powerful impress of his personality that his name and fame will endure here longer than that of most men who have been privileged to sit in this Hall among the leaders of the Nation. During the past two sessions of Congress it was my good fortune to come into close contact with him, within the circle of good-fellowship that prevails in the Committee on the Judicially. Here I learned to know him well and to admire greatly his fine qualities of mind and heart. Here I saw him in action. Seeking to promote the com- mon good, he stood for what was right; despising unfair tactics, trickery, and deceit, he was open-minded, consid- erate, and sincere; hating every show of arbitrary power, he enthusiastically championed the rights of all, the in- terests of a common humanity. Now that he has left us, and we lament our loss, it is with satisfaction we know that, though his thread of life was cut off suddenly in the prime of his matured man- hood, yet he had achieved a very successful career. A study of his life will prove an inspiration to any young man who wishes to win his way to high and hon- orable distinction. Mr. Moss was successful because his life was adjusted to his environment; it was in accord with the eternal truth of things. He early filled his mind with the learning and drilled it with the discipline of school and college. He [47] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss acquired a mastery of the principles and the practice of his profession. He builded for himself a home, happy in the love of wife and cliildren. He won by faithful service the confidence, esteem, and aftection of his fellow citi- zens; and lois whole life bore silent witness to a harmoni- ous adjustment with Him whose breath is the spark divine in every soul. The life of Judge Moss was not only conditioned upon a harmonious adjustment with the realities of being, but it was also progressively directed toward higher ideals. He had the onward, forward, and upward outlook upon life, the vision of higher things. In a brief and very modest semi-autobiographical sketch we read these few self- revealing words : " He has always been progressive in his ideas and tendencies." His speeches and votes while a Member of Congress eloquently illustrate the largeness of his ideas, the loftiness of his vision. Those of us who have rebelled in the past against the opposite tendency on the part of the more conservative to hold back or stand still found in Judge Moss a sympathetic associate. In the largest and highest sense he believed in the widest and the noblest extension of the principle of democracy. Not only were his ideas and tendencies progressive, but he put his ideas and tendencies into deeds. He achieved results. He grew. He developed. He progressed steadily from one level of achievement to some still higher plane of attainment. Thus, because he was " progressive in his ideas and tendencies," he made his way from the common school to the university; he passed soon from the position of practicing la^vyer to the office of district attorney, then circuit judge, and finally, national lawmaker. He was content to remain but one short term on a minor commit- tee of the House and then won for himself a place upon one of the highest committees of Congress, and here he soon won our admiration, esteem, and affection, and we accorded to him distinct prominence. [48] Address of Mr. Nelson, of Wisconsin But Judge Moss was not only a progressive, he was an aggressive personality. His character was cast after the heroic type. He was a fighter. Convinced of the recti- tude of his purposes, the sincerity of his convictions, and the unselfishness of his motives, he was without fear, and therefore he fought bravely for what he thought was right. He was guided, however, not only by an en- lightened conscience, but also by a clear head. As day after day throughout the year we sat around the table of the committee discussing either the general princi- ples or the details of bills before us, or it may be some amendment to the Constitution itself. Judge Moss often revealed the fact that he was in possession of an intel- lect keen as any blade of Damascus. But the elements, conscience and intellect, however im- portant these are, do not constitute in themselves alone that nobility we speak of in life as the heroic. The es- sence of genuine heroism is the spirit of self-sacrifice. It is he who courageously faces death to save his fellow- men, or risks life to vindicate a principle, a truth, or a great cause, the great commanders decorate upon the field of battle or the common people crown with the laurel wreaths of favor and applause. A more heroic public act than that performed by our friend I have never witnessed through a decade of service in the House. It made a powerful impression upon us, whether we agreed or disagreed with his views on the subject of equal suf- frage. As to the emancipation of the womanhood of America, Judge Moss had definite and strong convictions. The famous Susan B. Anthony amendment was pending before our committee. It had strong friends, but also powerful opponents, both sides equally sincere in their convictions. The advocates of the equal-suffrage amend- ment were urged to have it reported to the House at the earliest possible moment. The committee itself was so equally divided that one vote either way would be de- 92441°.— 17 i [49] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss cisive. At this time Mr. Moss was stricken with the dis- ease that finally proved fatal. For months he lay hover- ing between life and death. Skillful physicians could do no more than to prolong his life for months, or weeks, or days. It fell to me somehow, as a friend of the suf- frage cause, to move that the amendment be reported out of the committee whenever I was convinced that its friends were in the majority. On three different days, weeks apart, Mr. Moss responded to the call, most heroi- cally drawing upon tlie last resources of liis weakened physical strength to attend upon the meetings of tlie com- mittee. We knew, and I believe he knew, that his days were few, yet he fought as bravely for a favorable report as if he were to enjoy the ultimate triumph of the suf- frage cause in the years to come. Having received the summons from that " undiscovered countrj' " whence no traveler returns, Judge Moss had not lost interest in the struggles and the aspirations of his fellow beings. Such was the spirit of self-sacrifice, the unselfish heroism of his conduct that it made an inde- scribable impression upon us all, and the event was chronicled not only in the publications of the suffrage associations with grateful appreciation, but was also re- ported with admiration and praise in the press of the country. Seeking as I now do to interpret the life of my friend, I see him, I hear him, in these words of one to me un- known : I live for those who love me. And those who know me true, For the heaven that smiles above me And awaits my spirit, too; For the wrongs that need resistance. For the cause that needs assistance, For the future in the distance. And the good that I can do. [50] Address of Mr. Nelson, of Wisconsin The life of our friend stands before us — a broken column. We believe that it is not the end — only a change. With Wordsworth we are constrained to believe, as we behold this mystery of mysteries — life and its passing: One adequate support For the calamities of mortal life Exists — one only — an assured belief That the procession of our fate, howe'er Sad or disturbed, is ordered by a Being Of infinite benevolence and power Whose everlasting purposes embrace All accidents, converting them to good. Mr. Neely assumed the chair as Speaker pro tempore. [51] Address of Mr. D\-er, of Missouri Mr. Speaker: I am sure that I can not with the feeble words at my command add anything to what has been so beautifully and sincerely uttered touching the life, char- acter, and public services of our former colleague. Hun- ter Holmes Moss, Jr., by his colleagues from his own be- loved State, West Virginia, as well as of those from other States of our gi-eat Union. Knowing him and feeling the great loss that we and the country have sustained in his death, I want permission to at least echo all that has been so deservedly and fittingly said in praise of him. No new words are needed from me or anyone to e\idence the deserved, loving, esteem in which he was held by all who were privileged to know liim. That which is said here to-day may be soon forgot- ten, but liis colleagues, his loved ones, and his friends will remember him with loving admiration to the end. L't sj'lvae follis pronos mutantur in annos, Prima Cadunt; ita verborum vetus interit aetas, Et juvenum rita florent modo nata vigentque. Debemus morti nos nostraque. The gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Nelson] has re- ferred more directly to the life of Mr. Moss as a legislator. It was my honor and privilege as a member of the Com- mittee on the Judiciary also to serve on that committee with him and to have seen at first hand how strongly he felt regarding his duty to the whole people. I recall well how he came to the meetings of the committee when im- [52] Address of Mr. Dyer, of Missouri jjortant matters were up for consideration, and while at the very time he was hardly able to get out of his bed. He must have known then that he was only for a few weeks for this world. Understanding this, he was to the last faithful, true, and obedient to his conscience and the wishes of the people who sent him to Congress. He was a worthy representative of a great people, and it is indeed a great sorrow to us all that he should have been taken away at so early an age and at a time when his services were so greatly appreciated and so greatly needed. One of the greatest privileges that conies to us as Mem- bers of the House of Representatives is the opportunity to meet and associate with men of such sterling worth and character. Great as is the loss to us, how much greater must it be to those who have known him and been associated with him all his life? To his family, his friends, and the people of the district that he represented I offer my most sincere sympathy. Yet there is consolation to them in the fact that though he was cut down at an early age, yet he had been of inestimable service to his country. He had helped and had done more than his part already in the work of good government. It is from the lives and character of such men that we can point to our great and free Govern- ment and to the great good that it has done to the peoples of America and of the world, and to what it shall, will, and must do in the future. We loved and admired him in life. We shall benefit in practicing and teaching the principles for which he fought. He helped to make the country great. He loved his fellow men and he loved his country. He wanted everyone to have an equal, fair, and just opportunity in life. He knew the history of America and of the trials and vicissitudes that had beset her upon many occasions, and if he were [53] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss here to-day he would join in the patriotic sentiment of Americans generally in saying: Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, strong and great ! Humanity with all its fears. With all the hopes of future years. Is hanging breathless on thy fate ! We know what Master laid thy keel, What workmen wrought thy ribs of steel, Who made each mast, and sail, and rope. What anvils rang, what hammers beat. In what a forge and what a heat Were shaped the anchors of thy hope 1 Fear not each sudden sound and shock, 'Tis of the wave and not the rock; 'Tis but the flapping of the sail. And not a rent made by the gale t In spite of rock and tempest roar, In spite of false lights on the shore, Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea ! Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee. Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears. Our faith trimphant o'er our fears. Are all with thee — are all with thee ! Mr. Neely assumed the chair as Speaker pro tempore. [54] Address of Mr. Littlepage, of West Virginia Mr. Speaker: I should feel remiss in the discharge of my public duty if I neglected to add my testimony as a Member of this body from the State of West Virginia to the high character, worth, and nobility of purpose of one of our distinguished Members who has died, whose spirit has taken its flight across the mystic river of time to return no more. I have myself just gotten out of a hos- pital, and what I shall say will be extemporaneous. For a young man to start in life with all of its vicissi- tudes, all its snares and pitfalls, and so conduct himself in the community where he was born and reared as to command the unbounded confidence and respect of the citizens of that community to the extent they elevate him to positions of trust and responsibility, as was the case with our departed brother, Mr. Moss, must add to our faith in the value of having lived. His is an example that is worthy of emulation by the young men of the land and of public men throughout the Nation and the world. That he did well, that he was kind and noble, strong and aggressive is testified to by the people of his State. That he was above all things honest and reliable must be a comfort to his people as it is a reward to his acquaint- ances. For him to have struggled along the highway of life, you might say, unaided by the power of wealth or political influence, and to have attained that high posi- tion of respectability and of trust is a reward to us who cherish his memory and must be a comfort to his people. I sincerely appreciate as a citizen of the Commonwealth of West Virginia the splendid tributes which have been paid to the memory of Hunter Moss, who has traveled all the way from the position of prosecuting attorney, circuit [55] Memokial Addresses: Rephesentative Moss judge, and finally rose in life to the second position below the Presidency of the United States— that of membership in the American Congress, which must be a comfort to those who love and revere his memoiy. I should feel remiss also if I did not take this occasion to say a word relative to the immediate members of his family, who, when they saw his life ebbing away, were so kind, so thoughtful, so noble, and so true in their devotion to him who has gone but whose memory will ever be worthy of their thought and affection. He stood high in this House among both Democrats and Republicans. He was an independent man and an inde- pendent thinker. I saw him arise from his seat on the other side of the aisle when his own party was practically unanimous in its vote against the ship-purchasing bill. I heard his utterances; and while he was faithful to his political organization, and while he loved it well, he loved his own people and his State more. His State needed the benefit to be derived from a bill of that character. It is a coal-producing State, and it needs all the ships that can be obtained to earn,' its products to other climes. I want to say in this presence that he stood up here in this House and voted and spoke for his State, for its business men, and its people. He was true to them as he was honest here. The people of his State have suffered a heavy loss, this Nation one of its best friends, this House one of its most beloved Members. [56] Proceedings in the House ADJOURNMENT The Speaker pro tempore [Mr. Littlepage]. In accord- ance with the resolution heretofore adopted, the House stands adjourned. Accordingly (at 1 o'clock and 43 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until Monday, January 29, 1917, at 12 o'clock noon. Monday, February 26, 1917. The committee informally rose; and Mr. Houston hav- ing taken the chair as Speaker pro tempore, a message from the Senate, bj^ Mr. Crockett, one of its clerks, an- nounced that the Senate had passed the following reso- lutions: Resolved, That the Senate express its profound sorrow on account of the death of the Hon. Hunter H. Moss, Jr., late a Member of the House of Representatives from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended in order that fitting tributes may be paid to his high character and distinguished public services. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives and to the family of the deceased. Also: Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of Mr. Finley, Mr. Tribble, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Moss the Senate do now adjourn. [57] Proceedings in the Senate Monday. July 17, 1916. A message from the House of Representatives, by J. C. South, its Chief Clerk, communicated to the Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, late a Representative from the State of West Virginia, and transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. The Vice President. The Chair lays before the Senate resolutions of the House of Representatives on the death of the late Representative Moss, of West Virginia, which will be read. The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, a Representative from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That a committee of 10 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 is authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect the House do now adjourn. In accordance with the provisions of the foregoing reso- lutions, the Speaker appointed as the committee on the part of the House Mr. Sutherland, Mr. Littlepage,. Mr. Neely, Mr. Cooper of West Virginia, Mr. Bowers, Mr. Webb, Mr. Rucker, Mr. Chiperfield, Mr. Park, and Mr. Mooney. Mr. Kern. Mr. President, I send to the desk the follow- ing resolutions and ask that they be read. [59] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss The resolutions (S. Res. 234) were read, considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as fol- lows : Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of the Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., late a Representative from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. The Vice President. The Chair announces as a com- mittee on the part of the Senate to attend the funeral of Hon. Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., late a Representative from the State of West Virginia, Mr. Chilton, Mr. Goff, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Oliver, Mr. Sterling, and Mr. Husting. Mr. Kern. Mr. President, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, I move that the Senate take a recess until to-morrow morning at 10 o'clock. The motion was agreed to; and (at 6 o'clock and 30 minutes p. m., Monday, July 17, 1916) the Senate took a recess until to-morrow, Tuesday, July 18, 1916, at 10 o'clock a. m. Friday, February 2, 1917. Mr. Chilton. Mr. President, I wish to give notice that on Saturday, the 24th of February, I will ask the Senate to take appropriate action upon the life and character of the late William G. Brown, jr., and the late Hunter H. Moss, Jr., Representatives from West Virginia in Con- gress, who have died during the present session. Wednesday, February 21, 1917. Mr. Kern. The Senator from West Virginia [Mr. Chil- ton] gave notice that on Saturday, the 24th instant, he would ask the Senate to take action touching the life, character, and public services of the late Representative William G. Brown and the late Representative H. H. Moss, [60] Proceedings in the Senate of West Virginia. Later the Senator from South Carolina [Mr. Tillman] gave notice that he would ask the Senate on the same day to take action regarding the death of the late Representative Finley. The Presiding Officer. If the Senator will pardon the Chair, it is desired that he shall ask that the service also include memorial addresses upon the late Representative Trihble, of Georgia. Mr. Kern. I will also include memorial addresses on the late Representative Tribble, of Georgia. The Senators I named asked me to request unanimous consent that the Senate meet on Sunday, the 25th instant, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, to consider resolutions on the death of these deceased Representatives. The Presiding Officer. Is there objection? Mr. Jones. What was the request? The Presiding Officer. The request was that the Senate hold memorial services for certain deceased Members of the House of Representatives on Sunday, the 25th, at 2 o'clock p. m. Without objection, it is so ordered. Sunday, Febnianj 25, 1917. The Senate reassembled at 2 o'clock p. m., on the expiration of the recess. Mr. Chilton. Mr. President, I ask that the resolutions of the House of Representatives on the death of the late Representative Moss, of West Virginia, be laid before the Senate. The President pro tempore. The Chair. lays before the Senate the resolutions from the House of Representatives, which will be read. The Secretary read the resolutions, as follows : In the House of Representatives of the United States. Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of [61] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss Hon. Hunter H. Moss, Jr., late a Member of this House from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of these exercises, 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. Chilton. Mr. President, I offer the resolutions I send to the desk, and ask for tlieir immediate considera- tion. The President pro tempore. The Secretary will read the resolutions. The Secretary read the resolutions (S. Res. 376), as follows : Resolved, That the Senate expresses its profound sorrow on account of the death of the Hon. Hunter H. Moss, Jr., late a Member of the House of Representatives from the State of West Virginia. Resolved, That the business of the Senate be now suspended in order that fitting tributes may be paid to his high character and distinguished public services. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives and to the family of the deceased. [62] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Chilton, of West Virginia Mr. President: Hunter H. Moss was born in Parkers- burg on May 26, 1874; he died at Atlantic City, N. J., July 15, 1916. He graduated from the University of West Vir- ginia with the degree of bachelor of laws in 1896, when he was 22 years old, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession and rose rapidly in the confidence of the people, the bar, and the judges before whom he practiced and was soon recognized as a close student and inde- fatigable worker and an advocate of very rare abilit5\ Within four years after his graduation from the univer- sity he was elected prosecuting attorney of Wood County, a position of great responsibility and honor. Wood County is one of the richest and most prosperous coun- ties in West Virginia and dates its settlement back to about the time of the settlement of Marietta, Ohio. As a rule, its people are educated and prosperous, and the peo- ple of Wood County are noted for the eminent men it has produced. I call to mind now one of the governors of our State, Hon. Arthur I. Boreman, the three Jackson brothers — James M. Jackson, who was a Member of Congress and for many years circuit judge; Jacob B. Jackson, who was governor of his State and one of the leading lawyers of the State; John J. Jackson, who was appointed by Lincoln as district judge and served in that capacity for over 40 years; Johnson N. Camden, who was twice in the United States Senate from West Virginia; Jacob B. Blair; the late Bishop Peterkin, of the Episcopal Church; and Judge Okey Johnson, of the Supreme Court In short, it may [63] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss be said that in the old and the new Virginia Parkersburg has furnished more than her share of the public men who have filled the high offices and accomplished the things worth while in the two Commonwealths. In all that time its bar has been noted for the ability of its members, and now there is no county in the State that has a larger per- centage of distinguished men than has the bar of Wood County. When Mr. Moss assumed the position of prosecuting attorney of that county he had to represent the State against this able bar of Wood County, and he did it with great credit to himself. When he retired he was elected circuit judge and discharged the duties of that position with signal ability and with absolute impartiality. He was recognized as a judge that held the scales of justice with absolute fairness, and he retired from that position w ith the entire confidence of the bar and the people whom he served. I had the pleasure of appearing before him, and I was struck by his courtesy and consideration for the members of the bar and his courage and ability. He had that peculiar power of convincing lawyers who appeared before him that he was trying to find out the truth and that he would go wherever the truth led him. Upon his retirement from the bench he was elected to represent the fourth congressional district in the Sixty- third Congi-ess, and was reelected to the Sixty-fourth Con- gress. It can thus be seen that he went from one step to another in legitimate advancement, and when he was called away at the age of 42 years he had been in public positions for 15 years, 4 years as prosecuting attorney, 8 years as judge, and 3 years in Congress. As a Member of Congress he showed the same devotion to duty, the same industrious habits, and those peculiar qualities which made him successful as a prosecuting officer and as a judge. He was prompt in his attendance upon com- [64] Address of Mr. Chilton, of West Virginia mittees and his attendance upon the sessions of the House and was faithful and painstaking in discharging the varied details of business which the people look to a Congress- man to attend to. He had patience, effectiveness, ability, power of analysis, and very rare ability to express him- self on his feet. He engaged in the debates upon the floor of the House and always acquitted himself to the satis- faction of his friends and colleagues. While he was a Republican, he did not always follow the party when he thought the interests of his people demanded a different course. A notable instance of this is found in the fact that he supported the shipping bill against the wishes of most of his party associates, and made a notable address to the House favoring the pas- sage of that act. All of us understand that a service of a little over two years in either branch of Congress is barely sufficient to acquaint one with the rules and the general trend of legislation. Indeed, so complicated has become the affairs of the Government, so many are the subjects dealt with at every session, that a Member of either body is not expected in less than four years to feel at home. Yet we see Mr. Moss taking prominent part in the work of his committees and a distinguished part in the discussions of questions upon the floor of the House, though his actual service in the House was not over three years. His life work, what he accom- plished in public places, stamps him as a man of much more than average ability. Indeed, it shows that the judgment of his friends that he was destined to become one of the leaders of his State was well founded. He left a record in public life that will be a heritage to his children and a beacon light to young men. He demon- strated the capacity of young men in public positions to discharge high responsibility with distinction and credit. He was a young prosecuting attorney, a young judge, a [65] Memorial Addresses: Representative Moss young Congressman, yet when called to the discharge of the duties of these positions he showed mature judg- ment and those solid qualities of mind and heart expected only of the mature. In 1902 he married Miss Annie Barker Ambler, the daughter of Hon. B. Mason Ambler. His father-in-law is one of that galaxy who have made Parkersburg noted for the ability and the high character of the members of its bar. He has never sought ofTice himself, but has been contented with the pursuit of his profession. He belongs to that large class found in West Virginia who have made the legal profession their masters and have eschewed all kinds of political preferment, and yet he took pride in the achievements and the great success of his distin- guished son-in-law. When I attended the funeral of Mr. Moss I saw a most touching scene. After the funeral I called at the home of Mr. Ambler, and there 1 found him and his wife with two widowed daughters and their little orphaned grand- children. I never heard an expression of complaint nor comment upon the fate which had orphaned their little grandchildren and widowed their two daughters. There was the true, old-fashioned welcome, the modern home surroundings, the quiet Christianlike obedience to the de- crees of Providence that convinced me that Hunter Moss had been sustained in life by a wife who had character, abilitj', and the true Christianlike spirit, and I have no doubt that some of the character of the gi-eat father-in- law and the lovely mother-in-law permeated the soul and life of Hunter H. Moss tlu-ough liis wife and helped liim to become a strong man while he was yet a boy in years. The disease which cut short liis years, of course, had been sapping liis vitality for a long time. No doubt that when he entered Congress he had been marked for death and was even then struggling against the monster which finally [66] Address of Mr. Chilton, of West Virginia called him. No one can know the struggles, the will power, which enabled him to endure the pain that he must have suffered, but there was never a complaint that passed his lips. He worked and fought, bearing his cross alone. His father was one of the successful bankers and busi- ness men of Parkersburg, and his mother was one of the family of Blair, distinguished in politics and business in the two Virginias. He inherited his liking for a business career from his father, his love of public affairs from his mother, and his attractive social qualities from both. Shortly before his death he had business misfortunes of a serious character, but they were nothing for a brave spirit to overcome if his life had only been spared. A large percentage of business men have serious losses, set- backs, even failures, before they finally settle down to the safe road which leads to business success. True man- hood is helped by misfortune, and it is not to be doubted that had he lived the usual span of life he would have retrieved his business losses and been as successful in business as he was in public affairs. After all, the rules of success in anything are not known quantities, and there is bound to be an element of chance in everything in life. The field of business, like the panorama of politics, is filled with surprises and disappointments. For good or evil unforeseen circumstances enter into every man's life. Every election must witness the disappointment of the defeated as well as the shouts of the victorious, and all along the road in eveiy business and in official life there are those who fall by the wayside, often because of things which human endeavor could not arrange otherwise. Like Hunter Moss, 1 believe in initiative, genius, close application, hard work, energy, persistence, and patience, but even these have sometimes failed against the decrees of fate. Our departed friend never failed at college, nor at the bar, nor in politics. Here his social qualities, per- [67] Memori.\l Addresses: Representative Moss sonal magnetism, brains, and power of expression were the factors of success. I saw him many times in the last months of his life. There was a pained look upon his face, and it was per- fectly evident that there was a depression of spirit which no outward eflort could conceal. No hero upon the bat- tle field ever made a braver fight. He was ever strug- gling for strength to discharge the duties of the office to which he had been elected, and it gave one pride in man- hood and faith in the race to see his masterful battle for life and duty. We took him to his last resting place at his home city of Parkersburg, in the beautiful valley of the Ohio River, and surrounded by devoted friends and relatives, upon a beautiful hillside covered with flowers and evergreens, we laid him to rest. It is strange that there is always a horror of what we call the mystery of death; strange that this ordeal which the billions who have lived in the world in the past, the billions yet to come, and the millions now living must experience, should be regarded as anything but natural. We are born and we live in and by the phenomena of death. Death and birth we see in the vegetable, the animal, and the mineral kingdom, always going on. With every death there is a new life, and in every new life there is the seed of death. There is nothing to be learned except the lesson that all mankind is subject to disintegration; every human being lives un- der the sentence of death. The time of execution is the only uncertainty. But that which is the common lot and wliich is nature's law can not be an evil and ought not to be dreaded. In bidding farewell to this wonderful young man who left his mark written high in the liistory of his country we can truthfully say that he was an exemplaiy father and husband, a most delightful and lovable companion, a [68] { Address of Mr. Chilton, of West Virginia useful public-spirited citizen who filled every position to which he was called with marked ability, integrity, and fidelity, and that he was a patriot devoted to the interests of his State. He did his work well, and his life is an in- spiration to the rising generation. He set a high mark in achievement, and feared none in debate. He walked erect among the great with the modesty becoming ability which does not dread a test. His enduring monument is his life work of successful intellectual achievement. His epitaph is his devotion to duty and the love of his family, friends, and constituents. ( [69] Address of Mr. Weeks, of Massachusetts Mr. President: It is a genuine, though none the less poignant, privilege to be able to pass a word of eulogy upon the memory of the late Hunter Holmes Moss, Jr., of West Virginia, for in so doing I am paying a tribute to that type of young American who has done so much in recent years to keep the Nation abreast of the times, and to re- establish the fact that in this country it is worth that counts, and not age or artificial position. The rapid rise of this young man in public life, and the great promise which the future seemed to hold for him, were essentially the result of industry and honesty and a native ability which made itself apparent to the outside world even be- fore he was sent to Washington to represent the fourth district of the State of West Virginia. The law was the branch of human endeavor with which Mr. Moss cast his lot, and at the age of 26 years, because of his personality and earnestness, he had been elected prosecuting attorney of one of the most important counties of his State. His election to this ofTice gave young Moss the opportunity that he wanted — an opportunity to put into effect the effective execution of law and justice which subsequently brought about his rise to an impressive judgeship, and, not long afterwards, his election to the Congress of the United States. It was not my privilege to know Mr. Moss before he came to Washington, but it was only a short while after he took his seat in the House of Representatives that his older colleagues, including myself, became aware of the fact that the State of West Virginia had sent an unusual young man to Congress — a man who, however new to the national field, had brought with him from his own State [70] Address of Mr. Weeks, of Massachusetts the talent of quickly adjusting himself to new circum- stances and hecoming at once an important factor in pub- lic life. Such a talent is as rare in men of years as it is in youth, and the fact that Mr. Moss possessed it and exer- cised it modestly and gracefully made us confident that he was destined to take an important place in the Na- tion's political and legislative history. For that reason it was a profound shock to his colleagues, both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, when infor- mation of his untimely death reached us. Although our loss is great because of his passing, he had already con- tributed more richly to the traditions of life than many would be able to do in a much longer span of years. But when death comes we think only of our loss, and the Senate to-day pays tribute to an inspiring memory. Mr. Chilton. Mr. President, I ask for the adoption of the resolutions which I have offered. The resolutions were unanimously agreed to. Mr. Chilton. Mr. President, I move, as a further mark of respect to the memory of Mr. Finley, Mr. Tribble, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Moss, that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to, and (at 4 o'clock and 5 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 26, 1917, at 11 o'clock a. m. ^ [71] 787 873 2