in \ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS qiii'i Ml mill Ilii I il 016 099 172 \ Conservation Resources P 566 ■ U6 "y 1 Sixty-sixth Congrcu, Third Session :: :: :: :: House Document No. 812 CHARLES A. NICHOLS (Late a Representative from Michigan) MEMORIAL ADDRESSES DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES SIXTY-SIXTH CONGRESS February 27, 1921 PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON PRINTING 2-2- 'Z4:;, 3*? WASHINOTON 1922 LIBnARY OF CONQ^teSg 1 APRiai922 / I OOCUM6NTJ* M.v.ilON ON i C2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Pikge Proceedings in the House 5 Prayer by Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D 5,8 Memorial addresses by — Mr. Frank E. Doremus, of Michigan 11 Mr. J. M. C. Smith, of Micliigan . 14 Mr. Gilbert A. Currie, of Michigan 17 Mr. Louis C. Cramton, of Michigan 19 Mr. Earl C. Michener, of Michigan 24 Mr. Clarence J. McLeod, of Michigan 28 Mr. Hays B. White, of Kansas 30 Mr. Isaac Siegel, of New York 33 Mr. Joseph W. Fordney, of Michigan 36 Proceedings in the Senate 39 [3] Vs (0(3 DEATH OF HON. CHARLES A. NICHOLS PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE Monday, April 26, 1920. The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to order by Mr. Campbell of Kansas as Speaker pro tempore. The Chaplain, Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the following prayer : O, Thou invisible Spirit, a living Presence, ever work- ing in and through the minds and hearts of Thy children to larger life and nobler achievements — Lord of life and Lord of death. The ties of kinship and friendship are deep and abid- ing, hence our hearts are bowed in sorrow and grief be- cause a faithful Member of this legislative body has been unexpectedly removed by death. Come close to us and the precious mother in whose arms he expired. May the blessed hope of the immortal- ity of life and love assuage her grief and our sorrows. The sands of life run swiftly, and we know not the hour when the summons may come. May the experiences of the now fit us for the experiences of the then, and may the faith, hope, and love inherent in our souls abide with us now and evermore. No one is so accursed by fate, No one so utterly desolate, But some heart, tliougli unknown, Responds unto his own. [5] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols Responds,- — as if with unseen wings, An angel touched its quivering strings. And whispers, in its song, "Where hast thou stayed so long I " Thus in Christ the Lord we pray. Amen. Mr, DoREMUs. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty to an- nounce the death of my colleague, Hon. Charles A. Nichols, of Michigan, in his home in this city last evening. On a subsequent occasion I shall ask that a day be set aside for proper services in memory of the deceased. For the present I present the following resolutions and move their adoption. The Clerk read as follows : House resolution 535 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, a Representative from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That a committee of 18 Mernhers of the House, with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be author- ized 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. The Speaker pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the resolutions. The resolutions were agreed to. The Speaker pro tempore. Without objection, the Chair will appoint the following committee. The Clerk read as follows : Mr. Doremus, Mr. Michener, Mr. Smith of Michigan, Mr. Ham- ilton, Mr. Mapes, Mr. Kelley of Michigan, Mr. Cramton, Mr. Ford- [6] Proceedings in the House ney, Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan, Mr. Currie of Michigan, Mr. Scott, Mr. James, Mr. McFadden, Mr. Ireland, Mr. McArthur, Mr. White of Kansas, Mr. Taylor of Colorado, and Mr. Johnson of Mississippi. Mr. Doremus. Mr. Speaker, as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, I move that the House do now adjourn. The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 12 o'clock and 20 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-mor- row, Tuesday, April 27, 1920, at 12 o'clock noon. Tuesday, April 27, 1920. A message from the Senate, by Mr. Dudley, its enrolling clerk, announced that the Senate had passed the follow- ing resolution: Senate resolution 353 Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, late a Representative from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by the Presiding Officer to join the committee appointed by the House of Representatives to take order for the superintending of the funeral of Mr. Nichols at Detroit, Mich. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these resolutions to the House of Representatives. Resolved, That as a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased the Senate do now adjourn. And that under the second resolution the Presiding Offi- cer had appointed Mr. Townsend, Mr. Newberry, Mr. Fernald, Mr. Ashurst, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Keyes as said committee on the part of the Senate. Tuesday, January 18, 1921. Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unani- mous consent that Sunday, February 27, be set apart for addresses on the life, character, and public services of the late Representative from Michigan, Mr. Charles A. Nichols. [7] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols The Speaker. The gentleman from Michigan asks unanimous consent that Sunday. February 27, be set apart for memorial services on the life, character, and public services of the late Representative Nichols, of Michigan Is there objection to the request? There was no objection. Sunday, February 27, 1921. The House met at 12 o'clock noon and was called to order by Mr. Fordney as Speaker pro tempore. The Chaplain. Rev. Henry N. Couden, D. D., offered the loilowmg prayer: Eternal God. our heavenly Father, possess with Thy spirit our souls; for spirit may meet spirit and soul mingle with soul in consolation and hope. Behold. I stand at the door, and knock; if any man shall hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me. We have assembled to memorialize the lives, characters and public services of two men who have served upon the' floor of this House and left behind them records that may give light and comfort to those who follow them Be with their comrades, friends, and kinsfolk in this hour of dis- tress and sorrow. Comfort them with the blessed hope of the immortality of the soul, that has come down to us through the ages and has been recorded in public writ Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God. be- lieve also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you And If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. m Proceedings in the House Blessed thought! We thank Thee, our Father, for that thought, for that consolation, foi" that hope; in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Speaker pro tempore. The Clerk will report the special order. The Clerk read as follows: On motion of Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan, by unanimous con- sent. Ordered. That Sunday, February 27, 1921, at 12 o'clock noon, be set apart for addresses on the life, character, and public service of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, late a Representative from the State of Michigan. Mr. McLaughlin of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, 1 offer the following resolution. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Michi- gan offers a resolution, which the Clerk will report. The Clerk read as follows : House resolution 700 Resolved, That the business of the House be now suspended, that opportunity may be given for tributes to the memory of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, late a Representative from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That as a particular mark of respect to the memory of the deceased, and in recognition of his distinguished public career, the House, at the conclusion of the exercises of the day, shall stand adjourned. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate. Resolved, That the Clerk send a copy of these resolutions to the family of the deceased. The resolution was agreed to. [9] MEMORIAL ADDRESSES Address of Mr. Doremus, of Michigan Mr. Speaker : We assemble to-day to honor the memory of and pay our tribute of respect to a departed colleague. Charles A. Nichols was the son of Thomas and Jane Fletcher Nichols, and was born at Boyne, Mich., August 25, 1876. Early in life he manifested a deep interest in politics. His first active political work was performed in the campaign of 1896. Although at that time scarcely 21 years of age, he organized a First Voters' McKinley Club and was elected its president. Soon thereafter he became a newspaper reporter, beginning his journalistic work on the Detroit Journal, with which paper he remained for about two years. In 1898 he became attached to the staff of the Detroit News, upon which paper he achieved a country-wide reputation as a reporter and investigator of crimes. About 20 years ago a woman's body was uncovered in the woods near the village of Royal Oak, Mich., where it had lain for nearly a year. Much of the clothing had been torn from the body. The feet had been stripped of shoes, and there was no evidence to prove the identifi- cation of the victim. The police were baffled and had about given up hope of solving the mystery when Mr. Nichols went to work on the case. The masterly manner in which he handled this celebrated case and landed the murderer in the penitentiaiy is yet fresh in the minds of many people in Michigan. It is regarded in police annals as one of the finest pieces of detective work ever done in Michigan or in any other State. He remained with the [II] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols News until July 1, 1905, when he was appointed secretary of the Detroit police department. In 1909 Mr. Nichols was elected clerk of the city of Detroit. He was reelected, serving in that capacity for a period of four years. He was a strong supporter of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and went down to defeat with the Progressive leader as a candidate for reelection to the office of city clerk. Two years later he was a can- didate for Congress on the Republican ticket in the new thirteenth district of Michigan and was elected. He was reelected in 1916 and again in 1918. In Congress he soon became known to his colleagues as a man of independent thought and action. It was his fortune to serve during the most momentous period of American history, and on all questions which came before Congress he was guided by a fine spirit of patriotism. Indeed, I may truthfully say that in his public career Mr. Nichols steadfastly refused to sacrifice principle for expediency. He never hesitated to place what he believed to be his country's welfare above personal considerations. At the time of his death he was a member of the Committees on the Public Lands, Insular Affairs, Industrial Arts and Expo- sitions, and the chairman of the Census Committee. I speak to-day of our departed friend and colleague as one who knew him intimately. Close personal associa- tion with him gave me an opportunity to fairly assess those qualities of mind and heart which endeared him to his friends and stamped him a man's man and a faithful public servant. First of all, being true to nature, he could not be otherwise than true to himself. Ostentation and display were foreign to his nature. In him there was no taint of affectation. Mr. Nichols had a keen sense of his responsibility to the public. He squared his official acts with his highest conception of duty. He possessed moral courage to an [12] Address of Mr. Doremus, of Michigan exceptional degree, and when the path of duty lay clear he never hesitated to follow it. When quite a young man the work of providing for his mother devolved upon him. It was a duty that he never shirked, and his devotion to her continued until the hour of his death. His friends were his most valued possessions. Among them his happiest hours were passed. His loyalty to them was intense. He found great delight in doing little acts of kindness. It can be truly said of him that he left the world better than he found it. What better monument can any man rear to his memory? [13] Address of Mr. Smith, of Michigan Mr. Speaker : We meet to-day to commemorate the life and character of our departed friend and colleague, Charles A. Nichols. He departed this life at the noonday of his active career, in the city of Washington, at the age of 44 years. He passed away at his home, where he was entertaining friends and apparently in the best of health. There is not one of us who knew him who did not feel that in his departure he had lost a personal friend. He was kind-hearted, of a pleasing disposition, manly, up- right, courteous, and knew the value of friends. He was serving his third term in Congress. He started a poor orphan boy, and was the author of his own career. He was born in Michigan. His first work was that of jour- nalism, then secretary of the police commission of his home city, afterwards clerk of Detroit, which position he held for two terms. Then the opportunity came, and he was elected to the Sixty-fourth Congress from the thir- teenth district of Michigan. The successful career of our departed friend shows the opportunity that any young man of ordinary ability has in our country for advance- ment. Here wealth, position, and honor are the prizes offered for energy, and every poor boy can compete. I might add that failure only comes to those who let oppor- tunity go or are indifferent to their own best interests. Mr. Nichols was a man of untiring energy, industrious, and of good, plain, everyday judgment and common sense. We all miss him, and, now that his book of life is closed, we may still revere his memory, praise his good qualities, and are pleased that we knew him. What the future holds for us we know not. Whether we cross the river in darkness or we are ushered to a [14] Address of Mr. Smith, of Michigan higher and better life, where happiness awaits, it is not given us to know. The intelligence of the world, the high- est and brightest minds, all believe in a Divinity and that the future is eternal. But we are authors of our own career in this life; and for guidance I have often thought of the admonition of the revered Bryant: So live, that when thy summons comes to join The innumerable caravan which moves To that mysterious realm where each shall take His chamber in the silent halls of death. Thou go not, like the quarry slave at night, Scourged to his dungeon, but sustained and soothed By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About him and lies down to pleasant dreams. Mr. Nichols was at the time of his decease very much interested in adjusted compensation for the World War veterans. Indeed, he had a deep solicitation for their wel- fare, not only during the war but afterwards. He was instrumental in having the Three hundred and thirty- ninth Regiment returned from Russia, and went to the seacoast to accompany the remains of the boys who had made the supreme sacrifice for their country back to their long homes. I think Mr. Nichols would be glad to have this said of him because of his untiring efforts in their behalf. He wished them to have an extra compensation as a slight contribution to the financial sacrifices they made to join the service and sustain the flag. I was privileged to attend his funeral in his home city of Detroit. His body lay in state in the city hall, where he had devoted his services in former years to the welfare of his city. Throngs crowded the corridors, civic societies passed by his remains, showing the high esteem and re- spect in which he had engrafted himself into the aff"ection of the inhabitants of all classes in the city; and as he lived, upright and just and true in life, so now will we [15] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols with affectionate remembrance hold him in high esteem in the innermost recesses of our remembrance as our friend and colleague, an upright citizen, and leave him not to be forgotten, but remembered for all time to come. We can only say adieu and abide our time when we must all make the same journey. May it be well with us then as I am sure it was with Mr. Nichols. Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me I And may there be no moaning of the bar, When 1 put out to sea. But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell. And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell. When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar. — Tennyson. [16] Address of Mr. Currie, of Michigan Mr. Speaker: It is fitting and proper that we should gather here and endeavor to honor, in a humble way, the memory of our late colleague. We miss his companion- ship and his counsel. In his untimely death family and friends were grievously shocked and the Nation suflered a distinct loss. Mr. Nichols, through diligent and faithful service, had reached a high place in the councils of the greatest legis- lative body on the face of the earth. He was chairman of the Committee on the Census. Every 10 years a Fed- eral census is taken, and tlie legislation for the census of 1920 stands as the handiwork of the Hon. Charles A. Nichols. He was a student of public affairs who never lost sight of his mission and trust. His vigorous efforts before com- mittees and upon the floor of the House accomplished much good and saved the Nation vast sums of money. His earnest and aggressive work before governmental bureaus and departments brought relief and happiness to many a weary and discouraged soldier and sailor boy. No person was too humble for an audience with him, and no man was great enough to deter him in his mission of right and justice as he saw it. The soldiers had in him a true and sympathetic friend. 1 remember that when the first ship bearing bodies of our heroes who died in Russia was on its way to the United States it was Mr. Nichols who challenged the attention of Congress to its duty on behalf of the Nation to honor their memory by a suitable service at the docks in New York. Along life's pathway, whether it was as a press reporter, city official, or a Congressman of the United States, his 55302—22 2 [17] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols thought and action showed him the friend of man. No testimonial of high esteem that our words may speak here to-day can equal that mute tribute by thousands of his home people at Detroit — rich, poor, humble, and great — who formed a procession that was hours in pass- ing as his body lay in state at the city hall. My friends, the true test of a successful life is not how long but how useful to his fellow beings; and, measured by that standard, the life of Charles A. Nichols was a distinct success. [18] Address of Mr. Cramton, of Michigan Mr. Speaker: It is very timely that as we are gathered here to-day to pay tribute to the services of our colleague, Charles A. Nichols, mention should be made of the fact that it was through his activity that the Congress, repre- senting the people of the Nation, arranged that tribute should be paid at New York when the first of our dead from the Great War came back to our shores. It was the occasion of the retui-n of the dead of the Three hundred and thirty-ninth Regiment from northern Russia, but they chanced to be the first of our Nation's dead to be re- turned, and Mr. Nichols felt that that opportunity should not be permitted to pass without the Nation paying its tribute, not only to those dead but to all who had given their lives upon the other side in the great conflict. Through his activity at the War Department and on the floor of this House that opportunity was not permitted to pass without being properly recognized. Mr. Nichols was the chairman of the committee that had those services in charge. Now he, too, has passed, and we pay tribute, not to one who served his country on the field of battle or in the military service, but to one who served his country with no less devotion in civic place of high responsibility. To those of us who served with him, members of the delegation from the State of Michigan, his sudden death was to each and every one of us a shock. It was more than that. It took from each one of us a highly valued friend; because to those of us who knew him best he was not Congressman Nichols, but he was Charlie Nichols. He was not alone a public servant honored highly by his city and his congressional district, but he was the man and the friend. [19] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols It is a pleasure to me to recall that, not having met him personally when he came into Congress, although I had known much of him, though political conditions threat- ened at first to lead to some separation of our paths, that diff'erence was not permitted to stand in the way of the growth of a deep and real friendship between us. Very early in my acquaintance with him 1 found what each day of that acquaintance only emphasized, that the great things about Charlie Nichols were his real, deep human- ity, his thorough sincerity of purpose, and his courage to face and perform a duty. It comes back to me now, the first time that I saw Charlie Nichols. It was at the famous Bay City con- vention in Michigan in 1912. He was in office in the city of Detroit as city clerk, and could have remained in that office indefinitely with his strong ties of friendship throughout the city. But when the contest came, through the candidacy of Theodore Roosevelt, it appealed to Charlie Nichols with such force that he gave to it all the devotion of his nature and put upon the altar of sacrifice his position in the city government of Detroit. In the course of that contest he made a tremendous fight against odds in the city of Detroit, and carried with him to the State convention a delegation from that county, a conven- tion where all was tumult as the two factions gathered from all over Michigan for the most bitter political con- flict in Michigan for a generation. The State militia had been called out as a police measure. I, as a spectator, on my way into the convention, was endeavoring to get into the Armory Building where it was in session. I was on my way in with a visitor's ticket when I saw Charlie Nichols on his way out, his delegation excluded, and he physically thrown out of the convention, passed back through the packed lobby, handed along over the heads of all by burly hangers-on of the opposing faction. [20] Address of Mr. Cramton, of Michigan That first sight of him has always emphasized to me that while his was a mild and gentle nature, nevertheless when he embraced a cause he was willing to put every- thing into it; that while he loved peace, he was willing to fight for his principles and ideals. Mention has been made of the fact that Charlie Nichols was preeminent as a newspaper man. A mutual friend of his and mine, who served with him in the newspaper game and is now on the bench in the city of Detroit, the Hon. Arthur E. Gordon, knowing him better in his news- paper days than I did, I asked my friend to give me some- thing of his estimate of Charlie Nichols as a newspaper reporter and as a man. He has handed me this : Charlie Nichols as a reporter and a man. I can not differentiate, because a decent reporter is always a man. Charlie A. Nichols was a decent reporter. I knew liim in tlie beginning of his career in the newspaper business; was with him on the Detroit News in 1898 and 1899 and against him on the Detroit Journal from 1899 to 1903, while he was still on the News, He began on the police beat, that prolific source of good newspaper men, where cubs are sent to learn to observe human nature and to write about concrete things. Any man can be a fair police reporter if he is industrious and observing. He can be a good police reporter or a star police reporter if he has reasoning faculties developed to a high enough degree; if he is endowed with those subtle qualities which enable him to win the confidence of utter strangers within a few minutes; to extract from them the most sacredly preserved secrets; to pick out the handful of grain concealed within the bushel of chaff which is poured out in moments of great strain by prin- cipals in or witnesses to some great tragedy; if he is trained in logical reasoning so that he can follow a tenuous trail marked only here and there by a definite fact which serves as a guide- post to the solution of a criminal mystery. This was Charles A. Nichols as a reporter. He was a star police reporter. He solved many of the great murder mys- [21] Memorial Addresses: Representati\-e Nichols teries of Detroit of two generations ago when the police and trained detectives were utterly at sea or resolutely following the wrong trail. He was more than this as a reporter. He never betrayed a confidence. Because he would let himself be scooped on a big story rather than disclose to the public what had been told him in confidence or under a pledge that it be withheld until the happening of some event, he had the confi- dence of the heads of the detective and police bureaus and of the courts. He always played fair with his fellow newspaper men. Therein lies the greatest test of a man in the newspaper business or profession. No reporter can have the confidence of his fellow reporters unless he has consistently played fair with them. He must not stoop to petty deceptions. He must not lie to them. Charles A. Nichols had no enemy among the newspaper men of Detroit. He was loyal to his paper to the highest degree. He spared no effort, no expenditure of time or energy, in pursuing the elusive story which makes the paper. While at work he knew nothing but the objective. He spared no efi'ort to get a better story than the reporter opposing him on the other papers, yet he was always fair, so that after the bitter competition of the day the stoutest competitors were often closest of friends. Thus it was with Charles A. Nichols. His rival on the opposing paper was usually seen around the town with him at night after the competition for that day had ceased and the evanescent glory of the day's scoop had passed into newspaper history. And this is the measure of a man in the newspaper profession, that he can be indefatigable in the interests of his paper while at work, yet be so fair to the man he is trying to beat that he can not fail to win the respect and friendship of his opponent. This was Charles A. Nichols, brilliant newspaper man, criminal investigator, and decent man, imbued with the highest qualities of American citizenship. These qualities which served him in such good stead as a newspaper reporter were broadened and enlarged by his newspaper career, and his sympathies were so sharpened by his experience that when he entered the field of politics he never lost his human interest, his ability to get the other man's viewpoint, to see both sides of the " story," and not form hasty conclusions. As a result he was a capable public servant, always being the highest type of man. [22] Address of Mr. Cramton, of Michigan My friend Gordon has emphasized the real point, that when we come into public service we continue in public service to be just the kind of men that we were before we came into public service. And a man who has played the game fairly, who has been earnest and indefatigable in his work before he came to Congress, will prove earnest and indefatigable in his work here. So Charles A. Nichols, in the short time he was in Congress, rose to the chairmanship of the Committee on the Census, and distinguished himself as well by thorough work on the Public Lands Committee, where he was ren- dering a real public service. But the real tribute to Nichols the man and Nichols the Congressman, after all, is not in what we may have to say here, but in the expres- sion of respect and love for him which poured out not here alone but poured out in his home city upon the occasion of the return of his body to that city. I remember, and will long remember, as we stood there in the corridors of the city hall, the building where he had served the city as city clerk, where he had always been ready to perform service to and help the humblest citizen of Detroit who came to him for aid — in that city hall, as his body lay there in state, the people for hours poured through the corridors to pay their silent tribute of love and respect to the man that they knew as the friend of each and every one of them. [23] Address of Mr. Michener, of Michigan Mr. Speaker: We have met here on this Sabbath Day to pay our tribute of love and respect to our late lamented colleague, Congressman Charles A. Nichols. These serv- ices are not perfunctory in their character; they are more. It is but proper that this, the gi-eatest legislative body in the world, should set aside this day to commemorate the memory of one of its departed Members. Each one of us has his small place to fill in the great human family, and when the death angel beckons we must of necessity leave vacant chairs. To-day we mingle with our friends, we enjoy their associations, but we know not what the mor- row holds in store for us. The ties formed in this body are difficult to sever, and these occasions bring us face to face with realities. The grim reaper has exacted an unusual toll from the Sixty-sixth Congress. Fourteen times has he entered our ranks. Fourteen times we have realized that — Death takes us unawares, And stays our hurrying feet, The great design unfinished lies. Our lives are incomplete. It has been said that death is the black camel that stops at every man's door. It is seldom welcome, but sure to come. It lies in every passing breeze and lurks in every flower. Leaves have their time to fall. And flowers to wither at the north wind's breath, And stars to set; but all, Thou hast all seasons for thine own, Death! And so when we learned of the passing of our colleague it seemed that his going was untimely, unwarranted. In the prime of life, in the bloom of manhood, in the day of [24] Address of Mr. Michener, of Michigan his usefulness his final summons came. Without warn- ing, unexpected, it was a great shock to his friends. He surely died at the post of duty. I met him in the House Office Building on that Sunday afternoon; he was in ap- parent good health— jovial and agreeable, as usual— and in but a few hours later cold in death. I first met Mr. Nichols in the closing days of the Sixty- fifth Congress— about two years ago. I came to Wash- ington, as most new Members do, to get acquainted with the surroundings. I will ever remember the courtesy and consideration shown me by Mr. Nichols. From that time on he was my friend. I soon learned to love him for his true worth. He was a kind, genial, whole-souled, com- panionable man. To know him was to admire him. True to his friends alwaj's. One could not know Mr. Nichols long without knowing something of his home life. His devotion to his widowed mother was marked. The con- sideration of her pleasure entered into his every plan. On many occasions during the sessions of Congress I have known him to leave his seat on the floor just to call up mother and see that all was well with her. Such atten- tion, though tfulness, and love of mother always inspires admiration and confidence, and so it seemed but fitting that the end should come, as it did, in his mother's arms. It was my privilege to accompany the funeral party to Detroit. I did not wonder at the large number of friends at the depot and at the funeral. There were members of organizations, military and civil; there were his friends — all knew him; all mourned his loss. As the body lay in state in the gi-eat city hall of Detroit, in which building he had so faithfully served his people, I saw many people in solemn procession pass the coffin and take a last look at all that was mortal of their friend. Some had known him as a lad, some had known him as a young newspaper reporter, some had known him as a mature newspaper [25] Memorial Addresses: Representati\'e Nichols writer, some had known him as secretary of the police department, some had known him as city clerk, some had known him as their Representative in Congress. All knew him to be worthy of confidence; all loved him. Three times was he elected to Congress, each time by an in- creased majority. He was truly a self-made man. His career should be an inspiration to every American lad. He conclusively exemplified opportunity in America. He again demonstrated that the " barefoot boy, with cheek of tan," is a presidential possibility. His success was not the result of chance; it was the result of merit. It can be honestly said that " when he departed he took a man's life along with him." What is true greatness and true success, except the development of those qualities which we summarize and emphasize in the one word — manhood? It touches the attractive as well as the noble features in the life of man. It is a word difficult to define, yet, without definition, we recognized and appreciated it in Congressman Nichols. He lived out his days and his years in the State of his birth. He held the affection and the friendship of the home folks, and after all — Friends are in life's exchange the sterling coin; True tender for all the rarest forms of joy; The only pauper is the friendless man. Judged by this standard, our friend was, indeed, a wealthy man. No constituent was too humble or too lowly to receive the utmost consideration. His office was the clearing house for the wants and requests of all ex-service men. No Member of this body took a keener interest in the welfare of those who served during the late war and those who were dependent upon them. It was Mr. Nichols who introduced the first resolution in Congress providing that suitable arrangements be made for the re- ception of the remains of those who made the supreme sacrifice on the other side. His office was the headquar- [26] Address of Mr. Michener, of Michigan ters for Michigan American Legion Welfare Officers while in Washington, and in his death these boys lost an earnest supporter and an energetic advocate. It is not for me, a comparatively new Member here, to call attention to the legislative ability and statesmanship of our colleague. This will be done far better by those who have had longer service with him and who are better qualified to speak. Suffice it for me to say that the thirteenth congressional district has lost an able Representative, the State has lost an honored citizen, and the country has lost a wise legis- lator. His faults we write upon the sand, his virtues upon the tablets of love and memory. [27] Address of Mr. McLeod, of Michigan Mr. Speaker: Although I was not fortunate enough to be numbered among his bosom friends, I do not believe there were many people in Detroit who were unfamiliar with the name of my predecessor, the late Congressman Nichols, and I consider it a great honor to be allowed to pay my tribute to his memory at this ceremony. A President could not have been accorded a more befitting burial than that bestowed upon him by the people of his loved city. His sudden tragic death from heart failure occurred in the arms of his revered mother. On the arrival of his body from Washington it was met by an array of policemen and a squad of medaled service men in their overseas uniforms. His body lay in state for two days at the city hall, where it was viewed by thousands of mourners. His presence among his friends was always welcome on account of his care-free, lovable disposition. He always looked on the sunny side of life, even when everything went dead wrong. He was a man of sympathetic under- standing, and never failed to extend a helping hand to a discouraged fellow creature. Longfellow said: Into each life some rain must fall. Mr. Nichols therefore must have had his share; but such days were never intimated to or inflicted on his friends. One of his most commendable and noticeable attributes was his devoted attention to his constant com- panion, his mother, a frail, sweet-faced, gray-haired mother, such as poets love to describe. At the age when most boys are enjoying the free exist- ence of school life he had undertaken the arduous task of a newspaper reporter. He was famous for his ability in solving homicide cases which others had abandoned. [28] Address of Mr. McLeod, of Michigan He was appointed secretary of the Detroit police de- partment in 1905, where he served three years. In 1908 his merit was rewarded by his election to the public office of city clerk and his reelection in 1910. In 1914 the public further displayed their confidence in Mm by sending him to the United States Congress. I need not go into the details of his service here, as you, my dear colleagues, are acquainted with his unblemished record here. How- ever, I can not but touch upon his patriotic war record. During this critical time he never once flinched. He took an important part in the legislation for the welfare of soldiers. He served his constituents well in all capacities. Even a few hours before Ms untimely death, which was on Sunday, when he should have been resting after the strenuous toil of the week, he was writing a report upon a measure of vital importance to every man and woman in the country, as it related to the extraordinary cost of shoes. My great desire is that I may have the wisdom to follow in Ms footsteps here. How can he be dead who lives immortal in the hearts of men? [29] Address of Mr. White, of Kansas Mr. Speaker: Until I came here this morning I knew little more of the life of Charles A. Nichols before I met him upon entering on my duties in the Sixty-sixth Con- gress than I found in one of the very briefest biographies in the Congressional Directory. I can not speak of the record of his life and achievements with the familiarity that his colleagues are able to speak, but I am pleased and honored, Mr. Speaker and gentlemen, to speak for a few minutes of my friend Charles A. Nichols. It is not for me to explore the domain of metaphysical idealism. I indulge in no speculation; for me it is sound philosophy, true religion, and supreme consolation to hold to that maxim, " I know that it shall be well with the righteous." And whatever betides beyond the frontier of the un- known world, 1 believe that a conscious entity of our departed friend is consciously existent, and that with the same intense courage that characterized his work here his undaunted soul is to-day grappling from the forum of eternity with its mysterious problems. Ironquill says, in what I regard as one of his greatest poems, the Washer- woman's Song, giving expression to that spirit of doubt which assails, perplexes, and at times tortures the think- ing mind — Human hopes and human creeds Have their root in human needs; Yet I would not want to strip From the washerwoman's lip Any songs that she may sing. Any comfort songs may bring. For the woman has a friend That will keep her to the end. [30] Address of Mr. White, of Kansas But, again, the same writer, in his poem Criterion, which seems to be a reflective answer or an echo of that apparently agnostic sentiment expressed in the Washer- woman's Song, says: And yet the soul doth seem to be In sunshine which it can not see. Sometimes the spirit seems to roam Above the clouds, above the foam. Back to some half-forgotten home; And so I think that it may be That man and his finality Is not an ideality, but, indeed, reality. Charles Nichols's faith was of a positive, unques- tioning character. I know this, for he told me so. It was builded upon the words of Him who spake as never man spake, who said, " Because I live, you shall live also." I think of few men whom I have met in a long period of private and official life who in so short a time I came to know so well and to esteem so highly as I did the gentle- man from Michigan, the Hon. Charles Nichols, in respect for whose memory and services we meet here to-day. It was largely due, perhaps, because of our mutual service on the Committee on the Public Lands. In this connection I feel there is no impropriety in referring to one incident at least in the official experience of Mr. Nichols which illustrates in a high degree his quality as a statesman and his rare political integrity. He was enthusiastically for the payment of a soldier's bonus to the American ex- service men of the great World War. Although not rugged in health, he devoted much time and energy to advancing this legislation, but he opposed with equal energy the bill, H. R. 487, authorizing the ap- propriation of $500,000,000 for the establishment of projects upon Government reclaimed land. Seventeen members of the committee were strongly in favor of the measure, while only four opposed it, but so strongly that, [31] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols on account of the objections urged by Mr. Nichols, a minority view, written by him, was signed and printed; and it was due to his opposition more than to any other one thing that the measure failed. It was an exhibition of unusual, yet of admirable, courage to throw down the gage of battle to a great committee of the House and to the majority leadership on his own side when there was every probability of being misunderstood. These are the qualities that compel admiration from everyone; but, be- yond all tliis, it was the splendid qualities of the man of which I am thinking most. His was the gentle, kindly spirit I spent many happy hours in his office, and he in mine, and when you and I have invoked every source of consolation, have conjured the beauty and usefulness of Ms life in terms of love and admiration, contemplating all of the fine and noble qualities of a splendid man that show in all the acts of that wondrously perfect life, and in none more perfectly than in the tender care and solici- tude shown for the dear kind mother, to be so cruelly and unexpectedly bereaved, we must pause disconsolate be- cause we have no voice with which to reach the ear of him whom we have loved. Hopeless of entire consolation, we ask the age-old question, never affirmatively answered — Can storied urn, or animated bust. Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath? Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust, Or flatt'ry soothe the dull cold ear of death? Time, at once the builder and the leveler, thou shalt, thou must write justly and truly the story of this man's life; and there shall appear no recorded act unworthy of a noble man. [32] Address of Mr. Siegel, of New York Mr. Speaker : It is said by the psalmist that " man is like to vanity. His days are as a shadow that passeth away." We know these things to be self-evident. Yet during the short space of time which man has upon this earth he accomplishes often in a short span of life more than many others succeed in doing in a much longer one. Our able, esteemed, kind-hearted, industrious worker and pa- triotic friend, Charles A. Nichols, was no exception. He passed away when yet young in years. But he is mourned by all who recognized the value of his real con- scientious and earnest work for one of the largest con- stituencies which any Member of the House has ever represented. He looked after the welfare of thousands of young men who entered the service from the city of Detroit. His district, according to the latest figures of the 1920 census, had a couple of hundred thousand of inhabitants, to whom he devoted himself with all the energy and strength which a man of his years possessed. I first met him when he came to Congress, over five years ago. He discussed with me at that time the com- plex problems of a heterogeneous population such as his district had. He and I compared the efforts which we were both exerting to make that population homogeneous. Later, when we both served on the Census Committee, of which he was the honored chairman at the time of his decease, we frequently discussed the same problem. He typified the highest ideal of American citizenship. His devotion to his mother and his great love and affection for her won for- him the highest admiration of all who knew him. His sincerity in all his undertakings was thoroughly appreciated by all who met him. He loved 55302—22 3 [33 J Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols this country and its institutions to the utmost. He took great pride in the great city of Detroit. Frequent, indeed, were his references to the soldier boys on the other side, and when the first of our heroes came back to America it was upon tiis resolution that a committee of the House and Senate were sent to meet and receive the honored dead, whose memories we shall ever hold in the highest esteem and respect. He died the same as a soldier upon the field of battle. On that same Sunday afternoon which was to be his last he wrote the report, which the Census Committee later adopted as its report, upon the skin and liide bill, which became a law. That evening he hoped to return and examine it once more. When he left the House Office Building on that Sunday afternoon little did he think that he would never again return to it. On the other side a couple of years ago I used the expression, " That where there is life there is death." If ever the statement was true, it was in the case of our dear lamented friend, Charles A. Nichols. If the gather- ing of wealth is to be deemed the foundation of success, then Charles A. Nichols was a failure; but to me, Mr. Speaker, he made the greatest progress which a human being could make, because he believed in service. Service and sacrifice were his motto. There is no greater love than that of mother for her child. There is no greater obedience to the mandate of the Ten Commandments than to honor and obey thy parents. Charles A. Nichols carried and followed that commandment in the fullest sense of the term. He typified the man described by Henry Victor Morgan in his famous poem, Success: I hold that man alone succeeds Whose life is crowned by noble deeds, Who cares not for the world's applause. But scorns vain custom's outgrown laws; [S4] Address of Mr. Siegel, of New York Who feels not dwarfed by nature's show, But deep within himself doth know That conscious man is greater far Than ocean, land, or distant star; Who does not count his wealth by gold. His worth by office he may hold, But feels himself, as man alone, As good as king upon a throne; Who, battling 'gainst each seeming wrong, Can meet disaster with a song. Feel sure of victory in defeat, And rise refreshed the foe to meet; Who only lives the world to bless. Can never fail — he is success. So, Mr. Speaker, our late colleague may not be here in flesh, but in spirit he will live as long as men will remem- ber a faithful son and a courageous Member of the House of Representatives. The Speaker pro tempore. The gentleman from Okla- homa [Mr. Carter] will please take the chair. Mr. Carter took the chair as Speaker pro tempore. [35] Address of Mr. Fordney, of Michigan Mr. Speaker: The House of Representatives is full of men who started life with little. The American boy, no matter how poor, has hovering over his cradle the angels of Political Liberty and Unlimited Opportunity. Give him health and he can rise as high as he will. We meet to-day to honor the memory of a boy who was born poor, who rose high, who was good to his mother, and who was one of the countless examples of what this country does for those who render faithful service. Charles A. Nichols was a product of the finest region in all the world — a child of the Old Northwest. New Eng- land is proud of her Puritans, and Virginia of her Cava- liers. The thirteen Colonies brought forth this Govern- ment; but the fairest child of the Revolution was the ter- ritory northwest of the Ohio River, where labor has al- ways been free and where opportunity has showered her choicest blessings on her sons. That great territory got her political bearings even before the rest of the United States, because her immortal ordinance of '87 was adopted before the Constitution, and no other Government charter had ever equaled it. One sentence in it contains more of the spirit of human progress than all the mandates of kings. I wish it could be written on the sky: "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good gov- ernment and tlie happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged." Under this influence the Old Northwest Territory has produced more Presidents and statesmen than any other part of the United States. And into this atmosphere and these traditions Charles A. Nichols was born at the little town of Boyne, Charlevoix Countj% Mich., amid the music [36] Address of Mr. Fordney, of Michigan of the sawmills and the perfume of the pines. He got his education in the unsurpassed public schools which the State of Michigan provides for all her children. He learned to write forcible English; and that accomplish- ment, with a natural nose for news, gave him employ- ment as a newspaper reporter in Detroit, so he became intimately acquainted with the affairs of that phenomenal city. He probably never enjoyed himself more than while he was a police reporter in the most rapidly growing city in America. He saw a greasy young mechanic riding about the streets in a queer horseless wagon with iron- bound tires and a trail of smoke; and from those experi- ments he beheld the rocketlike growth of the greatest au- tomobile manufacturing center in the world. He loved the city and its stately river, with its endless movie show of ships, a more numerous fleet than can be seen in any harbor on any ocean. In his work as a police reporter he was fortunate in his field. On one side of the river was his home city and country, on the other side was the Canadian frontier, and across that border many a fleeing lawbreaker carried the plots of international detective stories more interesting than any fiction. Young Nichols had a great capacity for observation and the ability to tell a true story well. So he won wide acquaintance and an enduring good name. There are unhappy countries where criminals are in less danger than honest men, where poverty is perma- nent, where speech is enslaved, and newspapers are either subservient or suppressed. Charles A. Nichols, as a police reporter, helped to make crime a dangerous busi- ness for the criminals. When he had written and lived more detective stories than any novelist ever wrote there came to Mr. Nichols the opportunity to become a public servant, first as secretary to the police board; afterwards he was elected city clerk of Detroit, and then he was three [37] Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols times chosen to represent a great industrial district in the House of Representatives. He learned to know his people and their needs, and he served them well. Mr. Nichols as a Member of this House was the same efficient, straightforward, independent man that he had been in his public service at home. He seldom spoke on the floor, but the less he spoke the more he heard, and there have been men here who talked loud and often who never attained the influence or the aff'ection in which Mr. Nichols was held. At the time he died he was chairman of the Committee on the Census. It is the work of this committee to pro- vide for the taking, every 10 years, of the record of our national growth. Figures can not picture it, but they give some idea. In 1800 the census found in the Northwest Territory 51,000 people. In 1850 the number had grown to 4,500,000, and in 1920 to 21,000,000, or about one-fifth of the population of the United States. These millions live in a country where the hired laborer of to-day is working for himself to-morrow and hiring others the day after; where the good man can not be kept down and where every boy has a chance; which was never better shown than in the life of our beloved friend and fellow Member, Charles Nichols. The Speaker pro tempore. In accordance with the reso- lution previously adopted, the House stands adjourned. Accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 25 minutes p. m.) the House adjourned until to-morrow, Monday, February 28, 1921, at 11 o'clock a. m. [38] PROCEEDINGS IN THE SENATE Monday, April 26, 1920. A message from the House of Representatives, by D. K. Hempstead, its enrolling clerk, communicated to the Senate the intelligence of the death of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, late a Representative from the State of Michigan, and transmitted resolutions of the House thereon. The Vice President laid before the Senate the following resolutions of the House of Representatives, which were read: In the House of Representatives OF THE United States, April 26, 1920. Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, a Representative from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That a committee of 18 Members of the House, with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary for carrying out the provisions of these resolutions, and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. Resolved, That, as a further mark of respect, this House do now adjourn. Mr. TowNSEND. Mr. President, I offer the following reso- lutions, and ask for their adoption. The resolutions (S. Res. 353) were read, considered by unanimous consent, and unanimously agreed to, as follows : [39] LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 016 099 172 • Memorial Addresses: Representative Nichols Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow the announcement of the death of Hon. Charles A. Nichols, late a Representative from the State of Michigan. Resolved, That a committee of six Senators be appointed by the Presiding Officer to join the committee appointed by the House of Representatives to take order for the superintending of the funeral of Mr. Nichols at Detroit, Mich. Resolved, That the Secretary communicate a copy of these reso- lutions to the House of Representatives. Under the second resolution, Mr. Townsend, Mr. New- berry, Mr. Fernald, Mr. Ashurst, Mr. Harrison, and Mr. Keyes were appointed as the committee on the part of the Senate. Mr. Townsend. Mr. President, as a further mark of re- spect to the memory of the deceased Representative, I move that the Senate do now adjourn. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and (at 4 o'clock and 50 minutes p. m.) the Senate adjourned until to-morrow, Tuesday, April 27, 1920, at 12 o'clock meridian. [40]