Today we are doubly bereaved. Today there is not a man nor a lady in this House who is not bowed with a sense of the weight of their respective griefs, as they knew these men. There is no need to ask the question, with regard to either of them, which has been asked so often since King David first propounded it: "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?" We know. Those of us who have the honor and the privilege of calling Alabama home, know HENRY B. STEAGALL not merely as a rare public servant and statesman, but also as a great lover of humanity. The fox hounds in his kennels whine and mourn today, for he loved them. Everything within the compass of human interest was dear to him. And no man was too poor, nor humble, to be outside the sweep of his affection. He hated none. He was friend of all.

As a public servant there was no better prosecutor than HENRY STEAGALL, to whom in the pristine days of his career his profession looked for leadership at the bar. Yet, there never was a criminal before the bar of justice in the circuit in which he prosecuted who did not pay tribute to his fairness as well as to his ability and vigor as a prosecutor.

Having shuffled off that coil of official duty, he came here, and here he made his mark. Talk about memorials and monuments, could any man claim as a legislator any greater memorial or monument than that act which he passed after 20 years of almost lone effort, providing for the guaranty of small deposits in our banks? For he was the father as well as the sponsor on this floor of the bill guaranteeing bank deposits. He was one of the moving spirits in the creation of the Federal Reserve Banking System. Through this House and from this well he has championed and piloted probably more of the measures that have meant much to the rank and file of our citizenry than any other one man.

Therefore, we hail him today, in sadness, out of the depths of our gloom and grief, as a leader, a real statesman, and

as a friend! Truly, as my distinguished colleague already has said, Alabama is proud of him.

So in many an humble cottage, in many a marble hall, we are joined today in our profound grief by 130,000,000 sons of Uncle Sam, who realize not only that a worthy statesman has written a glorious obituary in the law of his land, not only that a brilliant Member of Congress has fallen bravely, leading a fight, but also, and more poignantly, that their friend, a friend of man, has walked smiling and unafraid into that which some call a grave, but which others, with more vision, call a door of opportunity for higher service!

We all with one accord pay tribute to such a life. There is not a man nor lady in this body, if one there be in America, who will not wish him Godspeed in the new work he began today at 9:45, for it is inconceivable that the amassed wisdom of his years of ripe experience in leadership should be unavailing in the new career which he has taken up. So one and all of us bow respectfully to the edict of the Supreme Judge of the universe and we say, "So long, HENRY, God bless you. We'll be seeing you."

As he looks back over his shoulder with the smile that we last saw Thursday from this well he is saying, "Friends, forget me. Close ranks! Forward march!"

Mr. STARNES of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. McCormack).

Mr. McCORMACK. Mr. Speaker, the House is always deeply moved and saddened in the passing of any one of our colleagues. Today the House is profoundly moved and saddened in the passing on of two of our beloved and distinguished colleagues, both of whom died in the line of duty.

HENRY STEAGALL, my personal friend, whose memory will always linger with me throughout the remaining days of my journey through life, was a leader in this body for many years. Gentle in his dealings with his colleagues and fellow men, a deep student of political science and of our constitu

tional system of government, he was a leader among men. Occupying a powerful position in this body, he always exercised the great power that he possessed as a trust. This is a government of laws, not of men. HENRY STEAGALL exemplified in his service in this House a deep reverence for this fundamental basis from a worldly angle on which our Government is erected.

It was only last Thursday, as the distinguished gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hobbs] well said, that our late colleague was valiantly performing his duty in the well of the House and on the floor of the House, engaging in active debate, with the knowledge of his physical condition, and the probable knowledge that the strain of debate might aggravate his condition and precipitate his death. Many important laws now on the statute books are a tribute to his memory, and a great contribution to the progress of our country. Truly he died as he lived in the performance of his duty.

I know that all of my colleagues join with me in expressing and conveying to the near and dear loved ones that he has left behind our profound feelings of sympathy in their great loss and sorrow, and all of my colleagues join with me in extending to the Alabama delegation our deep sympathy in their bereavement, and the expression of our profound sympathy to the people of the congressional district of our late colleague, and also to the people of the State of Alabama in the loss of this great son of Alabama, this great American.

Mr. STARNES of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Brown].

Mr. BROWN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we were all shocked to hear of the sudden passing of our beloved colleague, the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. STEAGALL]. I am glad that this body paid him such a deserved and fine tribute on his last appearance before us on Thursday last. He was courageous, honest, honorable, and one of the outstanding men of his State, and the Nation. The country has lost a most

valuable statesman, and the American farmer his best friend. His life battle has been won in behalf of the little fellow, so to speak, and made it possible for the small depositors of America to have a safe place in which to keep their money.

He had no enemies, was charitable in his dealings with all, and led a life of usefulness in public service.

As chairman of the Banking and Currency Committee, he understood all proposed legislation brought to his committee. He had the confidence of and was held in the highest esteem by all the members of the committee.

Mr. STARNES of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Martin].

Mr. MARTIN of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I join with the delegation from Alabama and the membership of the House in paying tribute to a great statesman, HENRY STEAGALL, whose untimely death occurred this morning. It has been my privilege to have engaged his friendship for 20 years. I know of his outstanding abilities, and the great contributions he has made to the legislation of his country. He was the author of many acts which were of great benefit to the people. Men like HENRY STEAGALL are sadly missed, and we do well to honor the memory of one who served his country and the people so well. His life, his fine personality, and his outstanding character were an inspiration to us and we shall ever remember him with fond memories. I express my personal regret at the untimely loss of this great American and to his family I give my sincere sympathy.

Mr. STARNES of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Wolcott].

Mr. WOLCOTT. Mr. Speaker, we are always humble in the presence of the Grim Reaper. Today, because of this double shock, we are peculiarly humble.

Two great men have been called from this body today, for what reason it is not given us to know. Because of the faith

which we have been taught we cannot believe that these great men have been taken from us except for a broader and more important service. HENRY STEAGALL has been chairman of the Banking and Currency Committee for over 10 years. He was one of the most lovable men with whom I have ever come in contact. In 1933 when I first became associated with him on the committee, he was peculiarly tolerant of my mistakes, my lack of knowledge of the legislation which that great committee was constantly called upon to consider. He took me under his wing, and I dare say that I speak for most of the members of that committee when I say that they have truly gone to school, to a great schoolmaster. Character is something that is not always apparent to a casual observer. You cannot always see it. It has been said that character is what a man really is, that reputation is merely what others think he is. HENRY STEAGALL was of great and noble character, and he likewise enjoyed not only in his home State of Alabama, not only in this body, who knew him so well, but throughout the Nation a splendid reputation for honesty, intelligence, and ability.

I recall so well several more important instances in his life. It has been mentioned here that he was the sponsor, the father of a bill which has done more to stabilize banking and currency and credit than any other action which this Congress has ever taken. He told me of the history of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, how when he first came to Congress, I believe, in 1913, or 1914, he came here with a firm determination that if people were to continue to put their little savings into banks, he felt that the greatest service that he could be to them was to assure that they were going to get these hard-earned savings back when they were needed. So for a good many years he dreamed of the day when the banks of this Nation would be safe. This proved to all of us that HENRY B. STEAGALL was a great humanitarian. He was criticized; I have criticized him. We disagreed frequently on issues; we disagreed honorably and honestly.