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Mann (JAMES ROBERT member)

JAMES ROBERT, member of Congress from Illinois; born in Bloomington, Ill. in 1856. In his early childhood he removed with his parents to Iroquois co., Ill. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1876 and studied law at the Union College of Law, Chicago. He was admitted to the bar in 1881 and began practice in Chicago.

He served as alderman in Chicago for several years, entered actively into politics as temporary chairman of the Republican State Convention in 1894, was elected to Congress in 1897, and was successively re-elected until 1919. He became one of the most conspicuous Republican members of the House and was minority leader from the 62d to the 65th Congresses. As chairman of important committees he had much to do with the MANNA ASH passage of important legislation and was reckoned an authority on matters relating to tariff and financial problems.

Chiefly through his efforts there was passed the so-called Mann White Slave Act. On the election of a Republican Congress in 1918 he was defeated for the majority leadership by T. W. Mondell of Wyoming. He continued, however, to be one of the most influential members of the House.