Romulus Whitaker Zachariah Linney Quotes
It has been said that this Congress is to be a do-nothing Congress. My humble judgment is, if this House shall investigate carefully and determine correctly and accurately the numerous contested-election cases before it, it will have performed a duty to the country of greater importance than the settlement of any question that has ever claimed the attention of a deliberative legislative body in this Republic for the last half century.
This is one of the earliest examples of the phrase “do nothing Congress” which Harry S Truman made so famous in his re-election campaign. Clearly Linney did not originate the phrase but his may be the earliest documented usage.
Romulus Whitaker Zachariah Linney, 1841-1910, U. S. Congressman (Republican, NC), House Debate, March 12, 1896
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
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