Hon. J. Proctor Knott

This is one of the recollections written by Wallace A. McKay and published in The Pioneer-News. Follow the "Recollections" link above to find others of his writings.

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The Pioneer-News, December 9, 1932, pages 1-2

This first old Fourth District Congressman we remember was the Hon. J. Proctor Knott. He lived at Lebanon in Marion County which was for many years in the same Congressional District as Bullitt County and he frequently visited the County in his numerous races for Congress where he was always popular and drew splendid audiences.

After serving several terms in Congress where he achieved great distinction as an orator, lawyer and statesman, he was nominated and elected Governor of Kentucky, and he made an excellent record adding to the laurels he gained white serving in Congress.

Governor Knott had the distinction enjoyed by few public men of our time in achieving eminent political fame in two states, namely, Missouri and Kentucky He was born at Lebanon, Kentucky and received his education in this state, then moved to Missouri before the Civil War and became a prominent lawyer, elected to the Legislature for several terms and then Attorney General of the state, where he made a distinguished record as a lawyer. A few years after the Civil War he moved to Kentucky, resuming the practice of law at Lebanon and was soon elected to Congress where he served with distinction. It was during his second term in Congress from Kentucky that Proctor Knott made his celebrated Duluth speech, which at once gave him national fame as an orator and humorist. The occasion was the consideration of a bill to grant a large government subsidy to a company for the construction of a railroad to Duluth, Minnesota, which at that time was a wild, barren and unsettled Indian post in the vast wilderness of the great northwest. Knott opposed the bill and succeeded in accomplishing its defeat by the speech which bristled with the finest ridicule, irony and sarcasm contained in the English language. This speech was published and read far and wide and instantly gave Proctor Knott a National reputation as a humorist and orator.

Governor Knott in addition to his marked talent as an orator was a great student of Constitutional law and well versed in history and literature. He was universally recognized by his colleagues in Congress as an able and profound lawyer and jurist, and it is said by those who knew him well, that he oft-times regretted his Duluth speech, for the reason that it gave him the reputation of a humorist which, in a large measure overshadowed his reputation as a lawyer and serious minded statesman. It is one of the misfortunes of a humorist that people always expect of them wit and humor and entertainment and oft-times fail to take them seriously when they discuss, with logic and earnestness, real and vital questions of governmental policy or constitutional laws.

The celebrated Duluth speech has been published in thousands of books on the subjeet of wit, humor and oratory and is now an American classic to those of our young people who have not read this famous speech we would advise an early persual. Mr. Frank P. Straus was a great favorite of Governor Knott their friendship existing for many regard him as one of the greatest lawyers of his time. After his term as Governor expired, Governor Knott retired to his old home at Lebanon and was chosen Professor of Law at Centre College at Danville. At this great mecca of learning many hundreds of young Kentuckians sat before him during his lectures and imbibed from his great fountain of legal lore, the principles and teachings of American law and the rudiments of Constitutional government.

The people of Bullitt County were very fond of Governor Knott and took great pride in his brilliant career. He had numerous friends in this county, some of the most prominent of which were Mr. W. B. M. Brooks, Judge Wm. R Thompson, Senator Wilhite Carpenter, Frank P. Straus, Dr. Samuel A. McKay and Judge Wesley Phelps.

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