Samuel J. Randall

Samuel J. Randall.
Samuel J. Randall (1828–1890) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives for Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1890. He was elected to the Philadelphia Common Council in 1852 and then to the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1858. Randall served in a Union cavalry unit in the American Civil War, before winning a seat in the federal House of Representatives in 1862. He was reelected every two years thereafter until his death. Randall became known as a staunch defender of protective tariffs, designed to assist domestic producers of manufactured goods. His defense of smaller, less centralized government raised his profile among House Democrats, and he served as speaker from 1876 until 1881. He was considered a possible nominee for President in 1880 and 1884. He also served as head of the House Appropriations Committee. (This article is part of a featured topic: 1880 United States presidential election.)