The story, one among many, comes again to me now upon the dying of former House Speaker David M. Bartley, 88, final week. He was buried Tuesday.
We are at Anthony’s Pier 4, the as soon as well-known and iconic Boston Harbor restaurant, ready to order dinner one evening in 1974.
After assembly him at his State House workplace on a narrative I used to be engaged on, he prompt we go to Anthony’s.
Anthony Athanas, the proprietor, who liked to fuss over politicians and celebrities, made certain that Bartley bought a alternative sea view desk, though I, elbowed apart, was choosing up the tab — or no less than my newspaper was.
Bartley, from working-class Holyoke, had earlier on the astonishing age of 33 turn out to be the youngest state consultant elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1969. He served till 1975.
He was a worthwhile supply for lots of reporters, myself included. He was additionally the simplest chief of the House to return alongside in a very long time.
Bartley was a realistic Democrat who might work with Republicans to get stuff carried out, as he did within the fields of training and gun management.
But the largest situation of the period, which dominated the whole lot else, was the history-changing transfer to scale back the dimensions of the Massachusetts House from 240 to 160 members. It was sponsored by the then-vibrant Massachusetts League of Women Voters and supported by liberals who sought effectivity over unruly illustration.
Bartley opposed the measure, and it was killed within the Legislature in 1970 after Bartley argued that the lower would damage minority illustration, which it did. The League argued that it could make the House extra environment friendly by offering fewer legislators with places of work and employees.
Anyway, as we had been about to order when Anthony returned, this time adopted by the imposing Edward J. King, who was later to turn out to be governor. King was alone and determined to affix us.
King had not solely been an impressive soccer participant at Boston College however had performed professionally with the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Colts. Nobody stood in the best way of the rugged lineman.
King had additionally constructed a fame because the powerful, non-nonsense government director of the Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Logan Airport.
King, nevertheless, had simply been fired by newly elected Gov. Michael Dukakis, a fellow Democrat, who resented King’s alleged authoritarian methods, and who sought to finish the neighborhood controversy King had stirred up along with his airport runway extension plans.
After some small discuss, Bartley and I ordered. When it was King’s flip, he ordered not one however two steak dinners. Then he left momentarily to work the room.
“Who else is coming?” I requested Bartley.
“Nobody.”
“What do you mean nobody? He just ordered two steak dinners.”
“You don’t understand. They’re both for him. He’s a big man. He needs two steaks.”
“Two steak dinners? On my expense account? The paper will kill me.”
“Don’t worry. Just tell them he’s going to be the next governor.”
King, regardless of the chances, did turn out to be the subsequent governor when, campaigning as a conservative, he upset the liberal Dukakis within the 1978 Democrat main. He then beat Republican Frank Hatch within the election. However, Dukakis got here again 4 years later and beat King.
Bartley was passed by then, having resigned the speakership in 1975 to turn out to be president of Holyoke Community College.
He had seen the long run. The voters within the 1974 election accredited a poll query that lower the dimensions of the House to 160 members. For him the sport was over.
But there was one final hurrah earlier than Bartley threw within the political towel for good. That was when, upon the resignation of U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas in 1984, he ran for the Senate. He got here in third within the Democrat main that was received by John Kerry, Dukakis’ lieutenant governor.
Bartley, who was no John Kerry, would have been pretty much as good a senator as he was as a Speaker.
Now he’s gone, King is gone, Anthony Athanas is gone, Pier 4 is gone, and the period is gone too.
Nobody orders two steaks anymore.
Peter Lucas is a veteran Massachusetts political reporter and columnist.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”