HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



135 



Hon. Irving P. Wanger was born and 

 reared on the old homestead in Chester 

 county, and was educated in the public 

 schools and the Pottstown Hill and high 

 schools. He taught school for one year 

 and in 1870 became a clerk in the pro- 

 thonotary's office at West Chester, and 

 in the following year was appointed 

 deputy prothonotary, which position he 

 resigned at the end of a year, and in 

 January, 1872, began the -study of law in 

 the office of Franklin March, Esq., at 

 Norristown, Montgomery county. In 

 December, 1872, he was ^ appointed dep- 

 uty prothonotary of Montgomery under 

 William F. Reed, the first Republican 

 ever elected to that office in Montgom- 

 ery. He continued the study of law and 

 was admitted to the bar of Montgomery 

 county in December, 1875. Being an 

 earnest student and an eloquent 

 forcible advocate, he soon acquired a 

 practice from all parts of Montgomery 

 county. His talent for public speaking 

 caused his services to be in demand in 

 behalf of the candidates of his party, and 

 he soon became a prominent figure in 

 Montgomery county politics, being an 

 earnest and logical advocate of the prin- 

 ciples of the Republican party. In 1878 

 he was elected burgess of Norristown, 

 and in 1880 to the office of district attor- 

 ney of Montgomery county. In the lat- 

 ter position he instituted several re- 

 forms, among them, the dividing the 

 list of criminal cases to be tried among 

 the several days of the term, thus ob- 

 viating the necessity of all the witnesses 

 and parties interested to attend during 

 the whole term, and thereby making a 

 great saving to the taxpayers. This cus- 

 tom has been uniformly followed since. 



In 1880 Mr. Wanger was a delegate to 

 the Republican national convention, and 

 voted continuously for the unit rule and 

 for the nomination of James G. Blaine 

 for the presidency, until the final ballot, 

 when, as requested by the friends of fhe 

 latter, he voted for James A. Garfield, the 

 nominee. In 1886 he was again elected 

 to the office of district attorney by a ma- 

 jority of 1187 votes, running several 

 hundred votes ahead of his ticket, not- 

 withstanding the fact that his opponent 

 was one of the most capable candidates 

 ever nominated by the Democracy. In 

 1889 he was chairman of the Republican 

 county committee. In 1890 he was 

 unanimously nominated for congress in 

 the Bucks-Montgomery district, buf, ow- 

 ing to the unpopular candidacy of George 

 W. Delameter for governor, was de- 

 feated by ,187 votes, the Republican 

 ticket being defeated in both counties 

 by a much larger vote. Two years later 

 he was again nominated, and elected, 

 though the district gave a majority for 

 Cleveland. In 1894 he was elected by a 

 majority of 4826, and has been re- 

 elected in 1896, 1898, 1900, 1902 and 1904, 

 by increased majorities, his majority in 



the latter year being 10,252, showing 

 that his course at Washington had been 

 such as to commend him strongly to the 

 people of the district. His support has 

 not been confined to members of his 

 own party, voters of other party affilia- 

 tions testifying their appreciation of his 

 worth by their votes at each election. 

 As a congressman Mr. Wanger has 

 taken an active part in the debates in the 

 house on the tariff, the currency, the 

 Philippine legislation, and other ques- 

 tions of national interest, but his strong 

 point has been his conscientious atten- 

 tion to all matters affecting his consti- 

 tuents, doing everything possible to pro- 

 mote the prosperity and welfare of the 

 people of his district, as well as of the 

 country at large. He has always voted 

 with his party upon questions involving 

 its principles, ably and earnestly up- 

 holding the policy of McKinley and 

 Roosevelt, whenever it has been a mat- 

 ter for action in congress or elsewhere. 

 It was upon his motion that the special 

 committee was appointed which inves- 

 tigated the hazing of cadets in the United 

 States Military Academy at West Point, 

 and suggested important legislation on 

 the subject, which was adopted. His 

 principal committee service has been as 

 a member of the committee on foreign 

 and interstate commerce, and as chair- 

 man of the committee on expenditures 

 in the postoffice department. He has 

 always been a faithful exponent of the 

 wishes and interests of his constituents, 

 as his repeated re-elections testify. 



As a public speaker. Mr. Wanger 

 stands deservedly high: he is argumen- 

 tative, logical, clear and deliberative, ap- 

 pealing always to the reason and judg- 

 ment of his hearers, rather than to their 

 prejudices and personal or partisan 

 feelings. He is a ready debater and par- 

 liamentarian, quick to take advantage of 

 the weak point in the argument of his 

 opponent. He has always kept in close 

 touch with the measures and policies of 

 the two dominant parties in congress, 

 and is quick to perceive and defend the 

 interests of his constituents in any pro- 

 posed legislation. During his service 

 he has made many friends among the 

 representatives of other districts and 

 states, frequently securing their services 

 and support, when occasion required in 

 his home district. 



Mr. Wanger was married on June 25, 

 1884, to Emma C. Titlow, daughter of 

 John Titlow of North Coventry, Ches- 

 ter county, a playmate and schoolmate 

 of his youth. They are the parents of 

 three children— George. Ruth and Ma- 

 rion. Two others, Lincoln and Rebec- 

 ca, died in infancy. He resides with his 

 family in the old Chain homestead, 827 

 West Main street. Norristown. His 

 mother, from whom he inherits many_ of 

 his characteristics, resides with him. 

 She is a member of the Methodist 



