•December 12, 2018•

By Holly Kee
Of the Southern Illinois
Local Media Group

In 1956, a little-known freshman congressman from Franklin County in southern Illinois gave his first major speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, receiving a standing ovation for his efforts.
In that speech, amateur magician Kenneth J. Gray from West Frankfort, used his skills to illustrate the “rosy” prospects of then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway Act.
Carrying a bouquet of red roses, Gray illustrated the interference of lobbyists and special interests that he said were “killing” the program by snapping flowers off the stems until all the blossoms were gone.
At the conclusion of the speech, Gray suggested the lobbyists would fail and all would be “rosy” again, holding up the bouquet with white roses blooming from the bare stems.
In a political career that spanned 24 years in Congress, Gray was responsible for bringing nearly $7 billion in public works projects to southern Illinois.
Using earmarks on bills often referred to as “pork barrel politics,” Gray’s ability to score for his district earned him the moniker “the Prince of Pork.”     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.