The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-30
A Quarter of Century in the senate.

n quarter OF century m the senate.
THE SUN presents its compliments to the
Hon. HANNIDAL HAMLIN OF Name and
congr stulates him upon the approaching
completion of his twenty-fifth year of
service in the United states Senate Cham
Der. A quarter of century is a large
fraction Of the ordinary lifetime OF man,
and although ii fills only single chapter
in the Hon. HANNIBAL IGAMLIN's Office
holding biography, the record gives him a
distinction that few Senators achieve.
Time has crowned with silver the
swarhy head OF tho Hon. HANY1BAL HAM
LIN of Maino since he first stretched his
limbs over Government mahogany and
first expectorated upon the old star-spnn-
gled carpet, long ago worn threadbure by
his comings and goings. Time has wrought
changes In the outward Appearance OF the
Hon. HANNIBAL HAMLIN, but the heart
that beats beneath the breast of his sy'al-
low tail coat is the same heart that beat
beneath the same coat twenty-five years
ago when he appeared in the senate Cham
Der and with II sad smile took oath and
drew mileage.
Tho occasion urgently invites as to SEN
timent. yet we cannot indulge it. Facts
and figures claim our attention. We feel
II to be our duty to strike n balance sheet
now and here to determine whether, after
twenty-five years OF intimate association.
the nation is indebted 10 the Hon. HANNI-
BAL HhNLIN or the Hon. HANNIBAL HAM
LIN to the nation.
Up TO date. the senator from Carthage
h1o a ",,tt - tat
ury nearly s2NO,OOO. exclusive of mileage,
committee expenses, and stationcry-call
IL a quarter of million dollars in all. We
need not point out that tins is large sum
OF money. At Il recent meeting of the
Social Science Congress 1t was shown that
the average citizen Of Massachusetts, earns
only $50 year above the expense of living.
III other words, the annual productive
capacity OF the average Massachusetts,
worker is $50 net. The venerable HANSI-
BAL has therefore, cost the nation n sum
representing a years labor of 5000 aver
age citizens of Massac husetts, or the labor
of 200 average citizens for twenty-five
years. PnARqAB's pyramids were hardly
more exacting.
We turn with some anxiety to the other
side of the account For twenty-five years
the Hon. HANNIBAL HAMLIN has drawn
his pay from the public purse with regu-
larity and punctuaity. For twenty-five
years he has been a leader in the junket, n
hero in the lobby, and a statesman on the
stump. For twenty-five years his frank
has been better known IN the post offices
of the land than that of any other man.
For quarter Of n century he has dill
gently attended TO the distribution of
small Offices by and beyond the Penobscot,
has faithfully mailed patent reports TO
wavering partisans and agricultural docu-
ments to complaining constituents, aud
has log rolled and log rolled at Washing
ton, meeting every charge of incompe-
tency or insinuaiion of depravty with that
same sad, patient smile. We have searched
in vain through volume after volume OF
the proceedings of Congress for the record
Of one vote Of his which seemed TO mean
anything else than self-mtorest. or the
record OF one act that advanced the affairs
OF the nation, or the record OF one word
that helped solve any of the great problems
that have been before the country.
We congratulate the Hon. IIANNIBAL
HAMLIN upon his quarter OF a century in
the Senate but we cannot, AZ the same
time, conscieniiously congratulate the
people who have paid him.