The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-29
Some Lively Old Men.

The United States Senate has held
some remarkably lively old men. Thomas
H. Benton, after serving thirty years in
House and Senate and writing book
about it, was candidate for Congress
a the age of 20, and was elected too. He
was candidate for governor at the age
of AZ. Siman Cameron was elected TO
the Senate at 67 and continued to serve
until he was so years of age, when he
resigned in favor of his son, the present
Senator from Pennsylvania. Lewis Cass
was reelected to the Senate at So; was
a candidate for the, Presidency at 10, and
at rs accepted the post OF Secretary of
Stateunder Buchanan. Henry Clay was
reelected to the Senate by unanimous
vote at the age of u, and remained there
until the time of his death three years
later. Tom Corwin of Ohio was elected
to Congress at 60, and was almost 70
years old when he went to Mexico as
Minister of the United States. Daniel
Webster, after His term in the Senate, was
appointed Secretary of State at the age
Of TO- Lafayette s. Foster, Senator and
intimate friend of Lincoln, was on the
Supreme bench Of Connecticut until he
was 20. when he was retired on account
If age. He took up the active prchtice
of his profession, and at the age of 70
served on a commission to revise the pro-
cedure of the State courts. Rufus King,
after long term in the Senate, was APP
pointed minister to England at 10. His
son, John, was elected governor of New
York at 50 years, and was member of
the Peace Congress at 70. William Ca
bell Rives was another old member of the
Peace Congress. He had been Senator
and he was rs years old when the Con-
gress was held. He served in the first
and second provisional Confederate con-
crosses afterward. John Rutherford of
New Jersey, who served Two terms In
the Senate, was at rs an active mem Der
of commission to settle boundary ques-
lions between New York and Pennsyl-
vania. Melancton Smith, a member of
the Continental Congress, was appointed
circuit Judge at 68, and served until he
died of yellow fever at the age of "a. His
was the first fatal case of yellow fever in
the plague of 1898. John Stevens of New
Congress-, was made president OF the
council of New Jersey at 6S, and presided
over the meetings of the two branches of
the legislature until he was "a years old.
Roger Sherman was elected to the Sen
ate when he was 10 years old and died in
the public service two years labef. He
was an ancestor of W. NJ. Evarts and
George +. Hoar, two Of the grand old
mem of the present day. Sherman was
a member Of the Continental Congress
from Connecticut, and was one of the
sioners of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence. Several of the signers were long
lived. One of them, William Ellery Of
Rhode Island, was collector of Newport
from the time.he was 63 until he was SO
wears old; when he died.
some old men have been appointed to
Cabinet places. Hugh MeCulloch was
made Secretary of the Treasury on the
r ,assi of Mr.. Gresham in 1884, when
he was rs years old He continued in
office until the expiration of Arthur's
Term, five months later. He was the
only man who held office of the Secretary
Of o., the Treasury twice. His first term
was in Lincoln's cabinet Richard W.
Thompson Tno resigned the position Of See
re Hef of the Navy at 70 years of age.
Mat was in 1885,. He is still actively
interested in the Panama Canal Com
n rm1r Judge Taft was appointed Secre-
t Pa of War by Grant at 66. Six years
! Ia tor he was made Minister to Austria;
and and two years after that he was appoint