Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-14

NJ
(NM WMSUsM niversary. The oldest
S"p man in either House
of Congress today,
Mr.. Morrill, is active still, and takes a lively
interest in the tariff debate which Is now
going on. He has better right, perhaps.
to an active interest in the tariff question
than any other man on the floor of Con-
gress, for he framed the war tariff thirty
four years ago, known the NORTH
tariff" which remained virtually unchanged
until the passage of the Mckinley law in
1890.
There was only one man in the history of
the Senate who served a longer continuous
term than Mr.. Morrill, has served in that
body. That man was Thomas H. Benton,
the first Senator from Missouri. Benton
was a member of the Senate from october
2, 1920, to March 4, 1851. Mr.. Bentons
term in Congress was not so long as Mr..
Morrilrs has been. Mr.. Morrill, came to
Congress thirty nine years ago, and served
in the House twelve years before he was
elected to the Senate. Benton was a men,
Der Of the House for two years after his
term of service in the Senate. His whole
term in Congress extended over only thirty
two years. II Mr.. Morrill, completes his
term in the Senate-and there is no reason
to believe that he will not-he will not quite
equal Benton's record in the Senate Ben
ton came to the Senate in October, $780,
when the state of Missouri was admitted to
the Union. His service, therefore. runs a
little over thirty years.
VIM. Rufus Kings Long Term.
There has been one other Senator who
has served for nearly thirty years. but his
service was not continuous. William Rufus
King, who was Vice President of the United
States with Franklin Pierce was a member
of the Senate from October. 1919, to April.
1874; and again from July. 1S4S, to January.
1883 He was in the Senate for twenty-nine
years. Before that he was for six years a
member Of the House; so his congressional
term was longer than that of Benton. His
amesake, Rufus King of New York, was
in the Senate for nearly twenty years, but
Henry B. Anthony of Rhode Island served
| almost as long term as Mr.. Morrill,. He
was in the Senate consecutively twenty
1--WE years and six months, and IL he had
served out his last term he would have
completed thirty years in the Senate. Like
Mr.. Morrill, he was elected five times. He
was never in the House of Representatives.
He died in the service September 2, 1854
Hannibal Hamlin, who was Vice President
| of the United States with Lincoln, was a
member of the Senate both before and after
his term as Vice President. He was a
| member of the Senate from 1S4S to 1857,
resigning in January of that year to accept
the post of governor Of Maine; but less than
| month later he resigned the governor
ship to return to the Senate, where he took
his seat March 4, 1857. He remained in the
Senate as a Senator until January, 1851 re-
signing because he had been elected Vice
President. He returned to the Senate as
Vice President March 4, 1861, and remained
its presiding officer for four years. He was
again a member of the Senate from March
| L. 1869. to March 4. 1881. Virtually Mr..
Hamlin was a member Of the Senate con-
tinuOuSlv RI 10
vice as a Senator, however, extended over
twenty-four years and six months. With
his four years as presiding officer. he was
twenty-eight years and six months in the
Senate. He was in the House of Repre-
sentatives for four years before he became
a Senator.
After Mr.. Hamlin. Samuel Smith of Mary
land has the record of longest service in
the Senate. He was a member Of Congress
from 1893 to 1903; then a member Of the
Senate from 1903 to 1876 member of the
House AGAIN from 1916 to 1922 and a men,
Der of the Senate once more from 1922 to
1888. He was therefore actively in Con-
gress from 1793 to 1888 continuously-one
year longer than Mr. Morrill, has now serv-
ed. His service in the Senate was little
more than twenty-three years.
Charles Summers Service.
Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, served
in the Senate continuously from March 4.
| 1851. to March IL. 1S74-twenty-th three years
| and seven days. Sumner never served in the
House. He was a candidate in 1S4S, but
was defeated. He was in the Senate when
| he died.
John Gaillard Of South Carolina, who also
died in the service. was a member of the
Senate continuously from December, 1904,
to February 26. 1S26-a little more than
twenty-one years. He was never mem
Der of the House. N. r. Knight of Rhode
Island served in the Senate from January
1921. to March, 1S41-a little more than
twenty years He was never a member Of
the House; but his father was a Repre-
sentative from Rhode Island for five years.
This Is the list Of those now dead who
| have served in the Senate for twenty years
or more. 1t Is not a long list. Several
Senators have served nineteen years, among
them Daniel Webster and Zach Chandler.
Henry Wilson, one Of the Vice Presidents,
| was a member of the Senate for eighteen
| years, and was presiding officer OF that
| body for two and half years more though
| he did not fulfill the duties of Vice Presi-
dent actively. owing to Ill health Two Of
| Ohio's famous sons-Benjamin Rugsles and
| Ben. Wade-served for eighteen years. So
| did Timothy o. Howe of Wisconsin. Simon
Cameron Of Pennsylvania was in the SEN
| 1te for eighteen years. and his son Don
Cameron has been in his seat for seventeen
| years.
Senator Sherman ranks next 20 Senator
Morrill, in congressional experience. He en-
! tered the House in the same Congress with
Mr. Morrill, and served one term in the
4
body But his term of congressional ser
| vice was broken by his appointment as
Secretary of the Treasury under President
| Hayes. Mr.. Hayes offered Mr.. Morrill, a.
place in the cabinet but the veteran Yer
/ monter has always believed that the most
appropriate field for his activity was in
! the Senate. and has been content TO re-
| main there so long as his constituents
| would return him. Mr.. Sherman has serv-
| ed Twenty-Five years in the Senate and he
was six years in the House. Next to Mr.
Morrill, and Mr.. Sherman in length of ser
vice stands Mr.. Allison Of Iowa. He has
| been in Congress thirty-one years of which
| twenty-one years have been spent in the
Senate. Mr.. Allison is younger by six years
than MIR. Sherman. and eighteen years the
| junior Of Mr.. Morrill,.
| Senator Harris of Tennessee.
| Mr.. Harris of Tennessee was a member
Of the House six years before Mr. Morrill,
came to Congress, and he was six years
! younger than Mr. Morrill, But his service