People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-11-22
THE ORATOR AND STATESMAN
PASSES AWAY.
4 HISTORICAL AMERICAN FIGURE.
Once Speaker of the House OF Repre-
sentatives, and Succeeded Daniel
Webster in the Senate-A Link
that Bound the Present to
g Past-His Public Ca
reer Long Ended.

BOTTOM, Nov. l9.-Robert c. Win
throp, eX.speaker of the house of
representatives, ex-senator and IA
nous orator, died here last night at
1l:3O o'clock. He had been in deli
cate health for long time and the
end was not unexpected. He had
been living in quiet retirement for
several years He was one Of Massa-
chusetts' most noted men, CHASING high
as statesman and orator. His gift
of oratory was something wonderful.
He was one of the principal orators at
the dedication of the Washington
monument, the other being Senator
John w. Daniel of Virginia.
A link that bound the present to
the past has been broken by the
death of the venerable Robert C.
Winthrop, who connected the people
of to-day not only with the early
days of the constitution and of the
republic, but with the colonial days
as well. He was the lineal descend
ant of Governor John Winthrop, and
of family conspicuous in the max
ing of Massachusetts and Connecti-
cut His father, Thomas Lindall
Winthrop, was born at New London,
Conn, town which an ancestor
aided in establishing.
Robert Charles Winthrop, whose
death is announced, was born in Bos-
ton May II, 1909, so that his earliest
recollections were of the second war
for independence. He graduated at
Harvard, as his ancestors in continu-
GUS line had done. taking lhis degree
in 1928. He read law with Daniel
Webster whom he had known from
childhood, and whom he had heard
deliver his great address at Ply
mouth Rock in 1920 as well as the
memorable speech at Bunker Hill
in 1924. Mr.. Winthrop remained with
Mr.. Webster during what he was ac-
customed to speak of as three of the
busiest and proudest years of Web
ster's life" The student followed
the political teachings of the master
and when a young man became a
conspicuous Massachusetts Wing. He
was elected to the legislature in 1881,
renamed in that body for six years
and serving as speaker in 1888, 1889
and 1870
In 1910 Mr.. Winthrop was elected to
congress and served ten years. Here
he was again associated with Web
ster, and served one term as speaker
of the house.
In 1851 Mr.. Winthrop was appointed
by the governor to succeed Mr.. Web
ster in the senate of the United
State, when the latter became secre-
tary of state under President Fill
more. With the increasing violence
of the agitation Of the slavery ques.
ton, Mr.. Winthrop found himself I'M
able to satisfy the extremists on
either side. He refused TO follow
his old political chief and was opposed
to Mr. Webster's position in the IA
nous eth of March speech, and him
self voted against the fugitive slave
law, yet he did not come up to the re-
quirements of the Free Sellers, and
was defeated for governor and for
United States senator. These defeats
were by very narrow margins, but
they led to his retirement from public
life.
Mr.. Winthrop was man of fortune,
able to follow the life he preferred
and he devoted the more than forty
years remaining to him to scholar
ship, literature and philanthropy. He
adhered as a member to the Wing
party while he lived, but became
known to the country in other char
acters than politician or a states
man, but principally as a great his
torical orator.