The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26

y
abilities in the state.
Besides an older generation was teach
ing impressive lessons. Nathan Clifford,
very able juriSt, after service in the
national house of representatives. had
been appointed associate Justice of the
supreme court. Geo. Evans, almost for
gotten now. as is often the lot of able,
pubic men, after serving as United
States senator, sharing a national re-
nown with Webster, Clay and Calhoun"
was encouragement of the state. OF him
Hannibal Hamlin once said, Il have
seen all the great men of my generation.
L nave served in public life with many
OF them, and l may say that the judg-
ment OF my old age is that none among
them was superior in mental power to
Geo. Evans
THE WASHBURNS WE'RE TRAINED
IN MAINE.
The Washburn family, five sons each
OF whom gained national repute, parcel
ing among them in fine proportion, gov
ernorshlps, senatorships and cabinet
posts. were of this Maine training, and
except the youngest, of the earlier gen.
Grafton of public men. Before the stormy
political days of the dying Wing party,
two young men of Maine had gained ma
uonal repute for extraordinary mental
gifts. Jonathan Cilley's name has passed
INTO tradition because the fatal bullet
IN the needless duel fought with Graves,
caused tragedy which shocked the
country. But to his colleagues in the
mouse OF representatives it seemed that
Cllleys promise of great achievement
IN public life was comparable with that
suggested by only two or three others
Sergeant S. Prentiss of whom Wendell
Phillips once said, Il have melted be-
meath the magnetism OF Sergeant s.
Frentlss VINO welded power few men
mad, and whose triumphs of oratory in
the national house were such as were
reserved for few men to gain, received
his early inspiration in his native state
oil TTrr1,1 !,
almost wholly passed in Mississippi So
there were even in the earliest days of its
statehood great jurists, able politicians,
prllllant orators, true statesmen; but it
was with the establishment of the Re-
publican party that Names greater in
huence was obtained
When Blaine entered congress, he had
as associates. James Pike, who had been
an able Journalist, Sidney Perham af-
terWard governor, while the Portland
district had in Lynch a representative
whose ability commanded high regard.
But towering above there, above nearly
all his colleagues, was William Pitt Fes-
sender. one of the few chosen ones of
the war days, whose abilities and service
are to keep his name familiar
A member of Mr.. Lincoln's cabinet was
once asked, who, in his opinion was the
ableSt member of either house of con-
gress during Mr.. Lincoln's first admin
ton he said. ''All in all, VIM Pitt Fes-
sender had perhaps the greatest intel
lectual power, of any of them. His men
tai depth and accuracy were marvellous.
he was a constructive statesman of the
highest order, and a finance minister of
the rarest ability. His shattered health
alone prevented an administration of the
treasury department that would prob
ably have compared with Hamilton's"
FeSSendenS career and example were
of extraordinary influence upon the young
men of Maine who were just beginning
public life as he worn by the insidiouS
disease 9 cd
sewer in the capital. was slowly but
surely passing away.
There were several Of them. Blaine had
been brought into intimate relations with
Senator Fessenden as early as 1856. Yet
Blaine did not subordinate himself en-
tlrely to the great senator For while
a majority of the Republicans of Maine,
ike the great masses of the party in the
east favored the nomination of VIM n
Seward for the presidency of 1860, Blaine
looked upon Lincoln as the stronger can
dldate If not the stronger man. 1t was
in part due to his influence that six
votes from the Maine delegation were
cast for Lincoln, an influence which in !
some degree made that nomination pos
sible.
DEATH BROUGHT
BLAINE TO THE FRONT.
When Fessenden died, Blaine became |
not only preeminent among the leaders
in the state of Maine, but he also at that |
very time was chosen, when only 80 years
of age. to the second office of power in |
the government-the speaker of the house. |
1t was then pointed out as an interest !
ing coincidence that with the passing |
away OF the most powerful intellect in |
either house of congress there had come |
TO extraordinary honors, perhaps the |
most brillian man in either house both |
Of them being sons of Maine.
Blaine was not long to absorb, although |
he was sure always TO command in great |
part the interest aroused by the public |
men of Maine. He had one remarkable
experience of early association with
came to the Maine capital to report the
sessions of the legislature for a neWspa-
per young man whose political faith
was not that Of Mr.. Blaine. Blaine was
own paper, and these two young report
ers were in friendly rivalry, neither
of the career that was before
them After that legislature was ad-
lourned, the reporters parted not to meet
again until thirty years had passed.
Then Mr.. Blaine, eX-secretary of state
and defeated candidate for the presi-
1ency, met in the new chief iustice of
the supreme court of the United States
him, who in old days had been the rival
newspaper reporter of the Maine legis-
ature.
There came to the Maine Legislature
Two young men, when Mr. Blaine was
early in Congress One served as assist
ant clerk of the house; the other had
gained wide, repute for powers of ora
-ory, as well as for political skill and
he promise Of statesman-like qualities
Eugene Hale and VIM P Frye. In those
Early days of his career Mr. Frye was
by many persons as an orator
Who had upon the stump much of Blaine's
iorce and charm. He was already we'll
Known in New England as a brilliant
as well as an able LAWYER
when his district sent him to congress-
Blaine has said that it is essential for
success in the house that a representa-
i've enter it before he has passed his
'ortieth birthday. Frye was four years
younger than that when he took the
,ath.
Mr.. Hale differing in many ways from
Mr. FRYE, like him had the power to
command influence. He was not esteemed
he orator that Frye was thought to be.
tut he had many personal graces and