Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-08-03
MAINE IN CONGRESS.
CONSPICUOUS EXAMPLE OF THE
VALUE OF CONTINUOUS SERVICE.

Simply volume OF cOiu Iucts' Au
biographical sketches OF Senators and
Representatives are written by them
selves, or outlined to clerks for prepsrs.
ton. While In some respects there is
more or less sameness, In others there if
infinite variety and interesting reading.
Few people realize how much human
nature crops out In the frank detail ana
description of the road which finally
brings up 10 Congress. In more tnan
one instance It IL easy TO read bet" cen
the lines something Of the character OF
the statesman who penncd them. AD
Englishman once eald: Americans DO
roam co." This IL not remarkable AZ an
English opinion Of Americana, except
that 1t IL true. But IL Ii not, however,
all over the world, as the EnglishmaD
secs II, thst Americans do roam 80"
but from state to state all over the Unit
ell States. Il Is quite surprising to note
among Senators snd Representatives the
number OF alien birth, education and oc-
cupation-that Is, born In one state,
educated In another, seeking occupation
In third, fame or fortune In fourth,
and In the long run reaching the goal Of
ambition In the halls Of Congress. One
Of the rare exceptions Is the Maine dele
CATION which stands out a conspicuous
example Of native born, home made men.
Every member Of that delegation was
born, bred and educated 10 Maine, and
never lived away from the state; they
have never r0amcd, even so far ms seek
J ing possible worldly advantages In Q
neighboring state and all were poor
boys. working their way from the very
bottom of the ladder, 10 place and power.
Though one Of the smallest In numbers,
the Maine delegation leads all others In
prominence and range OF influence.
Maine gives Speaker OF the House
whose leadership and national fame l.
second only tn thst OF her great states
men, James G.. Blaine; 10 three i'm
portant committees In last Congress,
chairman OF signal ability; while In the
Senate the Pine Tree State IL horored by
the unanimous choice OF one Of her Sen
ators TO be the president pro tempore oi
the senate. The Maine delegation 10 q
conspicuous example, also, OF the value
of continuous service, snd this Ia 10 no
small part the secret Of its foremost
place In congress. Senator Frye's serv
Ice Is one of ~ years-twelve In the
House and sixteen In the Senate. Sena
tor Halc's servic, /, one OF twenty-si,
years-ten In the House and sixteen In
the Senate, Mr.. Reed turned twenty
Years In the House on the fourth oI
March. Mr.. Dingley sixteen years ant
Mr.. Routelle and the lste MIR. Milliker
each fourteen years OF continuous serv
Ice. The west and even the south, Il
beginning IN realize the value Of contin
uous service In congress, which hereto
fore hiss been appreciated more by Nes
England than by any other section ol
the country. New York delegation fall:
far short OF the Maine delegation, In TIT
scope Of It's power and influence. Main'
Il represented by brsiny men, and th'
Maine people appreciate the fact by
keeping them In congress. Four OF tn
ak members of the Maine delegation ar'
college graduates, and two are the edi
tors OF the two leading newspapers Ia
the state. With the exception Of Sens
tor Hale none would be called rich men
Senator Hale acquired fortune will
his wife, the only child Of the late Sena
tor Chandler Of Michigan. But Mr.. Hall
had acquired something Of national repu
tation as member OF the House Of Rep
resentatives before his marriage, so tina
IL was with him no less than the rest o
the delegation question OF brains ant
pluck.
While some Maine men found success
at home others roamed TO much advan
tage. Among the latter Is Senate
Perkins OF California, who has variet
career. His early recollections are OF I
Maine farm and "limited educational ad
vsntages,' so limited that twelve year,
OF age he left his native state and wen
out into the world TO seek something
better. Mr.. Perkins went by water
that IL, TO sea as a cabin bOy-and n
sixteen shipped "before the mast" on
sailing vessel bound for California
''round the Horn" In due time tn
young sailor reached the Eldcrado, wher
he expected to find fame and fortune
and where he entirely realized his ex
pectations-the fortune In mining, mill
Ing and the steamship business, and tn
fame from the Governors chair to tn
United States Senate. Senator Perkin
had served 10 the State Senate eigh
years before he became Governor, ant
he IL the first Senator from California
elected By the direct nomination of tn
people Of his state. When he cam
East four years ago, it was not as cabil
boy by water, but across the cOntinen
In bis private car TO seat In the Unite,
States Senate. And forty years cove
the story OF reality far stranger thai
fiction. Senator Perkins has neve
grown away from his early life as
sailor and never lost his fondness for SEE
faring people. He said one day no
long ago: IL take the greatest deligh
when am 10 seaport town in putin,
on flannel shirt and going down to tn
wharves and mingllng with the sailors
You know | used to be q man before tn,
mast myself. sailing to California b,
way OF Cape Horn, when quite young
So nowadays | go down among tn
sailors and stevedores, and sit on tn
side Of the ship and talk with them
learning something new all the tim
from their experiences. like to 90 II
the foundries and machine shops, too
and watch the men at work. You hav
no idea no much in the way Of odd
aud ends of knowledge can be picked al
in this fashion. The longer live th'
more find out that the book which
holds my knowledge shrinks, and tn
book which outsins what do not know
becomes larger. So have come to TIN
conclusion that there Il hardly man II
the world who cannot teach me some
thing which Is worth while for me {,
know"
Senator Perkins would never he takel
for western man; though living ava,
from New England the greater part o
his life, he has not, after forty years
residence In the far West, acquired any
thing off-hand in manner or speech
On the contrary, his pronunciation 4
purely New England, and the first i'm
preston ia that he IL Boston man-al
impression carried ont by certain pre-
else quiet bearing. On the question o
the annexation of Hawaii, Senator Per
kins has not fully msde up hi, mind
But IL may be stated for fact that ne |:
by no means TO be regarded as agains,
snnexstiOn. While he does no. favor
the policy OF the acquisition Of territory
he would be glad TO havs the whole
North American Continent belong to tho
United States and believes we shculC
have British COlumbia as we hsvt
Alaska. His point of view extends he
yOnd his own state In considering the
two sides to the question OF annexation
nevertheless IL the sentiment Of Cali.
fornia Il for annexation, Mr.. Perkins
will serve the best interests Of his con-
stituents.--Janet Jennings In The In.
dependent.