Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1897-07-28
D0OLITTLE is DYING.
Physician Holds Out NO Hope for
the Recovery of the Form
err Senator.

Providence, r. l.. July 24.-The phys-
clan attending cX-United States Senator
Doolittle of Wisconsin, who is i'll with
Brights disease at the home of his
daughter at Edgewood reported this
morning that the patient was very weak
and that death might be expected at any
moment.
James r. DOolittle was born on
farm in the town of Hampton. in the
neighborhood of Lake Cham1lain and not
far from the Vermont line, on the Sd Of
January, 1915. Judge Doolittle was the
sixth in line of descent from Abraham
DoolittIe who was sheriff of New Haven
county, Conn. in 1913. When t years
of age his father moved to Western
New York. He was graduated at Ge
neva. now Hobart college in 1884. He
adopted the law as 4 profession, and,
having been admitted to the bar in 1887.
opened an Office ut Warsaw, y. y, in
1871. The only public office the judge
held in New York was that of district
attorney OF Wyoming county. lie early
became interested in politics. In 1851
he came to Racine and found himself in
Wing district. Yielding TO the pres
sure of many friends. he ran as the
Democratic candidate for circuit judge
in 1852 and was elected. He resigned in
1896 and devoted his time to the law.
1914 he supported Polk over Clay for
President. but in 1917 he introduced into
the Democratic convention the famous
cornerstone resolution upon which the
Free Soil party was formed in New
York. and in 1913 he followed the for
tunes Of Martin Van Buren,. the Free
Soil candidate He supported Franklin
Pierce in 1852. The repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise which followed
Pierce's election, and the position as
sumed by Stephen A. Douglas toward
the admission Of Kansas ana Nebraska
operated to drive anti-slayery Democrats
ont Of the party. Thus Judge D0olittle
became one Of the founders of the Re
publican party He was elected to the
United States Senate as a Republican
from Wisconsin, January D. 1897.
Judge DOolittlc was a great friend of
Abraham Lincoln and he was IN SYM
pathy with lincOlnS administration. IN
1863 he was again reelected to the
United States Senate from Wisconsin.
III 1865 a radical change in the Re
publican party caused Mr.. DOolittle TO
leave it. May %, 1866, the Legislature
Of Wisconsin adopted 4 resolution ask
ing him to resign his seat in the Senate
He delivered 4 scathing speech denounc-
ing those who had passed the resolution
and refused to resign. IN 1871 he was
the Democratic candidate for governor
and was defeated. Since that time he
mas DCCn DEnOcTdL. III 1850 he ran
for Congress in the First district and
was defeated. While many talented and
bright men proved unable to resist the
great and dazzling temptation to per
sOlal aggrandlZemcnt, incident to the
turmoil and disorder Of those times. and
were made the subject Of Investigations,
Senator Doolittle, actuated by purest
motives Of patriotism and 4 high sense
Of honor, retired from public oIlice with
out fortune, It IS true, but with clean
hands and an unbemished character He
was an acknowledged leader in the Sen
ate, and staunch friend of the lamented
Lincoln, and made reputation national
in its scope, and such as will live in his
tory and grow brighter in the light OF a
cooler and clearer Judgment sure to fol-
low the lapse Of time.
OF late years Judge Doolittle practiced
law in Chicago and resided most Of the
time with his daughter, Mrs. Prindell
of Racine. A year ago he was stricken
with la grippe and never fully recov-