Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-01
oREGoN'S NEW SENATOR.
Mr.. simon the Fourth Jewish Mem
Der OF the Upper House,


Mr.. Simon the Fourth Jewish Mem
Der OF the Upper House,
Joseph Simon. who has just been
elected to I'LL the Oregon vacancy in
United States senate. was, according
to the press dispatches, born in Ger,
many OF Jewish parents" Mr.. Simon
Will not be the first person OF TIE
Jadean race to hold a seat in the
senate OF the United States. There
have been at least three others to pre-
cede hi:~. The first Of these was
David l.. Iulee, who sat in the senate
from July /, lS45, to March 3, 1851, and
again from March 4. 1855. to Jan, "a,
1861. when he retired from congress 10
cast his fortunes with the nasccnt
southern confederacy. Senator lu!v.
was born in the West Indies in 1911,
but came TO this country with has
father when very young and while
still a mere youth located in Florida.
His fathers name was Levy, and ae
was OF Jewish extraction. The sena.
tor first sat in congress as a delegate
from Florida for two terms under the
name of David Levy, the last OF these
terms expiring on March 5, lS45. 1t
was in the interval between that date
and ale beginning, few months later
In the same year, of the next term Ct
congress that he changed his name to
al hn n
David Levy, his new name In full he
ing David Levy Yulee. Thus he ieft
the house on March 8 as David Levy
and entered the senate when It assem-
bled on Dec following as David l.
Yulee. 1t must be admitted that he
selected a well-sounding name for his
new cognomcn. Senator Yulee lied
in New York city. Oct 10, 1886,
The next In order was the most
fame us of the three, and one Of lie
most distinguished lawyers and stat ss-
men this country has ever produced,
Judah p. Benjamin OF Louisiana. lie
was In the senate from March 3, 1883,
to Feb. 4, 1861, when he and his col
league, John Slidell, withdrew to join
the confederacy. Benjamin was sue
cessively attorney general, secretary
OF war. and secretary OF state OF the
confederacy. II is worth noting that
Benjamin and Jefferson Davis once
had a sharp personal controversy on
the floor OF the United States senate
which would have led to a duel had not
Davis had the manliness to apologize
on the floor of the senate for the Ia
language he had used. After the FAN
of the confederacy Benjamin escaped
to England, going from Florida 10 tie
Bahamas in an open boat. He was
admitted to the bar in London, after
he had mastered the English law,
and soon rose TO eminence In his ora-
fession. In 1883 his health began 10
fail and he retired from practice. u
famous farewell banquet being given
to him by his fellow-lawyers in the
hall Of the Inner Temple, London. on
June 80, 1883. He then went to Parts,
where he died May s, 1894, MIR.
Benjamin was. like Mr.. Yutoe,
born in the West Indies. His parents
were English Jews, who in lSll sailed
from England TO settle In New Or
leans. but hearing that the mouth vi
the Mississippi was blockaded by a
British feet. they put in at st. Croix
where, on Aug. IL, 1871, the future
lawyer and statesman was born. In
view OF his alien birth it is interesting
to observe that when Mr., Benjamin,
in 1S45, was a member OF the conven-
ton to revise the constitution OF The
state, he advocated the addition OF an
article requiring the governor to be
citizen born IN the United States.
The last OF this trio was Benjamin
Franklin Jones, who was IN the senatq
from Louisiana for the term from
March 4, 1879, to March 3, 1865 Mr.
Jones was born in Williamstown,
Grant county, Kentucky, on July O.
1884, removed with his father Ia
Adams county, Illinois. at an early az.
and was educated there. In 1853 he
went to New Orleans; graduated
from the law department OF the Uni
versity of Louisiana In 1855; practiced
law; served in the confederate army
during the civil war; was member
of both houses of the Legislature and
city attorney OF New Orleans after
the war, prior 10 being elected 10 the
United States senate. He served Oh.
his senatorial term and was succeeded
by James d. Eustis. who was Mr..
Cleyeland's ambassador 10 France. y
Washington Times.