The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-13
SENATOR DEPEW.

IlCan majority IN the New 1OTh ltbisidtHit
last night selected to succeed Senator
Murphy, has long been prominent figure
in American political life, although per-
sonally he has been known as lawyer
and a man of corporate affairs, not to
mention his fame as an after-dinner
speaker. rather than as 4 politician.
Mr. Depew laid out his course in regard
20 politics when he was thirty years old.
At that time Secretary of State Seward
wished to make him minister to Japan and
actually appointed him TO the office. At
about the same time Commodore Wander
bilt offered TO make him the attorney OF
the Harlem railroad. Mr.. Depew thought
the matter over carefully and abandoned
Japan for the railroad. OF this CONCLUSION
he said:
My refusal to take the mission to Japan
was the turning point OF my life. / rea-
soned this way: If go to Japan my career
must be a political one. II | stay In
politics l may get to Congress and the
Senate, and when | get to be about s;ty-
six years old | will be dropped out. If
stay, my practice will grow, and II ! want
TO go to the Senate or get mission when
| grow old, l can get II.
Mr. Depew was siXty-four years old
last April, and he has not found it so
sion as he supposed it would be thirty
four years ago. He has been ready for
several years, but the Offices have not
come his way.
Mr.. Depew, as everybody knows, has led
life of great activity. He has achieved
fame as a lawyer, a railroad manager,
financier q raconteur and an orator, but
the thread of politics has run through
everything that he has done. In spite of
tf,a foot hot - cd 10 hn rtr
with so much resolution in the early six
ties, it has been the warp upon which Che
woCf of his accomplishments has been
woven. In view Of the honor which is to
| be conferred upon him next February, il
will be interesting to pick up the political
| thread where it begins and disentangle it
| from the rest.
| No young man ever had more hatter-
| ing start in politics than Mr.. Depew had.
He came of a Democratic family, but his
| opinions changed while he was at Yale.
and when he was graduated in 1856 he took
| the stump at once for Fremont and Free
| Soil. He made favorable impression. He
was nominated for the assembly in the
| Third district of Westchester in 1861 and
| was elected.
| He became candidate for speaker be-
fore the Legislature met, but was defeated
| by Noble l.. sElderkin Though he missed
| ship OF the ways and means committee,
which carried with it the leadership of the
| majority on the floor. This was doing
pretty well for young man of twenty
eight. serving his first term.
| There is contemporary portrait OF
! Mr.. Depew, sketched at this time. which
! shows that his political promise was rec
| ognized Here 1t is:
Mr.. Depew is one of the ablest mem
bers in the assembly, and bids fair to be
1 come a prominent man in the State. II,
possesses decided ability to which may bC
added a good degree of industry, energy
| and perseverance. Although looking mucf
| older, he is scarcely twenty mine years o.
age, but his bearing and business habit!
partake more of the character of middi,
age. or even mature years, than the i'm
| petuosity and recklessness of youth.
He seems to have reached manhood
earlier than usually falls to the lot of NOR
| tails; or. if not fully matured, and he i'm
proves as rapidly for a few years to come
as in the past, he may be set down as pos
sessing extraordinary talents. He is, il
fact, venerable young man. a proper as
sociate and companion of men OF the pre-
ceding generation. His vigor of intellect
| too, is in accordance with his appearance
possessing the strength, solidity and ripe
ness OF middle age"
More unmistakable evidence of popu
larity awaited the rising young politician
Horatio Seymour was elected governo
in 1862, and the outlook for Republican
success the following year was not good
Mr.. Depew was nominated for SecretaT!
of State, and was elected by 10000 p.u
rality. During the campaign he mad'
two speeches a day for six weeks.
1t was during his term as Secretary o
State that Mr.. Depew went to Washing
Ok rH.zt.
met President Lincoln, for whom he hat
stumped New York. Mr.. Lincoln took
fancy to him When he declined a renom
nation as Secretary of State Secretar.
Seward commissioned him minister Il
Japan. He considered the offer for
month and decided TO decline it for thu
reasons which he himself has given.
| Notwithstanding these TWO refusals, tht
party was anxious to do something TO
him. Gov. Reuben Z. Fenton made hin
clerk of Westchester. the legislator,
elected him q regent of the State UnIver
sity in 1874. and also choose him one o
the commissioners OF the new capitol
This last gift he declined.
Mr.. Depew's early connection with TIT
| Vanderbilt railroads was political in par I
II was his duty to watch the interests o
his employer in the legislature, and thi
took him to Albany during the session
where he presented arguments for o
| against legislation. as the case might BE-
Just TO keep his hand in. Mr. Depew raj
for lieutenant governor in 1872, but wa
defeated by John c. Robinson. who Wen
in with Governor Dix. He has never ap
peared before the people as 4 candidate
| for an elective Office since.
President Andrew johnson appointed
Mr. Depew collector OF the port in 1865
but never sent his name to the Senate TO
confirmation. There are two accounts o
the reasons which restrained him from do
! ing so One is that he became angry a
Senator Edwin d. Morgan. who had recon-
| mended Mr.. Depew, for voting to overrid
his veto OF the civil rights bill. Anothe
is that he wanted Mr.. Depew to pledg
him not only the influence OF the collec
tors Office but also that OF the railroad
with which he was connected. and tina
Mr.. Depew refused. Henry A. Smythe wa
finally made collector in Mr.. Depews place
Mr.. Depew came TO the conclusion il
1881 when he had reached the age o
forty seven. that he was old enough to e
TO the Senate. Senator Conkling and Sen
atOr Plat had resigned because Presiden
Garfield refused TO make the appointment
which they recommended. OF the eighteel
candidates before the legislature when tn
two senators sought a vindcation iron
that body. Mr.. Depew was looked upO
as one of the strongest. The Stalwart
Halfbreed fight was raging when the bal
loting began. on the last day of May. MI
Depew ran against Mr.. Plat He wa
neck and neck with him in the second bal
lot: two votes ahead in the third. On tn
twenty fourth ballot he lacked only te
votes of election. but he could get no fur
ther. and on the fortieth ballot he retire