Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-24
THE OLDEST SENATOR.
How and Why He Became n Member
of That Body.


Edmund Winston Pettus, the junior
senator from Alabama, Is man o1
gigantic proportions. The 81 years
that he carries have bent his should
ers. still he towers fully six inches
above any of his colleagues In thai
dignifled assemblage.
The other day he extended himself
during the morning hour and asked
unanimous consent to pass a pension
bill.
"It's a case that needs immediate at
tention," he said in reply to the In
quiring looks Of the senators about
him. "The man this pension is for is
very old and we must hurry up If II
does him any good. He's getting very
low"
This frank admission convulsed the
senate, but no member offered objec'
tion to the passage of the bill.
No one in the senate is looking fol
trouble with Mr.GPettus. In spite Of
his age, which Is sufficient to take the
ginger out of most men, the Alabama
man is as pugnacious as he was dur
ing the Mexican war, when, as a lieu
tenant he made a record for gallant
action in battle.
Probably the story Of how Pettus
came to be a United States senator
serves best to describe the old south
erner.
James S. Pugh was senator from
Alabama and had been elected largely
through the efforts Of Pettus. who was
practicing law in Selma, as he had beer
for the last so years, except during
the time he served as an officer In the
Confederate army. A vacancy occur
red in one of the Federal judgeships
of the state and Pettus decided that
he would like to round out his Legal
career by serving the United States
bench. He packed up his satchel and
made a trip to Washington for the
purpose of enlisting Pugh's support
for the appointment.
eled arrived in Washington about
o'clock in the morning. 1t was toe
late to go to bed and too early to dc
anything else but go and see Pugh; sc
the Alabama lawyer clambered into a
cab and drove to the senator's house
He rang the door bell loudly. A COL
ored woman answered after lapse OF
time long enough to indicate that the
servant had been called from her bed
sticking her head through the door
she asked what was wanted.
II want to see Pugh," answered Pet
tus.
Hes in bed"
That's all right. I'll go to his
room."
And he went.
Hey, there, Pugh, wake up," said
Pettus when he had discovered the
slumbering statesman.
Pugh awoke, for Pettus' voice is in
proportion to his frame.
There's a vacant judgeship down In
our state and 1 want it," said Pettus
while Pugh was rubbing his eyes.
"Pettus, you are too DID," said Pugh
as he rolled over in bed.
"Pugh, you are a fool" retorted Pet
tus, land If l am too old to be judge
! am not too old to be a senator.
He strode out of the room, frothine
with anger.
The cab went straight back to the
railroad station, where Pettus took the
first train home. He had not been
back in Selma five minutes before
everyone in the village knew that he
was a candidate for United States SEN
ator. He stumped the entire state, 60
ing into the furthermost counties tc
press his claim for recognition. His
campaign cry was that he was too old
to be a Judge, but not too old to be a
senator. He won an overwhelming
victory.
Senator Pettus is said to have the
best acquaintance with the Bible OF
any member of the senate. He car
quote scripture by the hour without
repeating. Fully half Of the inquiries
put to him are answered with scrip
tural quotations. and the report of
committee meeting in which he takes
a leading part reads like that Of a
Bible class.
In 1S49, when the gold fever broke
out in California. Mr.. Pettus was soli-
cItor of the Seventh district circuit
He resigned this Office and with a party
of neighbors went on horseback to Cal
ifornia. During the long ride he used
to read his Bible as he logged along
and he says he read it through so often
that he committed the contents of the
entire volume by heart.
Senator Pettus will be 81 years old
l. ha