Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-21
HAS SERVED CONTINUOUSLY I'M
SENATE MORE THAN THlR.
TY.oNE YEARS.
Dinner Given In Washington Last
Night by Senator and Mrs. DoIliver,
-Iowa's Veteran Senator Was the
Guest Of Honor.
HAROLD ]. MAHIN.l !
Washington Bureau Of the Courier.

Senator and Mrs. j. P. Dolliver enter
tanned at a dinner last evening, which
was in a way notable in the annals Of
Iowa. The dinner was given III honor
OF Senator Allison, who on the first Of
this month passed the period which
gave him the honor of having the
longest continuous service Of any man
who was ever in the senate. The
guests comprised the entire Iowa dele
cation, those who are married being
accompanied by their wives. Repre-
sentative-elect Dawson and Mrs. Daw-
son, as well as Judge Wade, the pres,
ent representative from the second dis
trict, were also present. The list Of
guests of distinguished Iowans was
completed by the presence of Secre.
tary and Mrs. Shaw and Secretary Will.
son.
Honor to Allison.
Although the dinner was not partic.
ular1y formal, the invitation stated that
the company was invited to meet Sen
ator Allison and the guests all knew
that they were present to do honor to
the distinguished Iowan. Senator
Allison with his customary modesty,
would permit of no demonstration and
there was no formality of this sort
except the drinking Of hearty toasts to
the senior senator and a fervant wish
for his continued good health and
many more years Of his honorable and
distinguished career.
Under the delightful guidance of
Senator and Mrs. Dolliver who are
ideal hosts, the evening proved one
of tho pooc+ roornarob1a ofbor;ooo oP
Iowans that has taken place in Wash
ington for years.
Senator Allison's record in the sen
ate up to last night is 81 years, 10
months and IA days. The longest
record of continuous service known in
the senate up to this time was that
of Justin Smith Morrell, Of Verm ont,
who saw 81 years, 9 months and "a
days.
Although Senator Allison holds the
continuous service record he has not
yet attained the longest service
record. This is still held by John
Sherman, of Ohio. He entered the
senate in 1861 and while his service
there was broken by a term as secre.
tary of the treasury in President
Hayes cabinet, his total service in the
upper house of congress was 81 years,
II months and IA days.In just a month
more Senator Allison will have equaled
and surpassed this record and will
then hold not only the continuous but
the longest service record. 1t is con
fdently expected furthermore that he
will add many years yet to
this record. His present term
does not expire until four
years from March 4 next, and he ap-
day as he was ten years ago.
Began in War Time.
The first session of which Senator
Allison was a member met December
7, 1863, right in the midst of the civil
war. There was no representation in
either house from the states of Ala
bama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee or Texas.
Colorado, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Ne
braska, Nevada, Utah and Washington
which are now sttaes, were then terri.
tories.
Senator Allison's fellow members in
the house from Iowa were John A.
Kasson, afterward a famous diplomat
still living in this city, and James F.
Wilson, who was later Allison's col
league in the senate. There were
many other famous men who entered
congress at the same time, including
James G.. Blaine, Daniel w. Voorhees,,
of Indiana, Brutus J.. Clay, Of Ken
lucky, a member Of the famous Henry
Clay family, and many others. Sena-
tor Allison remained long enough in
the house to greet two other famous
Iowans when they came to take their
seats there, namely, General Granville
M. Dodge and George B. McCreary.
Two Other Veterans.
There are only two men in the sen.
ate today who took their seats in that
body at the same time that Senator
Allison did and neither of them has
served continuously. They are Sena-
tor Mitchell, of Oregon now under
somewhat of a cloud in connection
with land frauds and Senator Stewart
of Nevada. Stewart was out Of the
senate twelve years and Mitchell ten
years.
Has Known Distinguished People.
Among some OF the distinguished
personages in American history that
Senator Allison has met on the floor
of the senate and known as colleagues
there we're: Powell Clayton, ambas-
sador to Mexico; John A. Logan and
Richard Oglesby, of Illinois; Oliver P.
Morton, Of Indiana; John j. Ingalls,, Of
Kansas; Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine;
Charles Sumner, of Massachusetts,;
lack Chandler, of Michigan; William
Window, of Minnesota; Carl Schurz,
of Missouri; Roscoe Conkling, of New
York; John Sherman and Allen G.
Thurman, of Ohio; Simon Cameron, of
Pennsylvania.
SOCIAL WAS ENJOYED.