Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-03-08
CONGRESSMAN LlTJLEFIELp.
Splendid Tribute to Him From Famous
Washington Correspondent.

correspondent, has been writing
sketches of the leading members of
Congress for the Washington Post and
the following appreciative pen picture
of Hon. Charles Z. Littlefield, member
from the Second Maine district will
be of much interest here in Maine.
George Evans, William Pitt Fesscn-
den, James G. Blaine, Eugene Hale,
Thomas B. Reed. Nelson Dingley.
Charles f. Littleflcld-1S29-19O6. With
a hiatus of two years, Maine was con-
tinuously conspicuous in Congress in
the splendid abilities of these
her sons. And the list docs not
take into the account John Holmes,
Pelcg Spraguc, Nathan Clifford, Han
nibal Hamlin, Lot NJ. Morrill,, John A.
Peters and William p. Frye. Thus for
more than three score years and ten
Maine has exercised a far greater in
fiuence in the national councils than
the votes she cast in the two Houses of
Congress would imply. Intellectually
Evans was scarce second to Webster.
Fessenden was the greatest of all the
Republican Senators. Blaine WAS the
idol of young America" as Douglas
was before him. Hale. if he would.
could dominate the present Senate.
Reed was giant, less able than Evans.
less loved than Blaine, less trusted
than Fessenden; but. on the whole, he
was the greatest man Maine has pro-
duced. Dingley had less genius than
any of those with whom l have classed
him; but was labOrious and had the
honesty that is tinged with fanaticism.
Littlefeld IN his seventh year in the
National House of Representatives, and
every day of that time he had been the
foremost orator of the Republican side.
and one of its strongest debaters. AS a
rule, a New England statesman is a
collegiate. He has been licked into
shape ut Harvard. or Yale. or Dart
mouth. or Bowdoin. or Amherst, or
Brown. or Williams, or some other in
stitution of learning. 1t is no disad-
vantage, Il college training. but it takes
more than the learning of the schools
to make Il lawyer of a statesman. Most
of those who eXtOrted the charter from
King John could not write their names.
Mr.. Littlefield was at the carpenters
bench when some of his colleagues from
New England were at college. When
they were reading. in the original,
Demonthenes Oh Philip and Cicero on
the despoiler of Sicily, Littlefield was
showing the plane and earning the
wage that was to maintain him when
he should enter upon the study of law.
His father was a minister of the Cos
pei of the Baptist faith. What a con-
servator of American character that
church has been. despotism could
not exist where the Baptist sect flour
ishcs. Its church polity has for it's
foundation stone home rule. l do not
know how it is in New England, but
in Kentucky wherever you find Il Bap-
fist he is a man jealous of his liberty.
swift to assert his rights. and lndoml-
table in the maintenance of them. Much
of that individuality of character that
attaches to the men and women OF
Kentucky is due to the fact that the
Baptist has been the dominant relig-
ious denomination of the State from
the earliest times, and l suspect that
much of the rcsOlute independence dis
covered by Charles Z. Littlefield is
due to the Baptist household in which
he was reared.
SndEltS I<1ltielieIt W do DOiiI
q, 1851 at Lebanon. Nc. He was edu-
Gated in the common schools and High
school. with d term or two in the acad-
envy when he was just entering his
teens. He left school ut II. and for six
years was regularly employed at the
carpenters bench in a shop connected
with Il granite cutting establishment
at Ninal Haven. Al ~ he was the
manager of a lumber yard having UNI
der his orders Il number of laborerS.
When the present State, War and
Navy Department building was in pro-
cess of construction. Littlefie!d, with
his own hands, fashioned IA great many
of the gauges and patterns that were
used by the builders of that magnifi-
cent cdificc.
In 1874 young Littlcficld ceased to Do
an active artisan and became Il student
in the law Office of Rice & Hall at
Hockland. He was then % years of age,
tall. slender. graceful. wiry. athletic.
full of vitality. Astounding in strength.
robust in health. He was a handsome
man. with IA splendid pair of eyes. and
very popular. He had been taught to
toll in his childhood. and entered upon
his StuulcS WIFI cntNuSldSln. W.
years later he was admitted to the bar
and opened an Office at ROckland,
where he yet resides. He greatly dis
tinguishcd himself in the trial of Ii
bel suit. known in the annals of Maine
nisi prius as "Tillson VS.. Robbins" and
from that time his reputation as an
advocate was established.
Like most American lawyers, Little
field was a politician and an earnest
Republican. He WIS frequently on the
stump. and but for the fact that the
seat in Congress from that district was
pre- tempted by Nelson Dingley. Little
field would have become member of
Congress long before he was 40; but
Maine. except when the Grcenback par
ty found the State nOddng. has the
correct conception Of the representative
systemic send capable men to Con-
gross ana keep them there. Thus Nell
son DinGcley had Il life-lcasc on his
seat, and his ''fcEces7 at home never
gave him the slightest concern. That
is one of the things that made him the
leader IF his party and the author of
81 I'LL p1