Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-04-15

Sidney Perham was born in Wood
stock, oxford county, Maine, March ~,
1919. His education was acquired in
the common schools Of his native town
and by constant steady efforts at home.
A correspondent to q Portland paper
once wrote: His advantages We're
! meagre, but he supplemented his
schooling by such an immense amount
Of hard study and reading that when
he was made governor, he was justly
called one Of the best informed men in
| Maine" Until he was "a years of age,
| he followed the double occupation of
| farmer and school teacher From his
contact with the soil he gained a rug
ged frame, an almost unlimited capa-
! city of hard labor and sympathy with
an element of the population who
| trusted him personally and made him
politically.
! His first public service was upon the
State Board Of Agriculture where he
/ did work for two years.
! IL 1888 he was sent to the lower House
/ of the Maine Legislature and to the
surprise of almost every one was elect
I ed Speaker at the beginning Of his
| first term. Below the Speakers desk,
! he was fond Of telling, sat two report
ers Of Augusta papers, in whom he be-
! came much interested. One represent
! ed the Whigs-the other the Demo-
] Gratis. Tie first was James G. Blaine.
/ The second was Melville w. Fuller,
now Chief Justice of the l.. s. In 1856 he
/ became n presidential elcctor, voting for
John G. Fremont In 1858 he was chos-
en- clerk Of the supreme court for the
| county Of oxford, which position he
| held until 1868. when he was elected to
| Congress. Here he served for six
| years, forming the close friendship
of Abraham Lincoln. whose earnest
supporter he was. 1t was a period the
| most trying to public men Of any since
| the government was formed.
| In his work. he showed sound sense,
practical views. a patriotic spirit as
well as courage and industry. His
speech Of May 3, 1864, upon The
Rebellious States" read after the noise
of battle has long passed, strikes one
| particularly for its firmness and fair
, ness, its strength and its charity. He
was a member Of the committee Of
| agriculture and chairman of the com
mittee on invalid pensions during his
first term. The old soldiers remember
r II W
enacted through his efforts. The total
disability law now giving a soldier 800
/ per month has grown from his original
| bill giving them $500.
| In the y. Y. Tribune Of 1865 Il CORES
| pondent remarked that mo inclemency
| If weather or urgency Of private mat
tiers kept him from his place, no late
| ness Of hours or dullness Of debate ever
| drove him from it. 1t is doubtful if
any other member Of the House has
| during the present Congress given
! more consistent and conscientious at
! t"ntion TO his official duties, sat more
| hours. or given more and better votes"
| No one who has ever known Gov. Per-
| ham i'll these last years can doubt the
truth of these words as applied to Con-
gresham Perham.
In 1869 geographical considerations
in his district deprived him Of n fourth
nomination. He was. however i'm
| rlediately brought forward as a Candi-
date fer the Republican nomination for
Governor Of Maine against Gov. Cham
| heriain. lie was defeated. hut it was a
defeat which practically lcd to his
nomination in 1870.
| He was nominated in 1872 and again
| in 1874. serving as Chief Executive for
| six years.
Throughout his life. Gov. Perham
was consistent advocate of the