Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-10-25
OLD MEN In THE SENATE
LONG TERMS IN se' 3ODY A COM
PARATIvEI NEW ASHTON.

u iADNp Llhhl1 L ~ poD n W VI
PARATIvEI NEW ASHTON.
William Boyd Allison, of Iowa, hal
been in Congress AZ years. ever since
the second Inauguration of Abraham
Lincoln. For 81 years be has been {
Senator and now he ammo lnces himself
as ready to receive a seventh term
Already his record of Sc latorial SER
vice is unequaled, and II he shall serve
out another term he will have held
bis seat for AZ years and been in Con-
g fess full half century.
The increasing tendency to continue
old men in the Senate is remarkable
development ef ou politics.
1t is surely not due to ne softness
of the berth. The Senate the most
Influential and the hardest 'rking leg
islative body in this count in either
respect it has few equals in the world.
Yet the men in it who have passed
middle age must constitute = nearly half
Of it's mem bersh:p
| There are IA who are 1ore than
three score and 10, and bali dozen of
these are above rs. Flv of the 12
Senators from New England are sept
uagenarians. At least 60 mem bers
| have served more than two terms.
Half of the New England Senators are
in that favored class.
Long terms in the Senate of the
United States are a comparatively
new fashion. They were rare in the
first half of the nineteenth century.
The name of Thomas Fl. Ben on sug-
gests a striking exception TO the rule
in those earlier days, for he sa in the
Senate 30 years.
The truth is that a seat there was
not so much coveted then as now.
Men resigned it lightly. With three
exceptions-Strong. Pickering and
| Varnum-no Massachuse is Senator
until Webster served the length of one
| term.
George Cabot and Samuel Dexter re-
signed from the Senate to accept Cabi.
net places, and Harrison Gray Otis
threw up his place even to be Mayor of
| Boston. John Quincy Adams was so
insuited when the Legislature indicat.
ed It's preference for another as his
successor that he refused to serve out
his term. Benjamin Goodhue, Dwight
Foster and Ele Porter Ashmun re
signed for no public reason whatever.
James Lloyd, who was twice elected,
resigned each time before completing
bis six years.
When Webster had served IA years
be retired to enter Harrison's Cabinet
Being re elected, he again retired after
five years to accept place in Fill.
mOre's Cabinet.
Hoar's 81 years and Summers % in
the Senate gave them the record from
Massach usetts, and each served until
death. Wilson had served IS years
when he left to be Weep President.
Dawes, at the end of IS years, was
forced out and his scat was taken by
Mr.. Lodge, who has now been in IA
years.
The Senate has made so great re-
latlve gain in attractiveness In our
time that designations are extremely
few.
When Mr.. Cleveland was first Presi-
dent he induced three Senators-Ba-
yard, Lamar and Garand-to give up
their seats and join bis Cabinet. 1t
would not be poss. ole for President
to do that now. A Senator with a
special ambition might conceivably
prefer the State or Treasury Depart.
ment. But in generalizng it is safe
to say that Senators will no longer will.
lngIy exchange a Senatorship for any
other post than that of the Presidency
itself.
And this promotion seems ro be
denied them, for no man ever has pass
ed directly from the Senate chamber to
the White House, although Garfield
was Senator elect when Presidential
lightning struck hpi. .-B9ston Globe